John Milton, Psalm 3 (a poem, on the good man's triumph over his enemies; from his 1673 Poems)

Recorded in April 2022. Written in 1653.

"It was during the international pamphlet controversy that Milton translated the first eight psalms, which were generally interpreted by Protestants as the lamentations of a godly man suffering unjust torment at the hands of his enemies... In undertaking these translations, Milton was conforming to the established Protestant precedent of seeking comfort in Scripture in time of personal trial." (Collette 1972.)

"Upon Milton, the Psalms seem to have exerted an early and lasting influence... In Paradise Regained, Bk. IV, 334-49, he gives his opinion of Sion's songs 'to all true tastes excelling.'" (Baldwin 1919.)

Transcript:

Lord, how many are my foes
How many those
That in arms against me rise
Many are they
That of my life distrustfully thus say,
No help for him in God there lies.
But thou, Lord, art my shield my glory,
Thee through my story
Th' exalter of my head I count
Aloud I cried
Unto Jehovah, he full soon reply'd
And heard me from his holy mount.
I lay and slept, I wak'd again,
For my sustain
Was the Lord. Of many millions
The populous rout
I fear not though encamping round about
They pitch against me their Pavillions.
Rise Lord, save me my God, for thou
Hast smote ere now
On the cheek-bone all my foes,
Of men abhor'd
Hast broke the teeth. This help was from the Lord;
Thy blessing on thy people flows.