Psalm 57

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Thy mercy, Lord, Lord, now thy mercy show:
  On thee I lie;
  To thee I fly.
  Hide me, hive me, as thine own,
  Till these blasts be overblown,
Which now do fiercely blow.
 
To highest God I will erect my cry,
  Who quickly shall
  Dispatch this all.
  He shall down from heaven send
  From disgrace me to defend
His love and verity.
 
My soul encaged lies with lions’ brood,
  Villains whose hands
   Are fiery brands,
  Teeth more sharp than shaft or spear,
  Tongues far better edge do bear
Than swords to shed my blood.
 
As high as highest heav’n can give thee place,
   O Lord, ascend,
  And thence extend
  With most bright, most glorious show
  Over all the earth below,
The sunbeams of thy face.
 
Me to entangle every way I go
  Their trap and net
  Is ready set.
  Holes they dig but their own holes
  Pitfalls make for their own souls:
So, Lord, oh, serve them so.
 
My heart prepared, prepared is my heart
  To spread thy praise
  With tuned lays:
  Wake my tongue, my lute awake,
  Thou my harp the consort make,
Myself will bear a part.
 
Myself when first the morning shall appear,
  With voice and string
  So will thee sing:
  That this earthly globe, and all
  Treading on this earthly ball,
My praising notes shall hear.
 
For god, my only God, thy gracious love
  Is mounted far
  Above each star,
  Thy unchanged verity
  Heav’nly wings do lift as high
As clouds have room to move.
 
As high as highest heav’n can give thee place,
  O Lord, ascend
  And thence extend
  With most bright, most glorious show
  Over all the earth below,
The sunbeams of thy face.

© Mary Sidney Herbert