English

Happy he who God obeys,
Nor from His direction strays.
Thou shalt of thy labours feed;
All shall to thy wish succeed.
Like a fair and fruitful vine,
By thy house, thy wife shall join.
Sons, obedient to command,
Shall about thy table stand,
Like green plants of olives, set
By the moist'ning rivulet.
He who fears the Pow'r above,
Thus shall prosper in His love.
God shall thee from Sion bless;
Thou shalt joy in the success
Which the Lord will Salem give,
While thou hast a day to live.

Unless the Lord the house sustain,
They build in vain.
In vain they watch, unless the Lord
The city guard.
In vain you rise before the light,
And break the slumbers of the night.

In vain the bread of sorrow eat,
Got by your sweat,
Unless the Lord with good success
Your labours bless.
For He all good on His bestows,
And crowns their eyes with sweet repose.

Increasing sons, His heritage,
Renew their age;
The pledges of their fruitful love,
Giv'n from above:
As formidable to the foe,

When God had our deliv'rance wrought,
And Sion out of bondage brought,
It seem'd to us a dream, who were
Distracted between hope and fear.
Then sacred joy fill'd every breast,
In flowing mirth and songs express'd.
The wond'ring heathen oft would say,
How good! how great a God have they!
Great things for us the Lord hath wrought,
Above the reach of human thought.
We therefore will His praises sing.
The remnant, Lord, from bondage bring,
As rivers through the parched sand,
Or show'rs which fall on thirsty land.

They who the Lord their fortress make
Shall like the tow'rs of Sion rise,
Which dreadful earthquakes never shake,
Nor raging tumults of the skies.
Lo! as the hills of Solyma
Divine Jerusalem enclose,
So shall His angels, in the day
Of danger, shield them from their foes.
The wicked shall not long subject
Their holy race, lest through despair
They should the laws of God neglect,
And be as their commanders are.
Lord, to the good be good; the just
Protect; their punishments increase

But that God fought for us, may Israel say,
But that God fought for us, in that sad day,
When men inflam'd with wrath against us rose,
We had alive been swallow'd by our foes.
Then had we sunk beneath the roaring waves,
And in their horrid entrails found our graves;
Then had their violence, like torrents pour'd
From melting hills, our wretched lives devour'd.
O blest be God! Who hath not giv'n our blood
To quench their thirst, nor made our flesh their food.
Our souls, like birds, have scap'd the fowler's net;

Thou Mover of the rolling spheres,
I, through the glasses of my tears,
To Thee my eyes erect:
As servants mark the master's hands,
As maids their mistress's commands,
And liberty expect;

So we, depress'd by enemies,
And growing troubles, fix our eyes
On God, Who sits on high;
Till He in mercy shall descend
To give our miseries an end,
And turn our tears to joy.

O save us, Lord, by all forlorn,
The subject of contempt and scorn,
Defend us from their pride,
Who live in fluency and ease,

O HAPPY summons! to the court
And temple of the Lord resort.
Jerusalem, our feet shall tread
Within thy walls! O Thou, the head
Of all the earth and Judah's throne,
Three cities strongly join'd in one!
The tribes in throngs to thee ascend,
The tribes which on the Lord depend.
Fat off'rings to His altar bring,
And His immortal praises sing.
There shall He His tribunal place,
The judgment-seat of David's race.
Your joys shall with your days increase,
Who love and pray for Salem's peace.

To the hills thine eyes erect,
Help from those alone expect.
He, Who heav'n and earth hath made,
Shall from Sion send thee aid,
God, thy ever watchful guide,
Will not suffer thee to slide.
He, ev'n He, Who Israel keeps,
Never slumbers, never sleeps.
He, thy guard, with wings display'd,
Shall refresh Thee in their shade.
Suns shall not with heat infect,
But their temp'rate beams reflect;
Nor unwholesome serene shall
From the moon's moist influence fall.
When thou travell'sTon the way,

D ISTRESS'D , and in my mind dismay'd,
When destitute of human aid,
To Thee successfully I pray'd.

Lord, shield me from the fraudulent,
From those that are on malice bent,
Who envious calumnies invent.

O thou false tongue, steep'd in the gall
Of serpents! what reward for all
Thy mischief shall to thee befall?

Like arrows shot from Parthian strings,
Fir'd juniper, and scorpions' stings,
Such art thou, O thou worst of things!

Woe's me, that I from Israel
Exiled, must in Mesech dwell,

Part I.

ALEPH .

B LEST are the undefil'd who God obey,
Seek with their hearts, nor from His precepts stray.
No tempting vice shall those from virtue draw,
Who with unfainting zeal observe His law.
Lord, by Thy sacred rule my steps direct.
Those shall not blush who Thy commands affect.
Thy justice learnt, my soul shall sing Thy praise.
Forsake me not, O guide me in Thy ways.

Part II.