by Thomas Wyatt
And him to reach shall never have the space.
Thou art my refuge, and only safeguard
From the troubles that compass me the place.
Such joys as he that scapes his enemies ward 280
With loosed bands, hath in his liberty;
Such is my joy, thou hast to me prepared.
That, as the seaman in his jeopardy
By sudden light perceived hath the port;
So by thy great merciful property 285
Within thy book thus read I my comfort:
‘I shall thee teach, and give understanding,
And point to thee what way thou shalt resort
For thy address, to keep thee from wandering:
Mine eyes shall take the charge to be thy guide: 290
I ask thereto of thee only this thing,
Be not like horse, or mule, that, men do ride,
That not alone doth not his master know,
But for the good thou dost him must be tied,
And bridled least his guide he bite or throw.’ 295
Oh! diverse are the chastisings of sin
In meat, in drink, in breath, that man doth blow,
In sleep, in watch, in fretting still within:
That never suffer rest unto the mind
Fill’d with offence; that new and new begin 300
With thousand fears the heart to strain and bind:
But for all this, he that in God doth trust
With mercy shall himself defended find.
Joy and rejoice, I say, you that be just
In Him, that maketh and holdeth you so still: 305
In Him your glory always set you must,
All you that be of upright heart and will.
The Author
THIS song ended, David did stint his voice;
And in that while he about with his eye
Did seek the dark cave; with which, withouten noise. 310
His silence seemed to argue, and reply
Upon his peace this peace, that did rejoice
The soul with mercy, that mercy so did call,
And found mercy at plentiful Mercy’s hand,
Never denied, but where it was withstand. 315
As the servant that in his master’s face
Finding pardon of his passed offence,
Considering his great goodness and his grace,
Glad tears distills, as gladsome recompense:
Right so David seemed in the place 320
A marble image of singular reverence,
Carved in the rock, with eyes and hand on high
Made as by craft to plain, to sob, to sigh.
This while a beam that bright sun forth sendeth,
That sun, the which was never cloud could hide, 325
Pierceth the cave, and on the harp descendeth:
Whose glancing light the chords did overglide,
And such lustre upon the harp extendeth,
As light of lamp upon the gold clean tried,
The lome whereof into his eyes did start, 330
Surprised with joy by penance of the heart.
He then inflamed with far more hot affect
Of God, than he was erst of Batsabé,
His left foot did on the earth erect,
And just thereby remaineth the other knee; 335
To the left side his weight he doth direct:
For hope of health his harp again taketh he;
His hand, his tune, his mind eke sought this lay,
Which to the Lord with sober voice did say,
Domine, ne in furore tuo
O LORD! as I have thee both pray’d, and pray, 340
(Although in Thee be no alteration.
But that we men, like as ourselves, we say,
Measuring thy justice by our mutation)
Chastise me not, O Lord! in thy furor,
Nor me correct in wrathful castigation: 345
For that thy arrows of fear, of terror,
Of sword, of sickness, of famine, and of fire,
Stick deep in me: I, lo! from mine error,
Am plunged up; as horse out of the mire
With stroke of spur; such is thy hand on me, 350
That in my flesh, for terror of thy ire,
Is not one point of firm stability;
Nor in my bones there is no steadfastness:
Such is my dread of mutability;
For that I know my frailful wickedness. 355
For why? my sins above my head are bound,
Like heavy weight, that doth my force oppress;
Under the which I stoop and bow to the ground,
As willow plant haled by violence.
And of my flesh each not well cured wound, 360
That fester’d is by folly and negligence,
By secret lust hath rankled under skin,
Not duly cured by my penitence.
Perceiving thus the tyranny of sin,
That with his weight hath humbled and depress’d 365
My pride; by gnawing of the worm within,
That never dieth, I live withouten rest.
So are my entrails infect with fervent sore,
Feeding the harm that hath my wealth oppress’d,
That in my flesh is left no health therefore. 370
So wondrous great hath been my vexation,
That it hath forced my heart to cry and roar.
O Lord! thou knowest the inward contemplation
Of my desire: thou knowest my sighs and plaints
Thou knowest the tears of my lamentation 375
Cannot express my heart’s inward restraints.
My heart panteth, my force I feel it quail;
My sight, my eyes, my look decays and faints.
And when mine enemies did me most assail,
My friends most sure, wherein I set most trust, 380
Mine own virtues, soonest then did fail
And stand apart; reason and wit unjust,
As kin unkind, were farthest gone at need:
So had they place their venom out to thrust,
That sought my death by naughty word and deed. 385
Their tongues reproach, their wit did fraud apply,
And I, like deaf and dumb, forth my way yede,
Like one that hears not, nor hath to reply
One word again; knowing that from thine hand
These things proceed, and thou, Lord, shalt supply 390
My trust in that, wherein I stick and stand.
Yet have I had great cause to dread and fear,
That thou wouldst give my foes the over hand;
For in my fall they shewed such pleasant cheer.
And therewithal I alway in the lash 395
Abide the stroke; and with me every where
I bear my fault, that greatly doth abash
My doleful cheer; for I my fault confess,
And my desert doth all my comfort dash.
In the mean while mine enemies still increase; 400
And my provokers hereby do augment,
That without cause to hurt me do not cease:
In evil for good against me they be bent,
And hinder shall my good pursuit of grace.
Lo! now, my God, that seest my whole intent! 405
My Lord, I am, thou knowest, in what case;
Forsake me not, be not far from me gone.
Haste to my help; haste, Lord, and haste apace,
O Lord, the Lord of all my health alone.
The Author
LIKE as the pilgrim, that in a long way 410
Fainting for heat, provoked by some wind,
In some fresh shade lieth down at mid of day:
So doth of David the wearied voice and mind
Take breath of sighs, when he had sung this lay,
Under such shade as sorrow hath assign’d: 415
And as the one still minds his voyage end,
So doth the other to mercy still pretend.
; On sonour chords his fingers he extends,
Without hearing or judgment of the sound:
Down from his eyes a stream of tears descends, 420
Without feeling, that trickle on the ground.
As he that bleeds in bain right so intends
The alter’d senses to that that they are bound.
But sigh and weep he can none other thing,
And look up still unto the heavens’ King. 425
But who had been without the cave’s mouth
And heard the tears and sighs that him did strain,
He would have sworn there had out of the south
A lukewarm wind brought forth a smoky rain.
But that so close the cave was and uncouth 430
That none but God was record of his pain,
Else had the wind blown in all Israel’s ears
Of their King the woful plaint and tears.
Of which some part when he up supped had,
Like as he, whom his own thought affrays, 435
He turns his look; him seemeth that the shade
Of his offence again his force assays
By violent despair on him to lade;
Starting like him, whom sudden fear dismays,
His voice he strains, and from his heart out brings 440
This song, that I note whether he cries or sings.
Miserere mei, Deus
RUE on me, Lord, for thy goodness and grace,
That of thy nature art so bountiful;
For that goodness that in the world doth brace
Repugnant natures in quiet wonderful; 445
And for thy mercies number without end
In heaven and earth perceived so plentiful,
That over all they do themselves extend,
For those mercies much more than man can sin,
Do away my sins, that so thy grace offend 450
Ofttimes again. Wash, wash me well within,
And from my sin, that thus makes me afraid,
Make thou me clean, as aye thy wont hath been.
For unto Thee no number can be laid
For to prescribe remissions of offence 455
In hearts returned, as thou thyself hast said;
And I beknow my fault, my negligence:
And in my sight my sin is fixed fast,
Thereof to have more perfect penitence.
To Thee alone, to Thee have I trespass’d; 460
For none can measure my fault but thou alone:
For in thy sight, I have not been aghast
For to offend; judging thy sight as none,
So that my fault were hid from sight of man;
Thy majesty so from my mind was gone. 465
This know I, and repent; pardon Thou then;
Whereby Thou shall keep still thy word stable,
Thy justice pure and clean, because that when
I pardoned am, that forthwith justly able
Just I am judged by justice of thy grace. 470
For I myself, lo! thing most unstable.
Formed in offence, conceived in like case,
Am nought but sin from my nativity.
Be not these said for mine excuse, alas!
But of thy help to shew necessity: 475
For, lo! Thou lovest truth of the inward heart,
Which yet doth live in my fidelity,
Though I have fallen by failty overthwart:
For wilful malice led me not the way
So much as hath the flesh drawn me apart. 480
Wherefore, O Lord, as thou hast done alway,
Teach me the hidden wisdom of thy lore;
Since that my faith doth not yet decay.
And, as the Jews do heal the leper sore,
With hissop cleanse, cleanse me and I am clean. 485
Thou shalt me wash, and more than snow therefore
I shall be white, how foul my fault hath been.
Thou of my health shalt gladsome tidings bring,
When from above remission shall be seen
Descend on earth; then shall for joy up spring 490
The bones, that were before consumed to dust.
Look not, O Lord! upon mine offending,
But do away my deeds that are unjust.
Make a clean heart in the middle of my breast
With spirit upright voided from filthy lust. 495
From thine eyes cure cast me not in unrest,
Nor take from me thy Spirit of Holiness.
Render to me joy of thy help and rest:
My will confirm with the Spirit of Steadfastness;
And by this shall these godly things ensue, 500
Sinners I shall into thy ways address:
They shall return to Thee, and thy grace sue.
My tongue shall praise thy justification;
My mouth shall spread thy glorious praises true.
But of thyself, O God, this operation 505
It must proceed; by purging me from blood,
Among the just that I may have relation:
And of thy lauds for to let out the flood,
Thou must, O Lord, my lips first unloose.
For if thou hadst esteemed pleasant good 510
The outward deeds, that outward men disclose,
I would have offer’d unto Thee sacrifice:
But thou delightest not in no such glose
Of outward deed, as men dream and devise.
The sacrifice that the Lord liketh most 515
Is spirit contrite: low heart in humble wise
Thou dost accept, O God, for pleasant host.
Make Sion, Lord, according to thy will
Inward Sion, the Sion of the ghost:
Of heart’s Jerusalem strength the walls still: 520
Then shalt Thou take for good the outward deeds,
As a sacrifice thy pleasure to fulfill.
Of Thee alone thus all our good proceeds.
The Author
OF deep secrets, that David there did sing,
Of Mercy, of Faith, of Frailty, of Grace; 525
Of God’s goodness, and of Justifying
The greatness did so astonny himself apace,
As who might say, Who hath expressed this thing?
I sinner, I, what have I said? alas!
That God’s goodness would in my song entreat, 530
Let me again consider and repeat.
And so he doth, but not expressed by word;
But in his heart he turneth oft and paiseth
Each word, that erst his lips might forth afford:
He pants, he pauseth, he wonders, he praiseth 535
The Mercy, that hideth of Justice the sword:
The Justice that so his promise complisheth
For his word’s sake to worthiless desert,
That gratis his grace to men doth depart.
Here hath he comfort when he doth measure 540
Measureless mercy to measureless fault,
To prodigal sinners infinite treasure,
Treasure celestial, that never shall default:
Yea, when that sin shall fail, and may not dure,
Mercy shall reign, against whom shall no assault 545
Of hell prevail: by whom, lo! at this day
Of Heaven gates Remission is the key.
And when David had pondered well and tried,
And seeth himself not utterly deprived
From light of Grace, that dark of sin did hide, 550
He findeth his hope much therewith revived;
He dare importune the Lord on every side,
For he knoweth well that to Mercy is ascribed
Respectless labour, importune, cry, and call;
And thus beginneth his song therewithal: 555
Domine, exaudi Orationem meam
LORD, hear my prayer, and let my cry pass
Unto thee, Lord, without impediment.
Do not from me, turn thy merciful face,
Unto myself leaving my governmen
t.
In time of trouble and adversity 560
Incline unto me thine ear and thine intent.
And when I call, help my necessity;
Readily grant the effect of my desire:
These bold demands do please thy Majesty:
And eke my case such haste doth well require. 565
For like as smoke my days are past away,
My bones dried up, as furnace with the fire;
My heart, my mind is wither’d up like hay;
Because I have forgot to take my bread,
My bread of life, the word of Truth, I say. 570
And for my plaintful sighs and for my dread,
My bones, my strength, my very force of mind
Cleaved to the flesh, and from the spirit were fled,
As desperate thy mercy for to find.
So made I me the solen pelican, 575
And like the owl, that flieth by proper kind
Light of the day, and hath herself beta’en
To ruin life out of all company,
With waker care, that with this woe began,
Like the sparrow was I solitary, 580
That sits alone under the houses’ eaves.
This while my foes conspired continually,
And did provoke the harm of my disease.
Wherefore like ashes my bread did me savour;
Of thy just word the taste might not me please: 585
Wherefore my drink I temper’d with liquor
Of weeping tears, that from mine eyes did 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; 590
To teach me how to know myself again:
Whereby I knew that helpless I should drown.
My days like shadow decline, and I do cry:
And Thee for ever eternity doth crown;
World without end doth last thy memory. 595
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 assign’d, 600
The time so long that 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 lower. 605
Then the Gentiles shall dread thy name alway;
All earthly kings thy glory shall honour,
Then, when thy grace thy Sion thus redeemeth,