Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn.✝︎
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to you among the nations.
✙ Ps 108:1-3 ✙
Older translations of this psalm render the second clause of verse 2 something like, I will awake early. Well, that's fine, I suppose. But the NRSV is a better representation of the Hebrew אָעִירָה שָּׁחַר, which actually means, I'll wake up the dawn. This reminds me of the Prayer of the Rooster in the wonderful book Prayers from the Ark*—
I don't think David literally thought he could make the day dawn with his praise. But maybe the constancy of his heart yielded such regularity of early morning praise that he equated his singing with the rising of the sun. Is that so bad? What if my heart were so constant and my devotion so regular that I could not separate the concept of sunrise (or sunset) from my songs of praise?
Do not forget, Lord,We may laugh at this little prayer, but from the rooster's perspective, I'm sure it's true. He's doing his duty, and he's getting results. Dogs have a similar opinion of their abilities: They bark at the letter carrier to keep them from invading the house, and from their perspective they have a 100% success rate.
it is I who make the sun rise.
I am your servant,
but, with the dignity of my calling
I need some glitter and ostentation.
Noblesse oblige...
All the same,
I am your servant.
Only, do not forget, Lord,
I make the sun rise.
Amen.
I don't think David literally thought he could make the day dawn with his praise. But maybe the constancy of his heart yielded such regularity of early morning praise that he equated his singing with the rising of the sun. Is that so bad? What if my heart were so constant and my devotion so regular that I could not separate the concept of sunrise (or sunset) from my songs of praise?
May your steadfastness inspire such constant love in me, that the sun never rises on my indifference, but always on my thankful praise; in his Name who taught me to pray...
✝︎Psalm 57:8 is similar to Psalm 108:2, and I meditated on that verse in a slightly different way on July 13.
*Originally published in 1947 by Carmen Bernos de Gasztold, these prayers were translated into English by Rumer Godden.
