The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 58

St Bonaventure Receiving the Banner of St Sepulchre
from the Madonna, by Francesco Solimena (1710). The 
Cathedral of San Paolo in Aversa, Italy. Public domain.

The following posts present the text of The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its authorship is generally attributed to St Bonaventure (1221-15 July 1274) who studied at the University of Paris where in 1243 he joined the Franciscan Order. In 1254, he was made a Master of Theology and took over the leadership of the Franciscan School in Paris. Bonaventure was officially confirmed as seventh Minister General of the Franciscans in 1257. He later wrote a life of St Francis and has been called the second founder of the Order. Appointed Cardinal the year before his death in 1274, he was canonised in 1482 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1588 with the title of Seraphic Doctor.

I offer this annotated presentation of St Bonaventure’s Psalter as a small gift to our gentle Queen and Mother in gratitude for her many graces and favours, praying for her continued help and protection for the author and his family.

This presentation of St Bonaventure’s Marian Psalms will include: an English translation based upon that of Sr Mary Emmanuel O.S.B. in the 1932 edition published by Herder; the Latin text as published in the Psalterium B. Virginis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 58

“Arise to meet me, O Queen of piety. The purest gold is thy ornament.”
Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn, 1630–1650 (artist n/k).
Public domain. GiW. CC BY 2.0.

1. Deliver me from mine enemies, O Lady of the world: arise to meet me, O Queen of piety.[1]

2. The purest gold is thy ornament[2]: the sardius stone and topaz are thy diadem.[3]

3. Jasper and amethyst are in thy right hand: beryl and chrysolite in thy left.

4. Jacinths are on thy breast: shining carbuncles are the jewels of thy bracelets.[4]

5. Myrrh, frankincense, and balsam are on thy hands: sapphire and emerald on thy fingers.[5]

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Eripe me de inimicis meis, Domina mundi: exurge in occursum meum, Regina pietatis.

2. Aurum obryzum in ornamentis tuis: sardius et topazius in diademate tuo.

3. Jaspis et amethystus in dextera tua: beryllus et chrysolithus in sinistra tua.

4. Hyacinthus et achates in pectore tuo: carbunculi scintillantes in monilibus tuis.

5. Myrrha, thus et balsamum in manibus tuis: sapphirus et smaragdus in digitis tuis.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; and defend me from them that rise up against me.”: Davidiv Ps. LVII, 2.

[2] Cf. On the Temple: “And the greater house he ceiled with deal boards, and overlaid them with plates of fine gold [auri obrizi] throughout”: 2 Para. iii, 5.

[3] There are four references to sardius stone in the Vulgate, e.g., when speaking of the holy vestments for Aaron and his sons: “And thou shalt set in it four rows of stones: in the first row shall be a sardius stone, and a topaz, and an emerald”: Exod. xxviii, 17. Sardius is better known as carnelian.

[4] Cf. “In the second a carbuncle [deep red stone], a sapphire and a jasper. In the third a ligurius, an agate, and an amethyst: In the fourth a chrysolite [gold stone], an onyx, and a beryl”: Exod. xxviii, 18-20.

[5] Cf. “The foundations of the wall of the city [the new Jerusalem] were adorned with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper: the second, sapphire: the third, a chalcedony: the fourth, an emerald: The fifth, sardonyx: the sixth, sardius: the seventh, chrysolite: the eighth, beryl: the ninth, a topaz: the tenth, a chrysoprasus: the eleventh, a jacinth: the twelfth, an amethyst.”: [Apoc. xxi, 19-20]

Davidic Psalm LVIII

1 Unto the end, destroy not, for David for an inscription of the title, when Saul sent and watched his house to kill him.

2 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; and defend me from them that rise up against me.  3 Deliver me from them that work iniquity, and save me from bloody men.  4 For behold they have caught my soul: the mighty have rushed in upon me:  5 Neither is it my iniquity, nor my sin, O Lord: without iniquity have I run, and directed my steps.  6 Rise up thou to meet me, and behold: even thou, O Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel. Attend to visit all the nations: have no mercy on all them that work iniquity.  7 They shall return at evening, and shall suffer hunger like dogs: and shall go round about the city.  8 Behold they shall speak with their mouth, and a sword is in their lips: for who, say they, hath heard us?  9 But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them: thou shalt bring all the nations to nothing.  10 I will keep my strength to thee: for thou art my protector:

11 My God, his mercy shall prevent me.  12 God shall let me see over my enemies: slay them not, lest at any time my people forget. Scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord, my protector:  13 For the sin of their mouth, and the word of their lips: and let them be taken in their pride. And for their cursing and lying they shall be talked of,  14 When they are consumed: when they are consumed by thy wrath, and they shall be no more. And they shall know that God will rule Jacob, and all the ends of the earth.  15 They shall return at evening and shall suffer hunger like dogs: and shall go round about the city. 16 They shall be scattered abroad to eat, and shall murmur if they be not filled.  17 But I will sing thy strength: and will extol thy mercy in the morning. For thou art become my support, and my refuge, in the day of my trouble.  18 Unto thee, O my helper, will I sing, for thou art God my defence: my God my mercy.

Notes

A prayer to obtain help against cruel enemies.

The title: 1: “destroy not...”: see Ps. LVI and note. Hebr. miktam (a didactic poem) of David. 

Historic background: “when Saul sent…”: comp. I Kings xix, 9 et seq. Saul, desperate to be rid of his rival, placed his guards around the house he was occupying with the intention of putting him to death the next morning. David owed his escape only to the ingenious intervention of his wife Michol. He was able to avoid his murderers despite their vigilance and went to seek refuge with the Prophet Samuel. This Psalm goes back therefore to the earliest days of Saul’s persecution and it is thus one of the most ancient in the psaltery.

The subject matter is in perfect harmony with the situation in which the Psalmist found himself. David is plunged into fearful anxiety because his very life is in danger. His enemies are keeping watch so as to seize hold of him ; or else they scour the city in every direction, looking for him and threatening him with death. Reduced to this extremity, he calls upon the Lord to help him and to punish his unjust persecutors. He promises canticles by way of thanksgiving after his deliverance. This poem is notable for its extraordinary vehemence, a rapid coming and going of emotions and vivid descriptions.

Structure: Considerable art is discernible in the way it is structured. It is divided into two equal parts (vers. 2-20 & 11-18) marked by a refrain (vers. 10 & 18). Each part is divided into two strophes by the Hebrew sélah, at the end of verses 6 and 14. In each part, the second strophe begins in an identical manner (compare verses 7 and 15).

First part: The supplicant's troubles and worries. Verses 2-10.

4: “the mighty have rushed in upon me”: without divine protection, what chance did he have on his own against them all, especially if we remember that the first of them was the king?

6: “Attend to visit all the nations”: He calls upon God to punish not only his immediate persecutors but all the wicked whom he signifies here under the name of nations or pagans (Hebrew, goïm) because of their criminal intentions and because they had broken the theocratic covenant.

Second part:  anxieties are calmed; the anger and the hopes of David. Verses 11-18.

11: “His mercy shall prevent me”: note the exquisite delicacy of the Divine goodness which prevents (i.e., comes before) the needs of David in his oppression.

15-18: Whilst his enemies will see their plans frustrated, David, having been miraculously saved, will praise his Divine Liberator. 

 +       +        +

The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen. 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.30-31.

The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 57

St Bonaventure Receiving the Banner of St Sepulchre
from the Madonna, by Francesco Solimena (1710). The 
Cathedral of San Paolo in Aversa, Italy. Public domain.

The following posts present the text of The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its authorship is generally attributed to St Bonaventure (1221-15 July 1274) who studied at the University of Paris where in 1243 he joined the Franciscan Order. In 1254, he was made a Master of Theology and took over the leadership of the Franciscan School in Paris. Bonaventure was officially confirmed as seventh Minister General of the Franciscans in 1257. He later wrote a life of St Francis and has been called the second founder of the Order. Appointed Cardinal the year before his death in 1274, he was canonised in 1482 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1588 with the title of Seraphic Doctor.

I offer this annotated presentation of St Bonaventure’s Psalter as a small gift to our gentle Queen and Mother in gratitude for her many graces and favours, praying for her continued help and protection for the author and his family.

This presentation of St Bonaventure’s Marian Psalms will include: an English translation based upon that of Sr Mary Emmanuel O.S.B. in the 1932 edition published by Herder; the Latin text as published in the Psalterium B. Virginis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 57

“Sing in concert to her, all ye sons of God.” The Vision
of St Francis by Vincenzo Carducci (1631).
Museum of Fine Arts (Budapest). Public domain.

1. If indeed you will truly speak justice[1]: honour the Queen of justice and mercy.

2. For this belongs to the praise and the glory of the Saviour: whatever of honour is bestowed upon the Mother.[2]

3. The roses of martyrs surround thee, O Queen: and the lilies of virgins encompass thy throne.[3]

4. Praise ye her, all together, ye morning stars : sing in concert to her, all ye sons of God.[4]

5. Glorify her, heavens and earth : sea and rivers, and the foundations of the world.[5]

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Si vere utique justitiam loquimini: justitia et misericordiæ honorate Reginam.

2. Ad laudem enim et gloriam pertinet Salvatoris: quidquid honorificum suæ impensum fuerit Genitrici.

3. Rosæ Martyrum te circumdant, o Regina: et lilia virginum ambiunt thronum tuum.

4. Laudate eam simul, astra matutina: concentum illi facite, omnes filii Dei.

5. Glorificate eam, cœli et terra: mare et flumina, ac fundamenta orbis.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “If in very deed you speak justice”: Davidic Ps. LVII, 2.

[2] For whatever honour is bestowed upon His Mother redounds to the praise and glory of the Saviour.

[3] Cf. “My sister, my spouse, is a garden enclosed, a garden enclosed;” Cant. iv, 12; “Where there is integrity, chastity, piety, faithful silence of secrets, the radiance of angels, there are the violets of confessors, the lilies of virgins, the roses of martyrs;” Ambrose of Milan Commentaries on Luke xii (377-89, Milan). 

[4] Cf. “When the morning stars praised me together, and all the sons of God made a joyful melody”: Job xxxviii, 7.

[5] The 1932 English translation has only four verses, the last of which reads: “Praise ye her, all together, ye morning stars: the seas and the rivers and the foundations of the world.” The Latin text (Psalterium B. Virginis Mariæ of 1679) has five verses, and I have translated these for this post.

Davidic Psalm LVII

1 Unto the end, destroy not, for David, for an inscription of a title, when he fled from Saul into the cave.

2 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me: for my soul trusteth in thee. And in the shadow of thy wings will I hope, until iniquity pass away.  3 I will cry to God the most High; to God who hath done good to me.  4 He hath sent from heaven and delivered me: he hath made them a reproach that trod upon me. God hath sent his mercy and his truth,  5 And he hath delivered my soul from the midst of the young lions. I slept troubled. The sons of men, whose teeth are weapons and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.  6 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, and thy glory above all the earth.

7 They prepared a snare for my feet; and they bowed down my soul. They dug a pit before my face, and they are fallen into it.  8 My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready: I will sing, and rehearse a psalm.  9 Arise, O my glory, arise psaltery and harp: I will arise early.  10 I will give praise to thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing a psalm to thee among the nations.  11 For thy mercy is magnified even to the heavens: and thy truth unto the clouds.  12 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth.

Notes

Prayer and thanksgiving at a time grave danger.

The title: “inscription of a title”: See Note for Ps. XV. “ destroy not”: a literal translation of the Hebrew ‘al-tashet: this is an obscure expression which is also found at the head of psalms LVII, LVIII and LXXIV. According to some commentators this is a reference to the general theme of these psalms: Lord, save me ; according to others, these are the first words of a song  indicating the melody was to be used for the four psalms in question.

Historical background: “when he fled from Saul into the cave”: There are two possible events : in Odollam, I Kings xxii, 1 et seq.; and in Engaddi, I Kings xxiv, 1 et seq. It is commonly supposed that this song is dealing with events in Engaddi where David found himself in greater danger.

The subject matter is very similar to that of Psalm LV and fully reflects the circumstances indicated in the title. The psalmist, moved by a lively spirit of trust in God who has always wondrously delivered him from all his troubles, implores Him to come unto his aid in this new danger. Then he celebrates his anticipated deliverance by a Canticle of Praise.

Structure: The psalm may be divided into two halves, separated by a refrain which has been described as grandiose: see verses 6 and 11.

1. a prayer replete with faith, to obtain a swift deliverance: verses 2-6;

2. the psalmist’s act of thanksgiving in anticipation, confident that victory is assured: verses7-12. 

verses 8-12 are found reproduced at the beginning of Psalm CVII.

First part: an urgent prayer to obtain deliverance. Verses 2-6.

2-3:  “Have mercy…”:  this is the third of the Psalms which begin with these words (cf, Psalm L and Psalm LV). 

5: “young lions”: David compares his enemies to the most terrible of wild beasts. Cf. Ps. VII, 3.

6: “Be thou exalted, O God…”: this verse is the refrain. Here is the most sublime and most effective way for a man to obtain a blessing from God: namely, that He Himself is to be glorified, and proposing for himself this divine glory as his unique end in the prayers which are addressed to Him to obtain the blessing.  This is indeed David’s objective when he prays that before all else God may be glorified in heaven and on earth by granting the deliverance that is requested.

Second part: An act of thanksgiving in anticipation. Verses 7-12.

7-9: Although his enemies are still threatening him and drawing closer, David tells himself to praise God, whose salvation he awaits with complete confidence. The psalmist supposes that his night of troubles is coming to an end and already he sings joyfully to his Liberator.  

9: “I will arise early”: in Hebrew the sense is even more poetic: literally, “I wish to awaken the dawn.”

10: “I will give praise to thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing a psalm to thee among the nations”:  far beyond the frontiers of the Holy Land, as far as the Pagan peoples. The Psalms of David are today sung throughout the whole world. 

 +       +        +

The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen. 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.30-31.

The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 56

St Bonaventure Receiving the Banner of St Sepulchre
from the Madonna, by Francesco Solimena (1710). The 
Cathedral of San Paolo in Aversa, Italy. Public domain.

The following posts present the text of The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its authorship is generally attributed to St Bonaventure (1221-15 July 1274) who studied at the University of Paris where in 1243 he joined the Franciscan Order. In 1254, he was made a Master of Theology and took over the leadership of the Franciscan School in Paris. Bonaventure was officially confirmed as seventh Minister General of the Franciscans in 1257. He later wrote a life of St Francis and has been called the second founder of the Order. Appointed Cardinal the year before his death in 1274, he was canonised in 1482 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1588 with the title of Seraphic Doctor.

I offer this annotated presentation of St Bonaventure’s Psalter as a small gift to our gentle Queen and Mother in gratitude for her many graces and favours, praying for her continued help and protection for the author and his family.

This presentation of St Bonaventure’s Marian Psalms will include: an English translation based upon that of Sr Mary Emmanuel O.S.B. in the 1932 edition published by Herder; the Latin text as published in the Psalterium B. Virginis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 56

“I will rest in the shelter of thine arms : for sweet to me is thy refreshment.”
Madonna of the Pomegranate, by Botticelli (1487).

Uffizi Gallery, Florence. Nanae-Livioandronico (2013). CC BY-SA 4.0.

1. Have mercy on me, O Lady, have mercy on me : for my heart is prepared to seek out thy will.[1]

2. And I will rest in the shelter of thine arms[2]: for sweet to me is thy refreshment.

3. Thy hands have distilled choice myrrh: and thy fingers the unguents of graces.[3]

4. And a fragment of pomegranate is thy throat[4]: and thy breath is sweet as an amalgam of choice smelling herbs.

5. For thou art the mother of fair love[5] and the anchor of hope[6] : the haven of pardon[7], and the gate of salvation.[8]

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Miserere mei, Domina, miserere mei: quia paratum est cor meum exquirere voluntatem tuam.

2. Et in umbra alarum tuarum requiescam: quia delectabile est mihi refrigerium tuum.

3. Manus tuæ distillant myrrham primam: et digiti tui unguenta gratiarum.

4. Et fragmenta mali punici est guttur tuum: et spiramen oris tui suave, compositum thymiama.

5. Tu enim es mater pulchræ dilectionis, et anchora spei: portus indulgentiæ, et janua salutis.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me: for my soul trusteth in thee”: Davidic Ps. LVI, 2.

[2] Cf. “And in the shadow of thy wings will I hope”: Ibid.

[3] Cf. “His cheeks are as beds of aromatical spices set by the perfumers. His lips are as lilies dropping choice myrrh [myrrham primam]”: Cant. v, 13.

[4] Cf. “Thy cheeks are as a piece of a pomegranate”: Cant. iv, 3; “My sister, my spouse, is a garden enclosed, a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed up. Thy plants are a paradise of pomegranates;” Ibid iv, 12-13. For more on the liturgical symbolism of the pomegranate, see New Liturgical Movement article (Dec. 14 2020).

[5] Cf. “I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope.” Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv, 24.

[6] Cf. “The hope set before us which we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm”: Hebr. vi, 18-19.

[7] Cf. Marian Ps. 18.

[8] Cf. Marian Ps. 46. “the gate of salvation”: see “Cf. “And he brought me back to the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary, which looked towards the east: and it was shut. And the Lord said to me: This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall pass through it: because the Lord the God of Israel hath entered in by it, and it shall be shut. The prince himself shall . . .enter in by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go out by the same way.” Ezech. xliv, 1-3.

Davidic Psalm LVI

1 Unto the end, destroy not, for David, for an inscription of a title, when he fled from Saul into the cave.

2 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me: for my soul trusteth in thee. And in the shadow of thy wings will I hope, until iniquity pass away.  3 I will cry to God the most High; to God who hath done good to me.  4 He hath sent from heaven and delivered me: he hath made them a reproach that trod upon me. God hath sent his mercy and his truth,  5 And he hath delivered my soul from the midst of the young lions. I slept troubled. The sons of men, whose teeth are weapons and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.  6 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, and thy glory above all the earth.

7 They prepared a snare for my feet; and they bowed down my soul. They dug a pit before my face, and they are fallen into it.  8 My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready: I will sing, and rehearse a psalm.  9 Arise, O my glory, arise psaltery and harp: I will arise early.  10 I will give praise to thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing a psalm to thee among the nations.  11 For thy mercy is magnified even to the heavens: and thy truth unto the clouds.  12 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth.

Notes

Prayer and thanksgiving at a time grave danger.

The title: “inscription of a title”: See Note for Ps. XV. “ destroy not”: a literal translation of the Hebrew ‘al-tashet: this is an obscure expression which is also found at the head of psalms LVII, LVIII and LXXIV. According to some commentators this is a reference to the general theme of these psalms, Lord, save me ; according to others, these are the first words of a song  indicating the melody was to be used for the four psalms in question.

Historical background: “when he fled from Saul into the cave”: There are two possible events : in Odollam, I Kings xxii, 1 et seq.; and in Engaddi, I Kings xxiv, 1 et seq. It is commonly supposed that this song is dealing with events in Engaddi where David found himself in greater danger.

The subject matter is very similar to that of Psalm LV and fully reflects the circumstances indicated in the title. The psalmist, moved by a lively spirit of trust in God who has always wondrously delivered him from all his troubles, implores Him to come unto his aid in this new danger. Then he celebrates his anticipated deliverance by a Canticle of Praise.

Structure: The psalm may be divided into two halves, separated by a refrain which has been described as grandiose: see verses 6 and 11.

1. a prayer replete with faith, to obtain a swift deliverance: verses 2-6;

2. the psalmist’s act of thanksgiving in anticipation, confident that victory is assured: verses7-12. 

verses 8-12 are found reproduced at the beginning of Psalm CVII.

First part: an urgent prayer to obtain deliverance. Verses 2-6.

2-3:  “Have mercy…”:  this is the third of the Psalms which begin with these words (cf, Psalm L and Psalm LV). 

5: “young lions”: David compares his enemies to the most terrible of wild beasts. Cf. Ps. VII, 3.

6: “Be thou exalted, O God…”: this verse is the refrain. Here is the most sublime and most effective way for a man to obtain a blessing from God: namely, that He Himself is to be glorified , and proposing for himself this divine glory as his unique end in the prayers which are addressed to Him to obtain the blessing.  This is indeed David’s objective when he prays that before all else God may be glorified in heaven and on earth by granting the deliverance that is requested.

Second part: An act of thanksgiving in anticipation. Verses 7-12.

7-9: Although his enemies are still threatening him and drawing closer, David tells himself to praise God, whose salvation he awaits with complete confidence. The psalmist supposes that his night of troubles is coming to an end and already he sings joyfully to his Liberator.  

9: “I will arise early”: in Hebrew the sense is even more poetic: literally, “I wish to awaken the dawn.”

10: “I will give praise to thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing a psalm to thee among the nations”:  far beyond the frontiers of the Holy Land, as far as the Pagan peoples. The Psalms of David are today sung throughout the whole world. 

 +       +        +

The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen. 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.30-31.

The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 55

St Bonaventure Receiving the Banner of St Sepulchre
from the Madonna, by Francesco Solimena (1710). The 
Cathedral of San Paolo in Aversa, Italy. Public domain.

The following posts present the text of The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its authorship is generally attributed to St Bonaventure (1221-15 July 1274) who studied at the University of Paris where in 1243 he joined the Franciscan Order. In 1254, he was made a Master of Theology and took over the leadership of the Franciscan School in Paris. Bonaventure was officially confirmed as seventh Minister General of the Franciscans in 1257. He later wrote a life of St Francis and has been called the second founder of the Order. Appointed Cardinal the year before his death in 1274, he was canonised in 1482 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1588 with the title of Seraphic Doctor.

I offer this annotated presentation of St Bonaventure’s Psalter as a small gift to our gentle Queen and Mother in gratitude for her many graces and favours, praying for her continued help and protection for the author and his family.

This presentation of St Bonaventure’s Marian Psalms will include: an English translation based upon that of Sr Mary Emmanuel O.S.B. in the 1932 edition published by Herder; the Latin text as published in the Psalterium B. Virginis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 55

“Let us feel the help of thine arm.” The Battle at El Sotillo
by Francisco de Zurbarán (1637-9). The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, NYC. Open Access policy.[5]

1. Have mercy on me, O Lady, for my enemies have trodden upon me every day : all their thoughts are turned to evil against me.[1]

2. Stir up fury, and be mindful of war: and pour out thy anger upon them.[2]

3. Renew wonders and change marvellous things: let us feel the help of thine arm.[3]

4. Glorify thy name upon us: that we may know that thy mercy is forever.

5. Distill upon us droplets of thy sweetness[4]: for thou art the cupbearer of the sweetness of grace.

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Miserere mei, Domina, quoniam conculcaverunt me hostes mei quotidie: omnes cogitationes eorum in malum contra me.

2. Excita furorem, et memento belli: et super eos effunde iram tuam.

3. Innova signa, et immuta mirabilia: sentiamus adjutorium brachii tui.

4. Glorifica nomen tuum super nos: ut cognoscamus quoniam in sæculum misericordia tua.

5. Stilla nobis guttam suavitatis tuæ: quia tu es pincerna gratiæ dulcoris.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “Have mercy on me, O God, for man hath trodden me under foot; all the day long he hath afflicted me fighting against me. My enemies have trodden on me all the day long; for they are many that make war against me.”: Davidic Ps. LV, 2-3.

[2] Cf. “Raise up indignation [excita furorem], and pour out wrath”: Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxxvi, 8; “This is not a word that may draw down mercy, but rather that may stir up wrath, and enkindle indignation [furorem]”: Judith viii, 12; “The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, as a man of war shall he stir up zeal: he shall shout and cry: he shall prevail against his enemies.” Is. xlii, 13;

[3] Cf. “Renew thy signs, and work new miracles; Glorify thy hand, and thy right arm”: Ibid. 36-7.

[4] Cf. “Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above”: Is. xlv, 8.

[5] This dramatic painting portrays the miraculous intervention of the Virgin Mary in a battle that took place in 1370 during the Reconquista near Cadiz, Spain. The Carthusian monastery of Nuestra Senora de la Defensión was founded. on the site of the Christians’ victory over the Moors.

Davidic Psalm LV

1 Unto the end, for a people that is removed at a distance from the sanctuary for David, for an inscription of a title (or pillar) when the Philistines held him in Geth.

2 Have mercy on me, O God, for man hath trodden me under foot; all the day long he hath afflicted me fighting against me.  3 My enemies have trodden on me all the day long; for they are many that make war against me.  4 From the height of the day I shall fear: but I will trust in thee.  5 In God I will praise my words, in God I have put my trust: I will not fear what flesh can do against me.

6 All the day long they detested my words: all their thoughts were against me unto evil.  7 They will dwell and hide themselves: they will watch my heel. As they have waited for my soul,  8 For nothing shalt thou save them: in thy anger thou shalt break the people in pieces, O God,  9 I have declared to thee my life: thou hast set my tears in thy sight, as also in thy promise.  10 Then shall my enemies be turned back. In what day soever I shall call upon thee, behold I know thou art my God.  11 In God will I praise the word, in the Lord will I praise his speech. In God have I hoped, I will not fear what man can do to me.

12 In me, O God, are vows to thee, which I will pay, praises to thee:  13 Because thou hast delivered my soul from death, my feet from falling: that I may please in the sight of God, in the light of the living.

Notes

A prayer uttered trustingly, in the midst of very great distress.

The title:

1: “for a people that is removed at a distance from the sanctuary”:  these words, as set down in the Septuagint and the Vulgate, can only refer to David and his supporters who had been obliged to flee Jerusalem and the Sanctuary in order to escape Saul’s anger. 

“for an inscription of a title (or pillar)”: See the Notes to Ps. XV.

“when the Philistines held him in Geth”: The Septuagint often gives name of Allophyles to the Philistines and these are the people who are mentioned very clearly in the Hebrew text. The circumstances which are referred to briefly here are set out in I Kings xxi, 10 et seq. Hotly pursued by Saul and forced to seek refuge in the territory of the Philistines, David had immediately been recognised in Geth as the man who had overcome Goliath. He had been made prisoner and led before the king of this city. This placed him in very great danger.

The psalmist complains to God about the violent persecution which his numerous enemies had been forcing him to endure for a long time ; amongst them, we must note especially Saul, fiercest of them all, who was unique cause of his actual danger. In his distress, David has recourse to the Lord, uttering groans, prayers and showing a lively trust in the Lord.  The poem is notable for its movement, reflecting the troubled state of the psalmist’s soul at this time.

Structure: the Psalm may be divided into two unequal parts, marked in verses 5 et seq. by a refrain analogous to that found in psalms XLI-XLII, followed by a conclusion.

1. an appeal to God motivated by the sad situation in which the poet finds himself: verses 2-5;

2. prayers in which he laments but expresses his trust in God : verses 6-11;

3. the conclusion with an act of thanksgiving: verses 12-13.

First part:

2-5:  The essential element of his prayer becomes clear immediately and is summed up in the words: “Have mercy on me.” the description of the supplicants sufferings is of itself a most eloquent prayer.

4: “From the height of the day”: according to the Vulgate, dawn, when the sun has risen above the horizon; or better still: noon, when the day is at its peak. the sense is accordingly: even when a day is at its height, and the danger becomes greatest, I shall fear nothing The Hebrew text has a different meaning. It links the words “From the height” to the previous verse and then begins a new sentence : Many are attacking me through their pride ; the day when fear, (meaning when anxiety becomes greatest), I place my trust in thee. An altogether admirable sentiment.

Second part: 6-11.

6-8: the hateful behaviour of David’s enemies; imprecations against them.

9-11: The Psalmist’s lively sentiments of trust in God.

9: “I have declared to thee my life:”  the Hebrew text differs here: oh God, Dial hast numbered my wanderings. David is referring here to his errant lifestyle, the comings and goings of his flights and the multiple sufferings which accompanied them. This is a most beautiful idea: God is keeping an exact count of all these details in order to reward his faithful servant in a generous manner.

Conclusion: Thanksgiving to God for His goodness. Verses 12-13.

13: “in the light of the living”:  Hebr. : in the light of life, by way of contrast with abiding in the dreadful shadows of the dead.  Cf. “That he may withdraw their souls from corruption, and enlighten them with the light of the living.” Job xxxiii, 30. The sense is therefore: (Thou hast delivered my soul) so that I might live a long time yet.

 +       +        +

The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen. 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.30-31.

The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 54

St Bonaventure Receiving the Banner of St Sepulchre
from the Madonna, by Francesco Solimena (1710). The 
Cathedral of San Paolo in Aversa, Italy. Public domain.

The following posts present the text of The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its authorship is generally attributed to St Bonaventure (1221-15 July 1274) who studied at the University of Paris where in 1243 he joined the Franciscan Order. In 1254, he was made a Master of Theology and took over the leadership of the Franciscan School in Paris. Bonaventure was officially confirmed as seventh Minister General of the Franciscans in 1257. He later wrote a life of St Francis and has been called the second founder of the Order. Appointed Cardinal the year before his death in 1274, he was canonised in 1482 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1588 with the title of Seraphic Doctor.

I offer this annotated presentation of St Bonaventure’s Psalter as a small gift to our gentle Queen and Mother in gratitude for her many graces and favours, praying for her continued help and protection for the author and his family.

This presentation of St Bonaventure’s Marian Psalms will include: an English translation based upon that of Sr Mary Emmanuel O.S.B. in the 1932 edition published by Herder; the Latin text as published in the Psalterium B. Virginis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 54

“Hear my prayer, O Lady : I will look for thy consolation.”
Our Lady of Consolation (1385, rest. in 1465).
Church of Santa Maria della Consolazione, Rome.
Public domain. Fallaner (CC BY-SA 4.0). 

1. Hear my prayer, O Lady: and despise not my supplications.[1]

2. I am become sad in my thoughts[2]: because the judgments of God have terrified me.

3. The darkness of death has overtaken me: and the fear of hell has invaded me.[3]

4. But in solitude I will expect thy consolation: and in my chamber I will wait for thy mercy.

5. Glorify thy arm and thy right hand[4]: that our enemies may be cast down by us.[5]

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Exaudi, Domina, orationem meam : et ne contemnas deprecationem meam.

2. Contristatus sum in cogitatione mea : quia judicia Dei perterruerunt me.

3. Tenebræ mortis venerunt super me : et pavor inferni invasit me.

4. Ego autem in solitudine expecto consolationem tuam : et in cubili meo attendo misericordiam tuam.

5. Glorifica manum et dexterum brachium tuum : ut prosternantur a nobis inimici nostri.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “Hear, O God, my prayer, and despise not my supplication:” Davidic Ps. LIV, 2.

[2] Cf. “I am grieved in my exercise; and am troubled:” Ibid. 3.

[3] Cf. “The fear of death is fallen upon me. Fear and trembling are come upon me: and darkness hath covered me.”: Ibid. 5, 6.

[4] Cf. “Thy arm is with might. Let thy hand be strengthened, and thy right hand exalted”: Ps. LXXXVIII, 14.

[5] Cf. “But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction”: Davidic Ps. LIV, 2.

Davidic Psalm LIV

1 Unto the end, in verses, understanding for David.

2 Hear, O God, my prayer, and despise not my supplication:  3 Be attentive to me and hear me. I am grieved in my exercise; and am troubled,  4 At the voice of the enemy, and at the tribulation of the sinner. For they have cast iniquities upon me: and in wrath they were troublesome to me.  5 My heart is troubled within me: and the fear of death is fallen upon me.  6 Fear and trembling are come upon me: and darkness hath covered me.  7 And I said: Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly and be at rest?  8 Lo, I have gone far off flying away; and I abode in the wilderness.  9 I waited for him that hath saved me from pusillanimity of spirit, and a storm.

10 Cast down, O Lord, and divide their tongues; for I have seen iniquity and contradiction in the city.  11 Day and night shall iniquity surround it upon its walls: and in the midst thereof are labour, 12 And injustice. And usury and deceit have not departed from its streets.  13 For if my enemy had reviled me, I would verily have borne with it. And if he that hated me had spoken great things against me, I would perhaps have hidden myself from him.  14 But thou a man of one mind, my guide, and my familiar,  15 Who didst take sweetmeats together with me: in the house of God we walked with consent.  16 Let death come upon them, and let them go down alive into hell. For there is wickedness in their dwellings: in the midst of them.  17 But I have cried to God: and the Lord will save me.

18 Evening and morning, and at noon I will speak and declare: and he shall hear my voice.  19 He shall redeem my soul in peace from them that draw near to me: for among many they were with me. 20 God shall hear, and the Eternal shall humble them. For there is no change with them, and they have not feared God: 21 He hath stretched forth his hand to repay. They have defiled his covenant, 22 They are divided by the wrath of his countenance, and his heart hath drawn near. His words are smoother than oil, and the same are darts.  23 Cast thy care upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall not suffer the just to waver for ever.  24 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee, O Lord.

Notes

David, surrounded by powerful enemies and betrayed by a close friend, calls upon God to rescue him.

It is generally accepted that this canticle was composed during the first period of Absalom’s revolt at a time when everything seemed to be conspiring to bring about David’s ruin. The principal details correspond closely to this painful time and especially the treachery of a devoted friend, namely Achitophel ( verses 14-15; cf. Kings xv, 12 & 31). Betrayed in this manner, abandoned and threatened in his life no less than in his dignity, David addresses himself to God, his only help, and implores Him to come unto his aid. By way of reasons for the prompt granting of his requests, he points out his profound distress, the malice of his foes, the perfidy and ingratitude of his friend and his perfect trust in God despite everything. This is a beautiful psalm emanating from the very depths of David’s heart. Here, Achitophel foreshadows the traitor Judas, as we saw previously in Psalm XL, 10.

Structure: The Psalm may be divided into three parts:

‣ an appeal to God based upon the supplicant’s anxieties : verses 2-9;

‣ the king gives free rein to the indignation he feels against his enemies: verses 10-17; and

‣ he speaks of his trust in God: verses 18-24.

First part: an appeal to God based on the extreme distress of the supplicant. Verses 2-9.

2-4: Prelude: His urgent prayer and his reasons are briefly indicated.

5-6: A vivid and painful description of the anxieties into which the supplicant has plunged.

7-9: His passionate desire to escape from this terrible situation. The beauty of this passage has been frequently admired.

9: “pusillanimity”: interior discouragement. There is a significant variation in the Hebrew : “I would make haste to escape the raging storm, the tempest.”

Second part: The king gives free rein to the indignation he feels against his enemies: verses 10-17.

Third part: The king’s feelings of perfect trust in God. Verses 18-24. 

David is certain that the Lord will grant his prayer and deliver him from his enemies. The tone has suddenly changed starting from verse 17 and will continue in the gentle but at the same time solemn manner until the end of the canticle.

18: “Evening and morning, and at noon”: these are the three principle parts of the day, signifying therefore “all the time.” The Hebrews considered that the civil day began and concluded in the evening ; we have accordingly twenty-four complete hours indicated here.

24: “but I will trust in thee, O Lord”:   a feeling replete with sweetness concludes this beautiful canticle.

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The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen. 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.30-31.

The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 53

St Bonaventure Receiving the Banner of St Sepulchre
from the Madonna, by Francesco Solimena (1710). The 
Cathedral of San Paolo in Aversa, Italy. Public domain.

The following posts present the text of The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its authorship is generally attributed to St Bonaventure (1221-15 July 1274) who studied at the University of Paris where in 1243 he joined the Franciscan Order. In 1254, he was made a Master of Theology and took over the leadership of the Franciscan School in Paris. Bonaventure was officially confirmed as seventh Minister General of the Franciscans in 1257. He later wrote a life of St Francis and has been called the second founder of the Order. Appointed Cardinal the year before his death in 1274, he was canonised in 1482 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1588 with the title of Seraphic Doctor.

I offer this annotated presentation of St Bonaventure’s Psalter as a small gift to our gentle Queen and Mother in gratitude for her many graces and favours, praying for her continued help and protection for the author and his family.

This presentation of St Bonaventure’s Marian Psalms will include: an English translation based upon that of Sr Mary Emmanuel O.S.B. in the 1932 edition published by Herder; the Latin text as published in the Psalterium B. Virginis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 53

“Save me, O Lady . . . hide me under the shadow of thy wings.”
Madonna of the Protective Mantle (early 1500’s). Artist n/k.
Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of Trezzo, Lombardy. Public domain.

1. Save me, O Lady, by thy name[1] : and deliver me from my injustices.

2. That the craft of the enemy may not hurt me: hide me under the shadow of thy wings.[2]

3. O my Lady, help me ! bestow thy grace upon my soul ![3]

4. Willingly I will offer thee a sacrifice of praise: and I will give praise to thy name, for it is good.[4]

5. For thou shalt deliver me from all tribulation: and my eye shall despise mine enemies.[5]

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Domina, in nomine tuo salvum me fac: et ab injustitiis meis libera me.

2. Ut non noceat mihi calliditas inimici: sub umbra alarum tuarum protege me.

3. O Domina mea, adjuva me: gratiam tuam largire animæ meæ.

4. Voluntarie offeram tibi sacrificium laudis: et confitebor nomini tuo, quoniam bonum est.

5. Quoniam ex omni tribulatione liberabis me: et inimicos meos despiciet oculus meus.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “Save me, O God, by thy name,” Davidic Ps. LIII, 3.

[2] Cf. “Protect me under the shadow of thy wings.” Ps. XVI, 8; “Jerusalem ..how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldest not?”: Matt. xxiii, 37.

[3] Cf. “For behold God is my helper: and the Lord is the protector of my soul”: Ps. LIII, 6.

[4] Cf. “I will freely sacrifice to thee, and will give praise, O God, to thy name: because it is good”: Ps. LIII, 8.

[5] Cf. “For thou hast delivered me out of all trouble: and my eye hath looked down upon my enemies”: Ps. LIII, 9. “My eye also hath looked down upon my enemies: and my ear shall hear of the downfall of the malignant that rise up against me.” Ps. XCI, 12.

Davidic Psalm LIII

1 Unto the end, In verses, understanding for David.  2 When the men of Ziph had come and said to Saul: Is not David hidden with us?

3 Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me in thy strength.  4 O God, hear my prayer: give ear to the words of my mouth.  5 For strangers have risen up against me; and the mighty have sought after my soul: and they have not set God before their eyes.

6 For behold God is my helper: and the Lord is the protector of my soul.  7 Turn back the evils upon my enemies; and cut them off in thy truth.  8 I will freely sacrifice to thee, and will give praise, O God, to thy name: because it is good:  9 For thou hast delivered me out of all trouble: and my eye hath looked down upon my enemies.

Notes

The title: verses 1-2: “understanding...David”: It is a didactic Psalm composed by David.

“In verses,” (in carminibus). Hebr.: bin’ginôt, to the accompaniment of stringed instruments (cf. Ps. IV, 1).

2:  “When the men of Ziph had come…”: this verse shows the occasion of the Psalm’s composition. David, persecuted and pursued by Saul, had sought refuge in the desert of Ziph to the south of Hebron; but, noticed and then reported by the inhabitants of the country, He then found himself in extreme danger. This betrayal occurred twice : cf. I Kings xxiii, 19 et seq; and xxvi, 1. The psalm refers to the first of these, as is shown by the words of the men of Ziph quoted in the title: “Is not David hidden with us?” They are in fact identical to those I Kings xxiii, 13.

The psalm was composed by David in these distressing circumstances and naturally contains a prayer to obtain speedy assistance. Wanting to make his prayer more acceptable and pleasing to the Lord, the poet incorporates, as he does frequently, his feelings of complete trust and confidence in the Lord. The prayer was granted in a wonderful manner, for the Philistines, made a sudden incursion into Israelite territory and this obliged Saul (who had been on the point of attacking his rival) to lead his forces against them. David was enabled in this way to escape safe and sound.

Structure: The psalm may be divided into two strophes or parts: verses 3-5, a plaintive prayer; and verses 6-9, the psalmist’s feelings of trust and his generous promises.

First part: His prayer. Verses 3-5.

3-5: a simple but ardent cry from the heart.

5: “For strangers have risen up against me”: This is a reference to the men of Ziph. They were in fact part of the theocratic nation, members of the tribe of Judah, just as much as David ; but, through their odious treason, they had turned themselves into strangers and had become as pagans. “the mighty”: Hebr. : men of violence. The reference here is still to the men of Ziph who had promised to deliver David to him after capturing him by main Force.

“they have not set God before their eyes”: litotes, meaning that they had in fact gone directly against the divine will, since the Lord had openly declared himself favourable to David and hostile to Saul.

The Hebr. then has the term sélah (which the Septuagint translates as διάψαλμα – musical interlude) meaning either a pause or a musical direction equivalent to forte or crescendo.

Second part: the psalmist’s feelings of trust and his holy promises.

6: “For behold”: David here already sees the deliverance which he asked for from God appearing to the consolation of his soul. The use of the present tense is very expressive.

7: “Turn back the evils”: In the Hebr.,  a simple prediction: “He will turn back the evils.”

8: “I will freely sacrifice to thee”: magnanimously and joyfully. There are references in Leviticus to spontaneous sacrifices, so-called in order to distinguish them from the offerings strictly required by the Law. Cf. Lev. vii, 16; xxii, 21 & 23.

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The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen. 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.30-31.