Psalmus Hungaricus (When great King David, sorely afflicted) (Kiam David’ en granda malĝojo)

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When great King David, sorely afflicted

Translator (into Esperanto): Adolf Burkhardt; Translator (into English): Leland Bryant Ross; Author: Mihály Kecskeméti Vég (1565)
Tune: [Mikoron Dávid nagy búsultában]
Published in 1 hymnal

Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1. When great King David, sorely afflicted—
Even by friends abused and ill treated—
Bitterly cried his heart's desolation,
Then he began to pray to the Lord God:

2. "O God, my Lord, I pray Thee to hear me!
Turn back Thine eyes upon me, Thy servant!
Leave me no longer in my bereftness!
My heart within me weeps deepest anguish!

3. Had I but wings—a dove's or an eagle's—
I would have flown away from my troubles,
Far from the tempest I would take shelter,
Flee from my foes and rest in the deep desert.

4. Cry to the Lord, my soul and my thinking!
Cast on Him all your cares and depressions—
Trust in the Lord, your prayers He will answer:
He will not suffer His own to be cast down."

Source: TTT-Himnaro Cigneta #564

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Translator (into Esperanto): Adolf Burkhardt

Evangelical German pastor, writer, translator (largely of religious songs), ecumenical activist, and one of the most influential and prolific hymnal compilers in Esperanto. He was a member of the editorial committee responsible for the 1971 Protestant hymnal Adoru Kantante, the sole compiler of the ten-installment Tero kaj Ĉielo Kantu (later republished in three volumes), and one of the three members of "Kloster Kirchberg", the editorial board that produced the 2001 ecumenical Esperanto hymnal Adoru - Ekumena Diserva Libro. Burkhardt was honored in a 368-page Festschrift, Esperante kaj Ekumene, Fest-libro por la 75a naskiĝ-tago de Adolf Burkhardt. With the other members of Kloster Kirchberg, he shared in the 2002 FAME-foundation's… Go to person page >

Translator (into English): Leland Bryant Ross

American Baptist layman. Amateur hymnologist and polyglot. Translator of many hymns into, and author of a few in, Esperanto, as well as some hymns in English. 13 texts (incl. 3 original) in Adoru, plus two in Espero Katolika's supplement. Edited the largest online Esperanto hymnal, TTT-Himnaro Cigneta, now accessible via the Wayback Machine at archive.org, (https://web.archive.org/web/20091021113553/http://geocities.com/cigneto/pretaj.html) as well as in large part here on Hymnary.org. Lives near Seattle. Go to person page >

Author: Mihály Kecskeméti Vég

Hungarian Protestant author, 16th century. Little is known of his life. His translation of Psalm 54/55 stands out in its powerful imagery. This translation, made sometime between 1561 and 1567, was used by Zoltán Kodály in his Psalmus Hungaricus (1923). Go to person page >

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First Line:	When great King David, sorely afflicted
Title:	Psalmus Hungaricus (When great King David, sorely afflicted) (Kiam David’ en granda malĝojo)
Hungarian Title:	Psalmus Hungaricus (Mikoron Dávid nagy búsultában)
Author:	Mihály Kecskeméti Vég (1565)
Translator (into Esperanto):	Adolf Burkhardt
Translator (into English):	Leland Bryant Ross
Language:	English