Psalms in Our Time

Psalm 103: Praise, my soul, the King of heaven

Text: Henry F. Lyte, 1834

Meter: 8,7,8,7,4,7

Rhyme scheme: ababcb

This psalm of praise and thanksgiving for all of God's works in heaven and earth, passes over a dizzying range of thoughts. It begins with reflection on personal and individual blessings: a summary in verses 2-5 which is taken up and expanded point by point, in a closely-knit logical argument surveying all of space-time and culminating in a rousing universal Hallelujah.

This is a very free version of the psalm, expressing the sense of 48 stiches in only 25 lines. But it is also very faithful to its spirit and and thought. The NASB divides the psalm into four sections: verses 1-5, 6-14, 15-18, 19-22. Each section is distilled¹ into one or two stanzas, in which almost every word² has some basis in the psalm. The embedded "Hallelujah" refrain reflects the repeated "Praise God" of the psalm.

Despite the organization of individual motifs, the hymn closely follows the psalm's structure. A quick summary of its theme (verse 1) with personal application is followed by God's work in the past (verse 2) and the present (verse 3) which will continue in the future (verse 4). Finally, all creation is called to praise the Creator (verse 5).

Henry Francis Lyte was an obscure rector³ in small Anglican churches in southwest England. He wrote (for his probably unappreciative congregations) hymns⁴ and free paraphrases⁵ "in the spirit of the psalms". In keeping with the spirit of the age⁶, his versions exhibit careful attention to poetic craftsmanship.

"Lauda Anima": John Goss, 1869

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Melodic scheme: Through-composed

The text is in an unusual meter (8,7,8,7,4,7) that seems to be most common in Welsh texts⁹. I don't know any hymn tunes in that meter: the tunes used for these texts have meters like 8,7,8,7,8,7 or 8,7,8,7,4,7,4,7 or even 8,7,8,7,8,7,7; the fifth and/or sixth lines of each stanza are invariably repeated. I don't know the origin or reason for this practice.

John Goss was organist of St. Paul's in London, widely respected as a composer of anthems which were "truly sermons in song", faithful to the Anglican ideal. This tune was originally written for this text⁷ in anthem form, featuring different music for each stanza:⁸ stanzas 1, 3, and 5 with varied organ accompaniment, and stanzas 2 and 4 with vocal harmony. This is the original stanza 2, which (Goss had suggested) could alternatively be used for all stanzas.

Mark Andrews has written a fine tune for this text, also named "Lauda Anima". It is still under copyright, but represents an unexceptionable choice.

Use:

This expression of universal praise is universally appropriate.

Notes:

¹Compare the staccato line "ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven," summarizing four stiches in the original. Its elliptical syntax suggests (as a response to the proverb "count your blessings") "I'm trying, but I can't count that fast."

²I was briefly puzzled by the phrase "King of Heaven" in stanza 1, but compare verse 19, of which it is a quite literal representation.

³A kind of subcontracted parish minister; hired when a political appointee was happy to accept the statutory salary, but did not want to actually fulfill the office. Ill-paid, hard-worked, his health ruined, he died at the age of 47 in France (where he was staying over winter for the sake of his health.)

⁴including Abide with me.

⁵See also O that the Lord's salvation; Sweet is the solemn voice that calls; Praise the Lord, His glories show.

⁶See James Montgomery's passionate plea for poetic standards; Compare Robert Grant's O worship the King.

⁹E.g., Guide me, O thou great Jehovah; O'er the gloomy hills of darkness; and Zion stands with hills surrounded. See Sweet Singers of Wales, online at CCEL, for other examples.
This text and God, the Lord, a king remaineth have no apparent Welsh connection, however.

⁷As its name suggests: "Lauda Anima" is Latin for "praise, O soul."

⁸Found in the 1927 Church Hymnary (of the Presbyterian churches of Great Britain).

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