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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
PENITENTIAL PSALM: 102. DOMINE EXAUDI, by THOMAS WYATT Poet Analysis Poet's Biography
First Line: Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry pass
Last Line: When he his song again thus did begin.
Alternate Author Name(s): Wyat, Thomas
First Line: Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry pass
Last Line: When he his song again thus did begin.
Alternate Author Name(s): Wyat, Thomas
Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry pass
Unto the Lord without impediment.
Do not from me turn Thy merciful face,
Unto myself leaving my government.
In time of trouble and adversity
Incline to me Thine ear and Thine intent;
And when I call, help my necessity:
Readily grant th' effect of my desire.
These bold demands do please Thy majesty,
And eke my case such haste doth well require.
For like as smoke my days been past away,
My bones dried up as furnace with the fire,
My heart, my mind is withered up like hay,
Because I have forgot to take my bread,
My bread of life, the word of truth, I say:
And for my plaintful sighs, and my dread,
My bones, my strength, my very force of mind
Cleaved to the flesh and from the sprite were fled,
As desperate Thy mercy for to find.
So made I me the solaine pelican,
And like the owl that fleeth by proper kind
Light of the day and hath herself beaten
To run life out of all company.
With waker care that with this woe began,
Like the sparrow was I solitary,
That sits alone under the house's eaves.
This while my foes conspired continually,
And did provoke the harm of my disease.
Wherefor like ashes my bread did me savor,
Of Thy just word the taste might not me please.
Wherefore my drink I tempered with liquor
Of weeping tears that from mine eyes do rain:
Because I know the wrath of Thy furor
Provoked by right had of my pride disdain;
For Thou didst lift me up to throw me down,
To teach me how to know myself again.
Whereby I knew that helpless I should drown,
My days like shadow decline and I do dry;
And Thee forever eternity doth crown;
World without end doth last Thy memory.
For this frailty that yoketh all mankind,
Thou shalt awake and rue this misery,
Rue on Sion, Sion that as I find
Is the people that live under Thy law;
For now is time, the time at hand assigned,
The time so long that doth Thy servants draw
In great desire to see that pleasant day,
Day of redeeming Sion from sin's awe:
For they have ruth to see in such decay
In dust and stones this wretched Sion lour.
Then the Gentiles shall dread Thy name alway;
All earthly kings Thy glory shall honor,
Then when that grace Thy Sion thus redeemeth,
When thus Thou hast declared Thy mighty power.
The Lord His servant's wishes so esteemeth
That He Him turneth unto the poor's request.
To our descent this to be written seemeth,
Of all comforts as consolation best;
And they that then shall be regenerate
Shall praise the Lord therefore both most and least.
For he hath looked from the height of his estate,
The Lord from heaven in earth hath looked on us,
To hear the moan of them that are algate
In foul bondage; to lose and to discuss
The sons of death out from their deadly bond,
To give thereby occasion gracious,
In this Sion His holy name to stand
And in Jerusalem His lauds lasting aye:
When in one church the people of the land
And realms been gathered to serve, to laud, to pray
The Lord alone so just and merciful.
But to this samble running in the way
My strength faileth to reach it at the full.
He hath abridged my days; they may not dure
To see that term, that term so wonderful.
Although I have with hearty will and cure
Prayed to the Lord, take me not, Lord, away
In mids of my years, though Thine ever sure
Remain eterne, whom time cannot decay.
Thou wroughtst the earth, Thy hands th' heavens did make;
They shall perish and Thou shalt last alway,
And all things age shall wear and overtake
Like cloth; and Thou shalt change them like apparel,
Turn and translate and they in worth it take.
But Thou Thyself the self remainest well
That Thou wast erst, and shalt Thy years extend.
Then since to this there may nothing rebel,
The greatest comfort that I can pretend
Is that the children of Thy servants dear
That in Thy word are got shall without end
Before Thy face be 'stablished all in fear.
When David had perceived in his breast
The sprite of God returned that was exiled,
Because he knew he hath alone expressed
These great things that greater sprite compiled,
As shalme or pipe lets out the sound impressed
By music's art forged tofore and filled,
I say when David had perceived this
The sprite of comfort in him revived is.
For thereupon he maketh argument
Of reconciling unto the Lord's grace,
Although sometime to prophecy have lent
Both brute beasts and wicked hearts a place;
But our David judgeth in his intent
Himself by penance clean out of this case,
Whereby he hath remission of offense,
And 'ginneth to allow his pain and penitence.
But when he weigheth the fault and recompense,
He damneth his deed and findeth plain
Atween them two no whit equivalence,
Whereby he takes all outward deed in vain
To bear the name of rightful penitence;
Which is alone the heart returned again
And sore contrite that doth his fault bemoan,
And outward deed the sign or fruit alone.
With this he doth defend the sly assault
Of vain allowance of his void desert,
And all the glory of his forgiven fault
To good alone he doth it whole convert.
His own merit he findeth in default;
And whilst he pondered these things in his heart,
His knee, his arm, his hand sustained his chin,
When he his song again thus did begin.