Sir Philip Sidney. Psalm 8.

THE PSALMS OF DAVID
By Sir Philip Sidney

PSALM VIII.

Domine, Dominus noster.

I.          O LORD, that rul'st our mortall lyne,
             How through the world Thy name doth shine;
    That hast of Thy unmatchèd glory
    Vpon the heavns engrav'd Thy story.

2.          From sucklings hath Thy honour sproong,
             Thy force hath flow'd from infant's tongue,
    Whereby Thou stop'st Thyne enemy's prating,
    Bent to revenge and ever hating.

3.          When I vpon the heavns do look,
             Which all from Thee their essence took;
    When moone and starrs my thought beholdeth,
    Whose light no light but of Thee holdeth:

4.          Then think I,—ah, what is this man,
             Whom that great God remember can?
    And what the race of him descended,
    It should be ought of God attended.

5.          For though in lesse than angel's state
             Thou planted hast this earthly mate,
    Yet hast Thou made even him an owner
    Of glorious croune and crouning honour.

6.          Thou placest him vpon all lands
             To rule the works of Thyne own hands;
    And so Thou hast all things ordainèd,
    That even his feet haue on them raignèd.

7.          Thou under his dominion plac't
             Both sheep and oxen wholy hast,
    And all the beasts for ever breeding,
    Which in the fertile fields be feeding.

8.          The bird, free burgess of the ayre,
             The fish of seas the natiue heire,
    And what thing els of waters traceth
    The unworn paths, his rule embraceth.
             O Lord, that rulest our mortall lyne,
             How through the world Thy name doth shine!

Text source:
Sidney, Philip. The Complete Poems of Sir Philip Sidney. vol. III.
Alexander B. Grosart, Ed. London: Chatto & Windus, 1877. 95-7.

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