Psalm 121
Table of Psalms << Psalm 121 >> | ||||||||||||||
General Information
Settings by composers
- Levavi oculos meos (Anonymous) in the 15c Trent codices (a 4)
- I will lift up mine eyes (John Clarke-Whitfeld) (vv. 1,2,5-8 BCP English) (verse anthem a 4)
- Ich hebe meine Augen auf Gallus Dressler (1533-85) a 4
- Ich hebe meine Augen auf (Philipp Dulichius) (a 8)
- Levavi oculos meos in montes (A Wedding Anthem) by Herbert Howells, for Sopranos and Organ (still under copyright)
- Levavi oculos meos in montes (Josquin des Pres)
- I lift mine eyes to Sion hill (Joseph Key) (English, metrical Old Version) (a 4)
- Elijah, Op. 70 (Felix Mendelssohn) contains two choruses from this psalm:
- Lift Thine Eyes (No. 28 from 'Elijah') (Felix Mendelssohn) SSA a cappella (German or English)
- He watching over Israel (No. 29 from 'Elijah') (Felix Mendelssohn) SATB acc.
- A Prayer in the Mountains (Michael J. Oczko) (English paraphrase by the composer; solo high voice /piano)
- Ich hebe meine Augen auf (Psalm 121), SWV 31 (Heinrich Schütz) in Psalmen Davids 1619 a 8 (no edition on CPDL yet)
- I will lift up mine eyes (Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson) (vv.1-4, Iclandic or BCP English, SATB org.)
- Psalm 121 (Henry Walford Davies) (SATB Anglican chant, English BCP)
Texts & translations
Vulgate (Psalm 120)
Latin text
1 Levavi oculos meos in montes : unde veniet auxilium mihi.
2 Auxilium meum a Domino : qui fecit caelum et terram.
3 Non det in commotionem pedem tuum : neque dormitet qui custodit te.
4 Ecce non dormitabit neque dormiet : qui custodit Israel.
5 Dominus custodit te : Dominus protectio tua, super manum dexteram tuam.
6 Per diem sol non uret te : neque luna per noctem.
7 Dominus custodit te ab omni malo : custodiat animam tuam Dominus.
8 Dominus custodiat introitum tuum, et exitum tuum : ex hoc nunc, et usque in saeculum.
Church of England 1662 Book of Common Prayer
English text
1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills : from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh even from the Lord : who hath made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved : and he that keepeth thee will not sleep.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel : shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord himself is thy keeper : the Lord is thy defence upon thy right hand;
6 So that the sun shall not burn thee by day : neither the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil : yea, it is even he that shall keep thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in : from this time forth for evermore.
English metrical Old Version (William Whittingham)
English text
I lift mine eyes to Sion hill,
From whence I do attend,
Till succour God me send:
The mighty God me succour will,
Who heav'n and earth did frame,
And all things therein name.
Thy foot from slip he will preserve,
And will thee safely keep;
For he doth never sleep:
Lo, he that Israel doth conserve,
Sleep never can surprise,
Nor slumber close his eyes.
The Lord thy keeper is always,
On thy right hand is he
A shade to cover thee:
The sun shall not thee parch by day
Nor moon, scarce half so bright,
With cold thee hurt by night.
The Lord will keep thee from distress,
And will thy life sure save:
Yea, thou shalt also have
In all thy business good success;
When thou goest in or out
He'll compass thee about.