Contents
-BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD
Trent and Wells, eds. Colonial Prose and Poetry. 1901.
Vol. I. The Transplanting of Culture: 1607–1650
The Bay Psalm Book
THE Bay Psalm Book has the distinction of being the first book published in British America. It was the joint product of Richard Mather, founder of that distinguished family of New England divines, Thomas Welde and John Eliot, the missionary to the Indians. It was printed by Stephen Daye at Cambridge in 1640, was amended in 1650, and remained in general use for many years among the New England clergy. The question as to whether it was right to sing to the Lord with a cheerful voice or any other continued to be a subject of bitter controversy, in which John Cotton took the more liberal side. Although modern hymnbooks contain verses hardly less painful to the cultivated ear, it is hard to realize how such a crude performance could have ministered to edification, for it outdid Sternhold and Hopkins in harsh crudity of style, metre and rhythm. Yet it was the product of university men. Mather had been a student at Oxford; John Eliot was a graduate of Cambridge. They must have served their apprenticeship at Latin verse-making, and it is incredible that they should not have been able to write better English verse had they so desired. But they were determined that the Lord’s praises should be sung according to his own will, and with their ideas of literal Biblical inspiration, they were willing to sacrifice every element of poetry to what they imagined was faithfulness to Hebrew originals. They tell us in their preface that they “attempted conscience rather than elegance, fidelity rather than poetry.” That they thought these qualities contradictory illustrates the fatal flaw in Puritan æsthetics. How numbing this moral discipline had been to the harmonies and amenities of life may be judged from the fact that few congregations knew more than five tunes, and but ten are known to have been used for the first half-century of the Bay Psalm Book’s existence.
[From the Preface.]
I
F therefore the verses are not always so smooth and elegant as some may desire or expect; let them consider that God’s Altar needs not our polishings: Ex.
20. for we have respected rather a plain translation, than to smooth our verses with the sweetness of any paraphrase, and so have attended conscience rather than elegance, fidelity rather than poetry, in translating the Hebrew words into English language, and David’s poetry into English metre; that so we
may sing in Sion the Lord’s songs of praise ac-
cording to his own will; until he take us
from hence, and wipe away all our
tears, and bid us enter into our
master’s joy to sing eternal
Halleluiahs.
Psalm XXIII.
A PSALM OF DAVID.
THE EARTH Iehovah’s is,and the fulness of it:the habitable world, and theythat there upon do sit.2Because upon the seas,he hath it firmly laid:and it upon the water-floodsmost solidly hath staid.3The mountain of the Lord,who shall thereto ascend?and in his place of holinesswho is it that shall stand?4The clean in hands, and purein heart; to vanitywho hath not lifted up his soul,nor sworn deceitfully.5From God he shall receivea benediction,and righteousness from the strong-Godof his salvation.6This is the progenyof them that seek thy face:of them that do inquire for him:of Iacob ’tis the race.Selah.7Ye gates lift-up your heads,and doors everlasting,be ye lift up: and there intoshall come the glorious-King.8Who is this glorious-King?Iehovah, puissant,and valiant, Iehovah isin battle valiant.9Ye gates lift-up your heads,and doors everlasting,do ye lift-up: and there intoshall come the glorious-King.10Who is this glorious-King?lo, it is Iehovahof warlike armies, he the Kingof glory is; Selah.
Psalm XXIX.
A PSALM OF DAVID.
UNTO the Lord do ye ascribe(o Sonnes of the mighty)unto the Lord do ye ascribeglory and potency.2Unto the Lord do ye ascribehis name’s glorious renown,in beauty of his holinessunto the Lord bow down.3The mighty voice of Iehovahupon the waters is:the God of glory thundereth,God on great waters is.4Iehovah’s voice is powerful,God’s voice is glorious,5God’s voice breaks cedars: yea God breakscedars of Lebanus.6He makes them like a calf to skip:the mountain Lebanon,and like to a young Unicornthe hill of Syrion.7God’s voice divides the flames of fire.8Iehovah’s voice doth makethe desert shake: the Lord doth causethe Cadesh-desert shake.9The Lord’s voice makes the hinds to calve,and makes the forest bare:and in his temple every onehis glory doth declare.10The Lord sate on the floods: the Lordfor ever sits as King.God to his folk gives strength: the Lordhis folk with peace blessing.
Psalm LXIII.
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
O GOD, thou art my God, earlyI will for thee inquire:my soul thirsteth for thee, my fleshfor thee hath strong desire,In land whereas no water isthat thirsty is and dry.2To see, as I saw in thine housethy strength and thy glory.3Because thy loving kindness dothabundantly excelev’n life itself: wherefore my lipsforth shall thy praises tell4Thus will I blessing give to theewhilst that alive am I:and in thy name I will lift upthese hands of mine on high.5My soul as with marrow and fatshall satisfied be:my mouth also with joyful lipsshall praise give unto thee.6When as that I remembrance haveof thee my bed upon,and on thee in the night watcheshave meditation.7Because that thou hast been to mehe that to me help brings;therefore will I sing joyfullyin shadow of thy wings.8My soul out of an ardent lovedoth follow after thee:also thy right hand it is thatwhich hath upholden me.9But as for those that seek my soulto bring it to an end,they shall into the lower partsof the earth down descend.10By the hand of the sword alsothey shall be made to fall:and they be for a portionunto the foxes shall.11But the King shall rejoice in God,all that by him do swearshall glory, but stopped shall betheir mouths that liars are.
Psalm CXXXVII.
THE RIVERS on of Babilon,there where we did sit down,Yea even then we mourned whenwe remembered Sion.2Our harp we did hang it amid,Upon the willow tree,3Because there they that us awayled in captivityRequir’d of us a song, and thusask’t mirth us waste who laid,Sing us among a Sion’s song,unto us then they said.4The Lord’s song sing can we? beingin stranger’s land, then let5lose her skill my right hand if IJerusalem forget.6Let cleave my tongue my palate onif mind thee do not I,if chief joys o’er I prize not moreJerusalem my joy.7Remember Lord, Edom’s sons’ word,unto the ground said they,it raze, it raze, when as it wasJerusalem her day.8Blest shall he be that payeth theedaughter of Babilon,who must be waste, that which thou hastrewarded us upon.9O happy he shall surely bethat taketh up, that ekethy little ones against the stonesdoth into pieces break.