Psalm 19—If you would have light and heat, why are you not more in the sunshine?

A Note from Andy

This project started three years ago with a desire to make each post a combination of three things: a rendition of the psalm, some commentary on the psalm, and a new poem inspired by the psalm. After I had done 30% of the psalms this way, I cut the commentary and poetry bit and focused solely on the rendition. The result was a much faster rate of publishing—I’ve done more psalm renditions this year than I had the previous two years together. I’ve also noticed a surprising result: the psalm renditions got better.

Over the course of this year, the poetry aspects that I cut out started to sneak back into the psalm renditions. These days, I am leaning into the creative freedom inherent in the fact that I’m not translating the psalms; I am making renditions, and those are two different things.

But this does pose a challenge as the style of the psalm renditions has changed over time. So, in the coming months, you will see some “re-release” posts as I revisit and re-do early renditions.

Starting with Psalm 19.

Rendition of Psalm 19

The heavens declare the glory of God. 
Every night, the sidelong hip of the Milky Way
Shows itself to you. You see
Backward across miles and years
Along the light of the works of the Almighty.
The earth at your feet is fruitful, wild, and weary.
It pours out words day and night.
The sky and the screaming birds
And all the fullness therein say:
Holy, holy, holy.

The circuit of the sun spans the sky.
If you would have light and heat,
Why are you not more in the sunshine?
If you would see the glory of God,
Why are you always elsewhere?
If you would hear the word in the wind,
Feel the warmth on your face and wait.

Lord, your word wends your people perfectly;
I wander a lifelong in it. 
Wrap it around my heart to heal.
Speak the long law down directly
And make me wise.
Curve the straight line of your commandments
Over me and make me glad again.
Put the honeycomb of your way
In my mind’s mouth.
Even now my chest, my ribs, these rafters, 
This cathedral, fills with the word that made it,
And your name hushes through the clerestory.

It was always easier to give my life away
Than it was to lay it down.
I see my every fault in holy light;
My hidden thoughts are pearl bright.
But your love is longer than I thought, and stays
Like fire by night and smoke by day.

The stars sway in your holy heaven.
The sun walks its lightlong stretch of sky.
I watch and wait and listen. 

---

Catch up With the Darkling Psalter

Psalms: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 34, 35, 38, 39, 40, 42, 43, 46, 50, 51, 53, 54, 62, 63, 65, 66, 73, 74, 75, 84, 86, 88, 90, 91, 100, 107, 110, 114, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 137, 139, 140, 142, 147, 148.

Request the Darkling Psalter in Print

If you would like to move this project one step closer to publication, sign up on this form to request the Darkling Psalter in print.