Vsque quo Domine

How long wilt thou forget me Lord? Shall I nere be remembered?

Author: Thomas Sternhold
Published in 2 hymnals

Full Text

1 How long wilt thou forget me, Lord?
shall it for ever be?
How long dost thou intend to hide
thy face away from me?

2 In heart and mind how long shall I
with care tormented be?
And how long shall my deadly foe
thus triumph over me?

3 Behold me now, O Lord my God,
and hear me sore oppressed;
Lighten my eyes, lest I do sleep
as one by death possessed:

4 Lest that my enemy do say,
Behold, I do prevail;
Lest they also that hate my soul,
rejoice to see me fail.

5 But from thy mercy and goodness
my hope shall not depart;
In thy relief and saving health
right glad shall be my heart.

6 I will give thanks unto the Lord,
and praises to him sing;
Because he hath heard my request
for ev'ry needful thing.

Source: The whole book of Psalms: collected into English metre #XIII

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Author: Thomas Sternhold

Thomas Sternhold was Groom of the Robes to Henry VIII and Edward VI. With Hopkins, he produced the first English version of the Psalms before alluded to. He completed fifty-one; Hopkins and others composed the remainder. He died in 1549. Thirty-seven of his psalms were edited and published after his death, by his friend Hopkins. The work is entitled "All such Psalms of David as Thomas Sternhold, late Groome of the King's Majestye's Robes, did in his Lyfetime drawe into Englyshe Metre." Of the version annexed to the Prayer Book, Montgomery says: "The merit of faithful adherence to the original has been claimed for this version, and need not to be denied, but it is the resemblance which the dead bear to the living." Wood, in his "Athe… Go to person page >

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Text Information

First Line: How long wilt thou forget me Lord? Shall I nere be remembered?
Title: Vsque quo Domine
Author: Thomas Sternhold
Publication Date: 1640
Copyright: This text in in the public domain in the United States because it was published before 1923.
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