Firstpublished:1548 in Premier livre de chansons spirituelles, no. 1 Description: The first song in the reprint of the collection Chansons spirituelles ... (2)1559. The lyrics are a verse paraphrase of the Psalm 149.
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Original text and translations
French text
Chantés à Dieu chanson nouvelle,
Faittes donc sa louange belle
En l'Eglise des bons ouir.
Israël sans cesse
Prenne sa liesse
Au Dieu qui l'a fait.
Sus Syon qu'on voye
Tes fils mener ioye
En leur Roy parfait.
2. Loues tous son nom, sa hautesse,
Au son de fluste et de tabour,
Et sur la Harpe chanteresse
Chantés luy Psalmes chascun iour.
Car l'Eternel ayme
La gent qui le clame
Son Roy, son appuy,
Voire et glorifie,
L'humble qui se fie,
Et s'attend à luy.
3. Certes en gloire souveraine
Les vertueux s'esgayeront,
Et de voix ioyeuse et seraine
Sur leurs chouchettes chanteront.
De Dieu les merveilles
Grandes, nom-pareilles
Diront en leurs chants:
Et auront les iustes
En leurs mains robustes
Glaives à deux trenchants:
4 Pour faire ve´ngance mortelle
De la perverse nation,
Et de la gent faulse et rebelle,
Merveilleuse punition.
Puis les Roys, et Princes,
De leurs grands provinces,
Captifs enserrer,
Et leur gentillesse
En dure desresse,
De ceps enserrer.
5 Afin que selon l'escripture,
Facent d'eux iuste iugement.
Voila la gloire par droicture
Reserves aux bons seulement.
English translation
Sing to the Lord a new song,
sing His praise in the assembly
of those who listen faithfully.
Let Israel rejoice without cease in their Maker;
Let the children of Zion be joyful in their rightful King.
Let them praise His name, His highness on pipe and tabor,
let them sing psalms with their harps to him each day.
For the eternal takes pleasure in His people;
He will give glory and salvation to the humble.
Let those who are steadfast in his kingly glory
sing in joyful and serene voices on their beds.
Let them tell of his Great, peerless wonders in their songs.
Let the righteous stand
with two-edged swords in their hands,
To make just and mortal vengeance
on the contrary nations,
the false and rebellious peoples;
To capture their kings
and their princes,
conquer their great provinces
and take and hold their nobles as prisoners.
Let them in accord with the scripture
make just judgement on them.
This is the true glory
reserved only for the good.