O Lord, how long wilt thou forget (William Byrd)
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- Editor: David Fraser (submitted 2004-12-11). Score information: A4, 4 pages, 105 kB Copyright: CPDL
- Edition notes: Revised Sept 08. MusicXML source file(s) in compressed .mxl format.
General Information
Title: O Lord, how long wilt thou forget
Composer: William Byrd
Number of voices: 5vv Voicing: SATTB
Genre: Sacred, Sacred song
Language: English
Instruments: A cappella
First published: 1588 in Psalmes, Sonnets and Songs, no. 5
Description:
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
O Lord, how long wilt thou forget,
to send mee some relife,
For ever wilt thou hide thy face,
and so increase my griefe?
How long shall I with vexed heart,
seeke counsell in my spirit?
How long shall my malicious foes,
triumph and mee despite?
O Lord my God, heare my complaint,
uttered with wofull breath:
Lighten mine eyes, defend my lyfe,
that I sleep not in death.
Least that mine enemie say, I have
against him loe prevayl’d:
At my downefall they will rejoyce,
that thus have mee assayl’d.
But in thy mercie Lord I trust,
for that shall mee defend:
My heart doth joye, to see the help,
which thou to mee wilt send.
Unto the Lord therefore I sing,
and do lift up my voyce:
And for his goodnesse shew’d to mee,
I will alway rejoyce.
(Anonymous metrical version of Psalm 13)