Sir Philip Sidney. Psalm 4.

THE PSALMS OF DAVID
By Sir Philip Sidney

PSALM IV.

Cum invocarem.

I. HEARE me, O, heare me when I call,
          O God, God of my equity!
          Thou setd'st me free when I was thrall,
          Haue mercy therfore still on me,
          And hearken how I pray to Thee.

2. O men, whose fathers were but men,
          Till when will ye My honour high
          Staine with your blasphemys; till when
          Such pleasure take in vanity,
          And only hunt where lyes do ly?

3. Yet know this too that God did take,
          When He chose me, a godly one;
          Such one, I say, that when I make
          My crying plaints to Him alone,
          He will giue good eare to my moane.

4. O, tremble then with awfull will,
          Sinne from all rule in you depose,
          Talk with yor heart and yet be still;
          And when your chamber you do close
          Your selues, yet to your selues disclose.

5. The sacrifices sacrify
          Of just desires, on justice stayd;
          Trust in the Lord that cannot ly.
          Indeed full many folk haue said,
          From whence shall come to us such ayd?

6. But, Lord, lift thou vpon our sight
          The shining clearness of Thy face,
          Where I haue found more heart's delight
          Then they whose stoare in harvest space
          Of grain and wine fills stoaring-place.

7. So I in peace and peacefull blisse
          Will lay me down and take my rest;
          For it is Thou, Lord, Thou it is,
          By power of whose owne only brest
          I dwell, layd vp in Safetie's neast.

Text source:
Sidney, Philip. The Complete Poems of Sir Philip Sidney. vol. III.
Alexander B. Grosart, Ed. London: Chatto & Windus, 1877. 86-8.

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