Psalm 86 Rendition—The Home I Walked Away From

"Unite the shards that my fears have made of my frayed heart."

Andy Patton

Nov 16, 2021

Rendition

Listen to me, Lord, and answer me,
For I am afflicted
And I am in need.
Keep me and guard me,
For I have kept faith.
Deliver me—I trust in you, my God.
Give me grace,
For I call to you day after day.
Lead me back to joy,
For I offer you my very life to bear up and carry.

You are good and are ready to forgive.
Your unwavering love
Runs to all who ask for it.
Hear my prayer.
The day of trouble is near.
I need your favor to follow me
Out onto the ice.
When the cold water finds me
I will call out
And you will answer.

There is nothing like you
Among all the things that claim my love.
All the wayward nations you scattered
Will return and bow and take their place
In the long telling of your glory.
You are immense; your wonders waken us.
You alone are God.

When the snow falls,
Show me your way
That I might walk with you and not fall.
Unite the shards that my fears
Have made of my frayed heart.
I lay my whole self down
Beneath the weight of your glory.
The dark water is below me
And only your steadfast love
Holds me above the abyss.

O God, the things I thought I lost
Are rising up to seek my life.
O Lord, how can your love
Abide my renunciations?
You are slow to anger.
Your overwhelming love overflows.
You are faithful
Though I was always elsewhere.
I need your strength to stand—
The chasm is opening to swallow me.
I can’t see your way to walk in it.

Make me remember
The days when you helped me
And the nights when you consoled me.
Help me come back
From what I have done to myself.
Help me find again
The home I walked away from.

Notes on the Psalm

More than other Psalms in this project, the rendition of Psalm 86 is meant to be read in conversation with the poem that goes along with it (and with Psalm 142).

This rendition was less translation-heavy (and thus fewer notes on the translation) and I gave myself more creative freedom to snuggle it up right up against the poem in terms of its images and meanings, but I like the result.

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An idea can be a fragile thing and 150 poems and translations is a big idea. I meant this project to be ambitious though and, if it is ever complete, it will be the work of years.

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