Sidneian Psalms: Psalm 6

Domine, ne in furore.

Lord, lett not mee a worm by thee be shent,
      While thou art in the heate of thy displeasure;
Nor let thy rage of my due punnishment
                  Become the measure.


But mercy, Lord, lett mercy thine descend,
      For I am weake, and in my weaknes languish:
Lord, help, for ev'n my bones their marrow spend
                  With cruel anguish.

Nay, ev'n my soule fell troubles do appall.
      Alas! how long, my God, wilt thou delay me?
Turn thee, sweete Lord, and from this ougly fall,
                  My deere God, stay me.

Mercy, O, mercy, Lord, for mercy sake,
      For death doth kill the wittnes of thy glory,
Can of thy praise the tongues entombed make
                  A heav'nly story.

Loe, I am tir'd while still I sigh and grone:
      My moistned bed proofes of my sorrow showeth:
My bed (while I with black night moorn alone)
                  With my teares floweth.

Woe, like a moth, my faces beutie eates,
      And age pul'd on with paines all freshnes fretteth;
The while a swarm of foes with vexing feates
                  My life besetteth.

Get hence, you evil, who in my ill rejoice,
      In all whose works vainenesse is ever raigning,
For God hath heard the weeping sobbing voice
                  Of my complayning.

The Lord my suite did heare, and gently heare;
      They shall be sham'd and vext, that breed my cryeng,
And turn their backs, and straight on backs appeare
                  Their shamfull flyeng.