Psalm 137: Latin study hints Part B

By way of a tag to the mini-series on Psalm 137, some materials to help you with your Latin studies.

Grammar

If you are keeping up with the Simplicissimus Reading Latin Course (see link to the materials in the sidebar), you will hopefully have reached unit 8, which deals with the present indicative perfect tense ('I have _') . One thing to look out for in the Vulgate are contracted forms of the perfect tense (ie dropping a letter or two), of which there are a couple of examples in this psalm. There is no difference in meaning in these cases.

I’ve bolded the examples of the perfect to look out for in Psalm 137:

1. Confitébor tibi, Dómine, in toto corde meo: * quóniam audísti [audio, contracted form] verba oris mei.
2. In conspéctu Angelórum psallam tibi: * adorábo ad templum sanctum tuum, et confitébor nómini tuo.
3. Super misericórdia tua, et veritáte tua: * quóniam magnificásti [magnifico, contracted form] super omne, nomen sanctum tuum.
4. In quacúmque die invocávero te, exáudi [exaudio] me: * multiplicábis in ánima mea virtútem.
5 Confiteántur tibi, Dómine, omnes reges terræ: * quia audiérunt [contracted] ómnia verba oris tui.
6. Et cantent in viis Dómini: * quóniam magna est glória Dómini.
7. Quóniam excélsus Dóminus, et humília réspicit: * et alta a longe cognóscit.
8. Si ambulávero in médio tribulatiónis, vivificábis me: * et super iram inimicórum meórum extendísti [extendo] manum tuam, et salvum me fecit déxtera tua.
9. Dóminus retríbuet pro me: * Dómine, misericórdia tua in sæculum: ópera mánuum tuárum ne despícias.

Looking up words in the dictionary

And this seems a good point at which to point to a very handy online dictionary tool.

As you may have noticed, Latin words, especially (but not exclusively) verbs, sometimes change form in uses such that it is sometimes hard to recognize the root word, or find it in a dictionary.

A quick solution to this problem is the excellent Perseus Latin Headword Search Tool.
It allows you to type in any word, and searches for it in a dictionary (generally Lewis and Short). If the word is in its most common form, it will take you to straight to the dictionary entry. But if it is inflected, it gives you the option of using the ‘word study tool’: click on the word and it will parse the word for you.

So to use an example from the list above, type in audio, and you get a short definition (to hear), a link to the full dictionary entry, and some frequency statistics t tell you how common a verb it is.

Type in audierunt, however, and you will be told your search turned up no results, but you can try the word study tool. Do that, and it will link you to ‘audio’ and tell you that audierunt is [a] verb 3rd [person] pl [plural] perf[ect] ind[icative] act[ive].

It does require you to know a little grammar, but hopefully you will have picked that up from your reading of Simplicissimus in any case…

Vocabulary

And finally, here is the complete vocab list for Psalm 137, in alphabetical order:

adoro, avi, atum, are, to worship, adore
altus deep (=deceitful), high (=proud)
ambulo, avi, atum, are to walk; the manner in which one orders one's life;
angelus, i, m.an angel, spirit, messenger.
anima, ae, f soul
audio, ivi or li, Itum, ire to hear; to hear gladly; sound forth, utter, announce; hear favorably, to grant,
canto, avi, atum, are to sing, to praise in song
cognosco, gnovi, gnitum, ere 3, to know, see, learn, perceive, be come acquainted with.
confiteor, fessus sum, eri 2 to praise, give thanks; to confess, acknowledge one's guilt.
conspectus, us, m. sight, presence;
cor, cordis, n., the heart, regarded as the seat of the faculties, feelings, emotions, passions; the mind, the soul.
despicio, spexi, spectum, ere 3 to look away from, not to look at, to slight; to despise; to look down upon
dexter, tera, terum; the right hand.
dies, ei, m. and /.; fem. a day, the natural day
exaudio, ivi, Itum, ire, to hear, hearken to, listen to, give heed to; to regard, answer.
excelsus, a, um high, august, sublime, towering aloft ; uplifted; heights, high places; billows, high waves
extendo, tendi, tentum, ere 3, to stretch out or forth; to extend, prolong, protract, continue;
gloria, ae, /. glory, honor, majesty
humilia, the lowly, God's people and their affairs.
inimicus, i, m., a foe, enemy
invoco, avi, atum, are, to invoke, call upon (God); to put trust in
ira, ae, f., anger, wrath
longe, adv. far off, at a distance; as a substantive with a and de, afar off, from afar.
magnifico, avi, atum, are to praise, glorify, extol, magnify
magnus, a, um, great, mighty; elders
manus, us, f, the hand
medius, a, um in the middle, midst
misericordia, ae,, mercy, kindness, favor, compassion, loving-kindness.
multiplico, avi, atum, are to multiply, increase; to grow, flourish
nomen, mis, n. name; God himself; the perfections of God, His glory, majesty, wisdom, power, goodness
omnis, e, all, each, every; subst., all men, all things, everything
opus, eris, n., work.
os, oris, n., the mouth.
pro, prep, with abl., for; instead of, in lieu of; because of, on account of
psallo, ere 3 to sing to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument,; to sing the praises of God.
quacumque - by whatever way, wherever, wheresoever
quoniam, conj., for, because, since, seeing that, whereas.
respicio, spexi, spectum, ere 3 to look upon, behold, consider; take thought for, heed, have regard to;
retribuo, tribui, tributum, ere 3, to repay, requite, reward, recompense, render; give back, return; make requital for
rex, regis, m. a king, ruler, lawgiver
saeculum, i, n., a lifetime, generation, age; an indefinite period of time; forever, eternity; from of old, i.e., in ages past.
salvum facere, to save, keep safe, preserve from harm..
sanctus, a, um, holy, holy person
super +acc=above, upon, over, in, on;+abl= about, concerning; with, on, upon, for, because of.
templum, i, n. the Sanctuary or new Tabernacle on Mount Sion; a temple-like structure; heaven; a palace.
terra, ae, f. (1) the earth, in both a lit. and a fig. sense. (a) orbis terrae, the world. (2) a country, esp. the Land of Israel
totus a um, the whole, entire
tribulatio, onis, f. , trouble, distress, anguish, affliction, tribulation
verbum, i, n.,word, command, edict, also a promise; saying, speech; Law, the Eternal Son.
veritas, atis, truth. grace, kindness ,goodness, fidelity to promises, Faithfulness
via, ae, a way, road, path, street. God's way, God's policy, way of life
virtus, utis, f strength, power, might; an army, host; the angels.; the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon, and stars
vivifico, avi, atum, are to quicken, give life to, vivify.

Psalm 137: Latin study hints

Yesterday I gave a general introduction to Psalm 137.  Today, as usual, before I start on the verse by verse analysis of Psalm 137, I want to give a few pointers to help you absorb the Latin.

Grammar

If you are following the Simplicissimus Latin Reading Course (see the link in the sidebar), you are hopefully up to Unit 7, which deals with the passive subjunctive.

There is one example of this in Psalm 37, in the form of a deponent (so an active meaning even though it looks passive), namely verse 5:

Confiteántur tibi, Dómine, omnes reges terræ:
May all the kings of the earth give glory to you

If you look back at the last psalm, Psalm 114, you will find another example:

miséricors Dóminus, et justus, et Deus noster miserétur.
The Lord is merciful and just, and our God shows mercy.

But as well as absorbing the new grammar, it is also worth doing some revision.  So I strongly suggest going through and working out the case of some of those high frequency nouns we've previously noted, such as anima (soul), gloria (glory) and Dominus (Lord) on the various occasions they recur.  Look out too, for an important example of a third declension noun, nomen, nominis, n name:

Confitébor tibi, Dómine, in toto corde meo: quóniam audísti verba oris mei.
In conspéctu Angelórum psallam tibi: adorábo ad templum sanctum tuum, et confitébor nómini tuo.
Super misericórdia tua, et veritáte tua: quóniam magnificásti super omne, nomen sanctum tuum.
In quacúmque die invocávero te, exáudi me: multiplicábis in ánima mea virtútem.
Confiteántur tibi, Dómine, omnes reges terræ: quia audiérunt ómnia verba oris tui.
Et cantent in viis Dómini: quóniam magna est glória Dómini.
Quóniam excélsus Dóminus, et humília réspicit: et alta a longe cognóscit.
Si ambulávero in médio tribulatiónis, vivificábis me: et super iram inimicórum meórum extendísti manum tuam, et salvum me fecit déxtera tua.
Dóminus retríbuet pro me: Dómine, misericórdia tua in sæculum: ópera mánuum tuárum ne despícias.

Vocabulary revision

It is also worth taking a look through Psalm 137 to see how many of the words you already know.

First, look through and pick out the words you know (even if the endings are not the same).  Here are a few key ones I've previously highlighted:

ambulo, avi, atum, are to walk; the manner in which one orders one's life
est - he/she/it is
et - and
me – me (pronoun)
meus (mea, meum) – my, mine (adjective)
omnis, e, all, each, every; subst., all men, all things, everything
quoniam, conj., for, because, since, seeing that, whereas.
quia, conj. for, because, that. truly, surely, indeed;
sanctus, a, um, holy.
super, with, on, upon, for, because of.
tu (pronoun) - you
tuus (tuum, tua) – your, yours, referring to one person

Confitébor tibi (to you), Dómine, toto corde meo: quóniam audísti verba oris mei.
In conspéctu Angelórum psallam tibi: * adorábo ad templum sanctum tuum, et confitébor nómini tuo.
Super misericórdia tua, et veritáte tua: * quóniam magnificásti super omne (omnis), nomen sanctum tuum
In quacúmque die invocávero te, exáudi me: * multiplicábis in ánima mea virtútem.
Confiteántur tibi, Dómine, omnes reges terræ: * quia audiérunt ómnia (omnis) verba oris tui.
Et cantent in viis Dómini: * quóniam magna est glória Dómini.
Quóniam excélsus Dóminus, et humília réspicit: * et alta a longe cognóscit.
Si ambulávero (ambulo) in médio tribulatiónis, vivificábis me: * et super iram inimicórum meórum extendísti manum tuam, et salvum me fecit déxtera tua.
Dóminus retríbuet pro me: * Dómine, misericórdia tua in sæculum: ópera mánuum tuárum ne despícias.

Secondly, you may have also recognised a few words that we have already come across in the previously considered psalms, and appear often elsewhere in the psalter.  In particular:

exaudio, ivi, Itum, ire, to hear, hearken to, listen to, give heed to; to regard, answer.
misericordia, ae, mercy, kindness, favor, compassion, loving-kindness.
multiplico, avi, atum, are to multiply, increase; to grow, flourish.
medius, a, um in the middle, midst
conspectus, us, m. sight, presence

Here they are highlighted in the psalm:

Confitébor tibi, Dómine, in toto corde meo: * quóniam audísti verba oris mei.
In conspéctu Angelórum psallam tibi: * adorábo ad templum sanctum tuum, et confitébor nómini tuo.
Super misericórdia tua, et veritáte tua: * quóniam magnificásti super omne, nomen sanctum tuum.
In quacúmque die invocávero te, exáudi me: * multiplicábis in ánima mea virtútem.
Confiteántur tibi, Dómine, omnes reges terræ: * quia audiérunt ómnia verba oris tui.
Et cantent in viis Dómini: * quóniam magna est glória Dómini.
Quóniam excélsus Dóminus, et humília réspicit: * et alta a longe cognóscit.
Si ambulávero in médio tribulatiónis, vivificábis me: * et super iram inimicórum meórum extendísti manum tuam, et salvum me fecit déxtera tua.
Dóminus retríbuet pro me: * Dómine, misericórdia tua in sæculum: ópera mánuum tuárum ne despícias.

New vocabulary

Finally, a few key new words to look out for as we work through the psalm:

adoro, avi, atum, are, to worship, adore
confiteor, fessus sum, eri 2 to praise, give thanks; to confess, acknowledge one's guilt.
canto, avi, atum, are to sing, to praise in song
psallo, ere 3 to sing to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument,; to sing the praises of God.
audio, ivi or li, Itum, ire to hear; to hear gladly; sound forth, utter, announce; hear favorably, to grant,
(exaudio, ivi, Itum, ire, to hear, hearken to, listen to, give heed to; to regard, answer).
terra, ae, f. the earth
verbum, i, n.,word, command, edict, also a promise; saying, speech; Law, the Eternal Son.
veritas, atis, truth. grace, kindness ,goodness, fidelity to promises, Faithfulness
via, ae, a way, road, path, street. God's way, God's policy, way of life
manus, us, f, the hand
dexter, tera, terum; the right hand.

Finally, don't forget to take the time to listen to the psalm being read or sung aloud (see the links in the last post) and practise saying and singing it aloud yourself until you are fluent.

Psalm 114: Latin Learning Hints Part B

Once again a post designed to aid those using this psalm series to learn or brush up their Latin - others can skip quickly past!

Grammar - the subjunctive mood

If you’ve been following the Simplicissimus introduction to Latin course (to download the materials see the link in the side bar on Latin resources) on a one unit a week basis since I started this psalm series (or have done some fast catching up), you should be up to Unit 6, which introduces the subjunctive mood.

There aren’t actually any examples of the present subjunctive in Psalm 114, but in the last post I gave the alternative formulation of the concluding verse from Psalm 55, which does use the subjunctive:

ut pláceam (second conjugation) coram Deo in lúmine vivéntium, or ‘so that I may please in the sight of God, in the light of the living’.

You might also recall the last verse of another psalm we have looked at in this series, Psalm 22:

Et ut inhábitem (first conjugation) in domo Dómini, in longitúdinem diérum = And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days.

Vocabulary – the body

Psalm 114, like many of the psalms, makes reference to a number of body parts, so it might be helpful to bring together a number of the key words used in the psalms to refer (anthropomorphically) to God, to enemies, or to the speaker:

corpus –oris n body (doesn't actually occur in the pslams, but used in the Mass and NT in many places)
caro, carnis, f flesh; man, mankind; the body; every living being

caput, itis, n. the head,

Ps 3: et exáltans caput meum = and the lifter up of my head.
Ps 22: Impinguásti in óleo caput meum – You have anointed my head with oil

facies, ei, f. face, countenance, appearance; presence.
vultus, us, m., the face, countenance;

erubesco, riibui, ere 3, to redden or blush with shame, to feel ashamed

tempus, oris, n. the temples of the head

oculus, i, m the eye.
lacryma, ae, f, a tear

Ps 114: óculos meos a lácrimis – my eyes from tears

palpebra, ae, f. the eyelid..
(video, videre - to see)
auris, is, f the ear.

guttur, is, n., the throat
vox, vocis, f., the voice of a person, or, the sound of an instrument, thunder.
(audio, audire, to hear)

Ps 3: Voce mea ad Dóminum clamávi – I have cried to the Lord with my voice
Ps 114: vocem oratiónis meæ = the voice of my prayer

labium, ii, n., a lip.

lingua, ae, f., the tongue;

dens, dentis, m. a tooth

Ps 3: dentes peccatórum contrivísti = You have broken the teeth of sinners

maxilla, ae, f. the jawbone, the jaw.

barba, ae, f, the beard

cor, cordis, n., the heart, regarded as the seat of the faculties, feelings, emotions, passions; the mind, the soul.

dexter, tera, terum; the right hand.

manus, us, f., hand

pes, pedis, m. the foot

Ps 114: pedes meos a lapsu = my feet from falling

lumbus, i, m.t the loin; pi. the loins, the reins

Vocabulary listing for Psalm 114

And here is the full vocabulary list for Psalm 114 in alphabetical order, based mainly on Britt’s Dictionary of the Psalter:

a, ab, from, by
anima ae f soul
auris, is, f. the ear.
benefacio, feci, factum, ere 3, to do well; to do good to, to deal kindly with, to deal bountifully
circumdo, dedi, datum, are, to surround, beset, encompass with a hostile intent; to gather round
converto, verti, versum, ere 3, to turn, change, alter; refresh; bring back; convert, turn from sin;
custodio, ivi or ii, itum, ire to guard, watch, keep;to maintain, to hold steadfastly.
de about, concerning, down from
deprecatio, ois, f prayer, supplication, entreaty
dies, ei, m. and fem. a day, the natural day
diligo, lexi, lectum, ere 3 to love;to flatter, make pretence of loving.
dolor, oris, m. , pain whether of body or of mind, grief, sorrow, affliction.
dominus i m, lord
ego, mei, I, me
eripio, ripui, reptum, ere 3 to snatch away, to rescue, deliver
et, and
exaudio, ivi, Itum, ire, to hear, hearken to, listen to, give heed to; to regard, answer.
humilio, avi, atum, are to humble, bring low.
in+ablative, in, on
inclino, avi, atum, are, to bend, incline
infernus, i, m. Sheol; the nether world, the underworld, the grave, the kingdom of the dead,
invenio, veni, ventum, ire, to find
invoco, avi, atum, are, to invoke, call upon (God); to put trust in
justus, a, um Of God: just; Of men: as a subst., a just man, the just.
lacryma, ae, f, a tear.
lapsus, us, m. slipping, a fall; a moral fall.
libero, avi, atum, are to free, set free, deliver
meus, a, um my, mine
misereor, sertus sum, eri 2 to pity, have mercy on.
misericors, cordis merciful, abounding in mercy.
mors, mortis, f., death
nomen, nominis, n name
noster, nostra, nostrum, our, ours
oculus, i, the eye..
oratio, onis, f. prayer, supplication
parvulus, a, um , small, little; children, little ones, the simple, the guileless,
periculum, i, n., peril, danger.
pes, pedis, m. the foot
placeo, ui, itum, ere 2, to please, be well pleasing to
quia, conj. for, because, that. truly, surely, indeed;
quoniam, conj., for, because, since, seeing that, whereas.
regio, onis, f, land, country.
requies, ei, f., rest; a resting-place.
tribulatio, onis, f. , trouble, distress, anguish, affliction, tribulation
tu, tui, you
vivus, a, um alive, living.
vox, vocis, f., the voice of a person, or, the sound of an instrument, thunder

Psalm 114: Latin Study Hints Part A

Yesterday, I provided a short introduction to Psalm 114.  Today, before we start the verse by verse look at it, some notes on it to assist those wishing to learn or refresh their Latin.

First some revision...

Before we start looking at the psalm properly, pick out what you already know.

First, vocabulary.  Don't worry about what the whole thing means, just start by findingt those very frequent words that are important to know, and any others you can work out, and see how much of the psalm you already know. 

I've highlighted some key ones:

Diléxi, quóniam exáudiet dóminus vocem (vox, voice) oratiónis meæ.
Quia inclinávit aurem suam mihi: et in diébus (days) meis invocábo.
Circumdedérunt me dolóres mortis (death): et perícula inférni invenérunt me.
Tribulatiónem et dolórem invéni: et nomen (name) Dómini invocávi.
O Dómine, líbera ánimam meam: miséricors Dóminus, et justus, et Deus noster miserétur.
Custódiens párvulos Dóminus: humiliátus sum, et liberávit me.
Convértere, ánima mea, in réquiem tuam: quia Dóminus benefécit tibi.
Quia erípuit ánimam meam de morte: óculos meos a lácrimis, pedes meos a lapsu.
Placébo Dómino in regióne vivórum.

Look out too, for a few of the less common words that you may remember from Psalms 3 and 22 such as circumdare, to surround:

Ps 3: Non timébo míllia pópuli circumdántis me (I will not fear thousands of the people, surrounding me)
Ps 114: Circumdedérunt me dolóres mortis: et perícula inférni invenérunt me.

Secondly, grammar.  My suggestion is that you use each new psalm to revise the grammar paradigms you have already learnt. If you are following the Simplicisimus course (see the link to the course materials in the sidebar):

• Unit 1 covered nouns in the five declensions – work out which case all the occurrences of anima (first declension), Dominus (second declension), vocem (third declension) and dies (fifth declension) are in;
• Unit 2 looked at present tense verbs. There is one that looks like a present tense verb here (sum) but is actually part of another verb, humilio;
• Unit 3 looked at the present indicative passive – there are no examples of this in the psalm;
• Unit 4 looked at adjectives – three useful ones to look out for are justus, a, um, just; parvulus, a, um, small, little; and vivus, a, um alive, living.

New vocab to learn

And here are some more frequently used words that you might want to add to your learning list for this week:

quoniam, conj., for, because, since, seeing that, whereas.
quia, conj. for, because, that. truly, surely, indeed;
oratio, onis, f. prayer, supplication
auris, is, f. the ear.
mors, mortis, f., death
dolor, oris, m. pain, whether of body or of mind, grief, sorrow, affliction;sin

Look out too, for words with common roots to one's you already know - Psalms 3 and 22 both used the verb tribulare, to oppress, afflict or harass.  This week's psalm uses tribulatio, ionis, distress, affliction, or tribulation.

Grammar

Unit 5 of Simplicissimus covers adverbs and prepositions. Examples of the prepositions used in the psalm are highlighted below:

Diléxi, quóniam exáudiet dóminus vocem oratiónis meæ.
Quia inclinávit aurem suam mihi: et in diébus meis invocábo.
Circumdedérunt me dolóres mortis: et perícula inférni invenérunt me.
Tribulatiónem et dolórem invéni: et nomen Dómini invocávi.
O Dómine, líbera ánimam meam: miséricors Dóminus, et justus, et Deus noster miserétur.
Custódiens párvulos Dóminus: humiliátus sum, et liberávit me.
Convértere, ánima mea, in réquiem tuam: quia Dóminus benefécit tibi.
Quia erípuit ánimam meam de morte: óculos meos a lácrimis, pedes meos a lapsu.
Placébo Dómino in regióne vivórum.

Say it out loud!

Finally, don't forget to work with one or more of the recordings until you can say each verse fluently yourself, and ideally, sing it.:

Psalm 22: Latin Study Hints Part C

Over the last two weeks I’ve been looking at Psalm 22.

There are two ways of using these notes.

First you can just read them as a general introduction to the psalm, focus on the commentary material provided, and skip quickly past the material on the Latin of the psalm.

Secondly, you can use the notes to help you pray the Latin of the Office with greater understanding.

Learning the Latin through immersion

If you are using this series to understand the Latin better, my suggestion is that you make sure you can:

• Say it out loud, pronouncing it correctly – listen again to a recording, and try and imitate it until you can chant the psalm slowly on one note; and
• Remember the sense of each verse using key words in the Latin as prompts – write out flash cards with the Latin phrase on one side, the English of the Douay-Rheims or the literal translation given on the other, and keep practicing it.

Here is the psalm again as a cross-check:

Psalmus David.
Dominus regit me, et nihil mihi deerit: in loco pascuæ, ibi me collocavit.
Super aquam refectionis educavit me; animam meam convertit.
Deduxit me super semitas justitiæ propter nomen suum.
Nam etsi ambulavero in medio umbræ mortis, non timebo mala, quoniam tu mecum es.
Virga tua, et baculus tuus, ipsa me consolata sunt.
Parasti in conspectu meo mensam adversus eos qui tribulant me; impinguasti in oleo caput meum : et calix meus inebrians, quam præclarus est!
Et misericordia tua subsequetur me omnibus diebus vitæ meæ; et ut inhabitem in domo Domini in longitudinem dierum.

Going further

You might also learn the key vocabulary I’ve highlighted in previous posts, and at least read through the notes of the Simplicissimus reading Church Latin course to familiarize yourself with the key grammatical structures of Latin - it will make your absorption of the Latin faster and easier.

Ideally of course, you would learn all of the vocab we’ve come across so far, and, more importantly still, learn those grammatical paradigms off by heart. For those who are trying to do this, a complete vocabulary list for the psalm in alphabetical order is at the end of this post.

Feedback

I’d very much appreciate any feedback you have on the format and content of these posts - they take a fair amount of work to do, and if I continue with them, I'd like to be sure that what I am doing is as helpful to readers as possible.


Things you could comment on include:

Does the verse by verse format work, or would you prefer bigger chunks of the psalm at a time?
Is the best approach just giving a phrase by phrase "slavishly literal" translation most helpful, or are additional notes on grammatical structures, or a more word by word approach more helpful to you?

Are the Latin learning hints useful to you or not?

Would you prefer more or less general commentary material?

Any other suggestions?

Vocab list for Psalm 22

adversus or adversum, prep, with acc against; in the presence of, over against, before.
ambulo, avi, atum, are to walk; the manner in which one orders one's life;
baculus, i, m. a stick, staff, a shepherd's staff, a walking-stick.
calix, icis, m. cup, goblet, drinking-vessel.
caput, itis, n. the head,
colloco, avi, atum, are to set, place, put; to lie down, to rest.
consolor, atus sum, ari, Active, to comfort, console, encourage
conspectus, us, m. sight, presence;
converto, verti, versum, ere 3, to turn, change, alter, bring back; quicken, refresh; bring back; convert, turn from sin;
deduco, duxi ductum, ere 3, to lead or bring down; guide, lead, conduct
desum, fui esse, to be wanting, lack.
dies, ei, m. and /.; fem. a day, the natural day
dominus, i, m. a master, lord, ruler, owner, possessor
domus, us, /. a house, structure; a house, abode, dwelling place; Temple; ;a race, people, nation; the priesthood.
educo, duxi, ductum, ere 3, to lead out or forth.
eos – them (is ea id: he, she, it)
est – it is
et, conj. And; et = sed, adversative; et = vel; yea, even
ibi, adv. there, in that place. then
impinguo, avi, atum, are to anoint; fatten, grow thick
in+abl = with, in, on among, by means of
in+acc=into, onto, against, for (the purpose of)
inebrio, avi, atum, are, to inebriate, intoxicate; fill up, saturate with, refresh as with drink, to water, drench, moisten.
inhabito, avi, atum, are to dwell, abide; to inhabit, dwell in.
justitia, ae, /. justice, righteousness, innocence, piety, moral integrity
locus, i, m. a place.
longitudo, inis, /. lit., length, forever
malus, a, um, adj., bad, evil, wicked; grievous, sore, severe; subst., malum, i, n., evil, sin; woe, harm, misfortune.
me me
medius, a, um in the middle, midst
mensa, ae, /., a table.
meus –a -um – my, mine
misericordia, ae, mercy, kindness, favor, compassion, loving-kindness.
mors, mortis, /., death
nam for
nihil, n., , nothing
nomen, mis, n. name; God himself; the perfections of God, His glory, majesty, wisdom, power, goodness,
oleum, li, n. oil, esp., olive-oil
omnis, e, all, each, every; subst., all men, all things, everything
parare mensam, to furnish, lay, or prepare a table, to provide meat, sustenance.
paro, avi, atum, are, to prepare, make ready, furnish, equip, fit out, provide, make firm, establish
pascua, ae, /. (sc. terra, pasture land, from pasco), lit., a pasture, grass land for cattle to feed upon
praeclarus, a, um, splendid, glorious; goodly, pleasant.
propter, prep, with acc. on account of, by reason of, because of, from, for, for the sake of.
quam how, how much, as, than
qui who
quoniam, conj., for, because, since, seeing that, whereas.
refectio, onis, a restoring, repairing; refreshment.
rego, rexi, rectum, ere 3 (rex), to rule, govern, as a shepherd; to lead, guide; to rule..
semita, ae, /., a path, way; course of life, action, conduct, or procedure.
si, if, in case that; O that! would that! ; if, whether, if perchance; si; Si non, if not,
subsequor, seciitus sum, sequi 3, to follow close after; to follow.
super, with, on, upon, for, because of.
timeo, ere 2, to fear, be afraid of.
tribulo, avi, atum, are to oppress, afflict, harass.
tuus a um your (s)
umbra, ae, /., a shadow, a shelter, cover, protection
ut, adv. and conj., as, like. wherefore, so, so, why. that, in order that, to the end that.
virga, ae, /., a rod, staff, scepter, a shepherd's crook.
vita, ae, /. , life, esp. a happy life

Psalm 22: Latin Study Hints Part B

For those trying to build up their Latin, some more notes to help you, on the Psalm 22.

Vocab building

Remember that the more times you see a word with some cue as to its meaning, the more likely you are to remember it. 

First some very, very frequent words that you have already come across and need to learn by heart if you don’t know them already:

dominus, i, m. a master, lord, ruler, owner, possessor
et and
est – he/she/it is
me me

Parasti in conspectu meo mensam adversus eos qui tribulant me;
impinguasti in oleo caput meum :
et calix meus inebrians, quam præclarus est!
Et misericordia tua subsequetur me omnibus diebus vitæ meæ;
et ut inhabitem in domo Domini in longitudinem dierum.

Secondly, some revision of words you may remember from Psalm 3:

Dómine quid multiplicáti sunt qui tríbulant (they afflict/oppress/harrass) me? * multi insúrgunt advérsum (against) me.
Tu autem, Dómine, suscéptor meus es, * glória mea, et exáltans caput (head) meum.

Watch out for them again in Psalm 22:

Parasti in conspectu meo mensam adversus eos qui tribulant me;
impinguasti in oleo caput meum

And now, to highlight a few new, very frequently used words that occur in the second half of Psalm 22 and are well worth learning thoroughly:

mensa, ae, f., a table.
misericordia, ae,f mercy, kindness, favor, compassion, loving-kindness.
vita, ae, f , life, esp. a happy life
oleum, ii, n. oil, esp., olive-oil
calix, icis, m. chalice, cup, goblet, drinking-vessel
domus, us, f. a house, structure; abode, dwelling place; Temple; a race, people, nation; the priesthood
dies, ei, m. and fem, a day,
paro, avi, atum, are, to prepare, make ready, furnish, equip, fit out, provide, make firm, establish

Grammar

Finally, Simplicissimus Unit 4, which is where you will be up to if you took up my suggestion of reading a unit a week, looks at adjectives and substantives (adjectives used as nouns), so have a go at finding the main ones used in Psalm 22.

By way of a little help:

meus –a -um – my, mine
tuus a um your (singular)
omnis, e, all, each, every; subst., all men, all things, everything
praeclarus, a, um, splendid, glorious; goodly, pleasant.
malus, a, um, adj., bad, evil, wicked; grievous, sore, severe; as a substantive:malum, i, n., evil, sin; woe, harm, misfortune.

Psalmus David.
Dominus regit me, et nihil mihi deerit: in loco pascuæ, ibi me collocavit. Super aquam refectionis educavit me; animam meam convertit. Deduxit me super semitas justitiæ propter nomen suum. Nam etsi ambulavero in medio umbræ mortis, non timebo mala, quoniam tu mecum es. Virga tua, et baculus tuus, ipsa me consolata sunt. Parasti in conspectu meo mensam adversus eos qui tribulant me; impinguasti in oleo caput meum : et calix meus inebrians, quam præclarus est! Et misericordia tua subsequetur me omnibus diebus vitæ meæ; et ut inhabitem in domo Domini in longitudinem dierum.

Psalm 22: Latin learning Hints Part A - vocab and grammar

As promised, a list of key vocab to learn for this week, if you want to get ahead with this psalm!

Words from last week…

Before looking at this week’s new vocabulary, it is worth picking out the words looked at in Psalm 3. So here are the first five verses of Psalm 22 with key words you should know from Psalm 3 bolded:

Dominus (The Lord) regit me (me), et (and) nihil mihi (to me) deerit: in loco pascuæ, ibi me collocavit. Super aquam refectionis educavit me; animam (soul) meam (my) convertit. Deduxit me super semitas justitiæ propter nomen (name) suum (his). Nam etsi ambulavero in medio umbræ mortis, non (not) timebo (=timeo, timere, timui to fear) mala, quoniam (for/because) tu (you) mecum es (you are). Virga tua, et baculus tuus, ipsa me consolata sunt.

Frequently used words for this week…

And here is a list of very frequently words that are used in this week’s verses, so well worth learning carefully:

ambulo, avi, atum, are to walk; the manner in which one orders one's life;
converto, verti, versum, ere 3, to turn, change; quicken, refresh; bring back; convert, turn from sin;
rego, rexi, rectum, ere 3 to rule, govern, as a shepherd; to lead, guide; to rule..
colloco, avi, atum, are to set, place, put; to lie down, to rest.
educo, duxi, ductum, ere 3, to lead out or forth.
deduco, duxi ductum, ere 3, to lead or bring down; guide, lead, conduct

locus, i, m. a place.
pascua, ae, f. lit., a pasture, grass land for cattle to feed upon
aqua, ae, f., water
semita, ae, f, a path, way; course of life, action, conduct, or procedure.
justitia, ae, /. justice, righteousness, innocence, piety, moral integrity
umbra, ae, /., a shadow, a shelter, cover, protection
mors, mortis, /., death

malus, a, um, adj., bad, evil, wicked; grievous, sore, severe; subst., malum, i, n., evil, sin; woe, harm, misfortune

Grammar

For those looking at the Simplicissimus course, Unit 3 looks at present tense verbs in the passive voice, as well as deponents (verbs that look like they are passive, but are actually active). There are, I’m afraid, no examples of present tense passives or deponents in the psalm but there is a deponent verb to look out for this week, namely consolor: Virga tua, et baculus tuus, ipsa me consolata sunt (they consoled/comforted).

Psalm 3: Latin Study hints/Part C

Just to finish off on Psalm 3, a little look at the Latin in the light of Unit 2 of the Simplicissimus Latin course (for link see sidebar under Latin resources), together with a complete vocab list. 

Simplicissimus: an overview to the structure of Latin and key vocab

Simplicissimus is intended to give a quick overview of Latin, enough to allow you to follow the Mass and Office (though you will need to learn some additional vocabulary as well for that!).  A look through it would also serve as a good revision tool for those whose Latin is rusty, or who are doing a more thorough course. 

It is particularly useful because the vocabulary and examples it uses are focused on texts of the Mass and Office.

It is also a course that you could build on later if you wished, using a book such as Collins' Ecclesiastical Latin or Whittaker to learn more about the various grammatical constructions and gain fluency. 

Nouns

In any case, Unit 2 introduces the five declensions (groups of endings) of nouns, together with the concept of cases (nominative, vocative, accusative, genitive, dative, ablative), number (singular and plural) and gender (all words in Latin are either masculine, feminine or neuter).

So here are some examples of nouns with their case noted from Psalm 3.  Note that I haven't necessarily highlighted every noun of the relevant declension here, just the relatively high frequency ones that you will see over and over again.  I've also included some examples where the case of the noun is not necessarily dictated by its function in the sentence but by the meaning of the preposition (in, ad, sine, etc) that comes before it.

First declension nouns in Psalm 3: anima –ae, f (soul, life), gloria –ae, f (glory)

For this declension I've indicated the case and number of the noun.

3.Multi dicunt ánimæ (dative singular: to the soul) meæ: * Non est salus ipsi in Deo ejus.
4. Tu autem, Dómine, suscéptor meus es, * glória (nominative singluar) mea, et exáltans caput meum.
8. Quóniam tu percussísti omnes adversántes mihi sine causa (ablative singular, governed by sine, =without cause/reason): * dentes peccatórum contrivísti.

Some second declension nouns: Dominus –i, m (Lord), Deus -i m, (God), populus -i, m (people)

For the second and third declension, I've bolded the key words - have a go at identifying the cases (I've noted them in a couple of cases because they partly go to grammar points not yet covered by Simplicissimus)!  If you want a cross-check on your work, put your answers in the comments box or email them to me...

2. Dómine quid multiplicáti sunt qui tríbulant me? * multi insúrgunt advérsum me.
3.Multi dicunt ánimæ meæ: * Non est salus ipsi in Deo (ablative, governed by in) ejus.
4. Tu autem, Dómine, suscéptor meus es, * glória mea, et exáltans caput meum.
5. Voce mea ad Dóminum (accusative, note governed by ad+acc) clamávi: * et exaudívit me de monte sancto suo.
6. Ego dormívi, et soporátus sum: * et exsurréxi, quia Dóminus suscépit me.
7. Non timébo míllia pópuli circumdántis me: * exsúrge, Dómine, salvum me fac, Deus (hint: the vocative of this noun is an exception) meus.
8. Quóniam tu percussísti omnes adversántes mihi sine causa: * dentes peccatórum contrivísti.
9. Dómini est salus: * et super pópulum (accusative, governed by super) tuum benedíctio tua.

Third declension: vox, vocis f voice; caput, capitis, n (head); salus, salutis f (salvation); mons, montis, montium, m (mountain, hill); benedictio – onis, f (blessing)

2. Dómine quid multiplicáti sunt qui tríbulant me? * multi insúrgunt advérsum me.
3.Multi dicunt ánimæ meæ: * Non est salus ipsi in Deo ejus.
4. Tu autem, Dómine, suscéptor meus es, * glória mea, et exáltans caput meum.
5. Voce mea ad Dóminum clamávi: * et exaudívit me de monte (ablative of mons, governed by de) sancto suo.
6. Ego dormívi, et soporátus sum: * et exsurréxi, quia Dóminus suscépit me.
7. Non timébo míllia pópuli circumdántis me: * exsúrge, Dómine, salvum me fac, Deus meus.
8. Quóniam tu percussísti omnes adversántes mihi sine causa: * dentes (acc pl of dens, tooth) peccatórum contrivísti.
9. Dómini est salus: * et super pópulum tuum benedíctio tua.

Vocabulary for Psalm 3

Here is an alphabetical listing of all of the vocabulary given for the psalm, mostly summarised from Britt's Dictionary of the Psalter:

adversor, atus sum, ari to oppose, resist, withstand
adversus -um, against, in the presence of, over against, before.
anima, ae, soul, life
benedictio, onis, f a blessing; a source of blessing for others
caput, itis, n. the head
causa, ae, f cause, reason,
circumdo, dedi, datum, are, to surround, beset, encompass with a hostile intent clamo, avi, atum, are to call, cry out; to call to or upon for aid.
contero, trivi, itum, ere 3, to break, crush, destroy.
dens, dentis, m. a tooth;
dico, dixi, dictum, ere 3, to say, speak; to sing; to think, plan, desire;
dormio, ivi or ii, itum, ire, to sleep, to lie down to rest.
exaudio, ivi, Itum, ire, to hear, listen to, give heed to; regard, answer.
exsulto, avi, atum, are, to spring, leap; to exult, to rejoice exceedingly
exsurgo, surrexi, surrectum, ere 3, to rise up, arise, i.e., to come to the aid of
gloria, ae, f glory, honor, majesty
insurgo, surrexi, surrectum, ere 3 to rise up against, revolt against;
maxilla, ae, f the jawbone, the jaw.
millia,, n., thousands; indefinitely large number, a host, multitude
mons, montis, m., a mountain
multiplico, avi, atum, are to multiply, increase; to grow, flourish.
multus, a, um, much; many, numerous; much, great
obdormio – fallen asleep
omnis, e, all, each, every; subst., all men, all things, everything
peccator, oris, m. a sinner, transgressor; the wicked, the godless.
percuto, cussi, cussum, ere 3 to smite,strike; to kill, slay.
populus, i, ., people. the chosen people; a heathen nation
quia, conj. for, because,that.
quis, quid, interrog, pron., who? which? what? why? wherefore?
quoniam, conj., for, because, since,seeing that, whereas.
salus, utis, f helping, saving; victory; help, deliverance, salvation.
salvus, a, um, safe, saved, salvum facere, to save, keep safe, preserve from harm
sanctus, a, um, holy.
soporor, atus sum, ari to go to sleep
super, with, on, upon, for, because of.
susceptor, oris, m. a protector, helper, defender; a stay, support.
suscipio, cepi, ceptum, ere 3 to guard, protect, uphold, support; receive, accept
timeo, ere 2, to fear, be afraid of.
tribulo, avi, atum, are to oppress, afflict, harass.
vox, vocis, f., the voice of a person, or, the sound of an instrument, thunder.

Psalm 3 - Latin Study Hints Part B - Present indicative verbs

Now that we are half way through Psalm 3, I thought I would pause for a moment to allow you to take stock, and as promised provide some links between the psalm and the grammar covered in the excellent Simplicissimus course (see the sidebar) either by way of a refresher or for those actually sittng down and learning Latin for the first time.  Others should skip on quickly past this post...

Unit One of this quick introduction to reading Latin course focuses primarily on verbs in the four conjugation in the present indicative active tense, and the present tense of the verb to be.  So let me point out examples of these in the psalm...

Present tense verbs...

Here is the first part of the psalm with the present tense verbs in the four basic paradigms (conjugations) highlighted:

Dómine quid multiplicáti sunt qui tríbulant (tribulare = first conjugation, third person plural = they harass) me? * multi insúrgunt (insurgere = third conjugation, third person plural = they rise up)advérsum me.
Multi dicunt (dicere = third conjugation, third person plural = they say) ánimæ meæ: * Non est salus ipsi in Deo ejus.

Present of 'to be'

And here is the whole psalm with the uses of the present tense of the verb to be (sum, esse) highlighted.
But note that there is a bit of a trick here - there are two uses in this psalm of words that look like the present tense of to be, but in fact sum and sunt are being used to form the passive tense of another verb, viz multiplicati sunt and soporatus sum.

Dómine quid multiplicáti sunt qui tríbulant me? * multi insúrgunt advérsum me.
Multi dicunt ánimæ meæ: * Non est (there/he/she/it is no) salus ipsi in Deo ejus.
Tu autem, Dómine, suscéptor meus es (you s. are), * glória mea, et exáltans caput meum.
Voce mea ad Dóminum clamávi: * et exaudívit me de monte sancto suo.
Ego dormívi, et soporátus sum: * et exsurréxi, quia Dóminus suscépit me.
Non timébo míllia pópuli circumdántis me: * exsúrge, Dómine, salvum me fac, Deus meus.
Quóniam tu percussísti omnes adversántes mihi sine causa: * dentes peccatórum contrivísti.
Dómini est (he is) salus: * et super pópulum tuum benedíctio tua.

Psalm 3: Latin study hints/ Part A - vocab

As well as verse by verse notes on the psalm itself, I thought I’d try providing some pointers to help speed up your learning of the Latin through each psalm, mainly covering vocabulary and grammar.

You don't need to read these 'Latin study hints' posts to make sense of the verse by verse notes that will follow, so skip quickly past if you wish...

And you certainly don’t need to remember all of this.  You can just read through, and use it as a reference point.  But if you do want to make flashcards, and really learn this material, this is hopefully a starting point.

Grammar and vocab notes

In the case of the grammar, at the end of each week, I will try putting up some notes linking the psalm to one chapter at a time of the excellent Simplicissimus course (see the link in sidebar), pointing out examples of the particular things taught. Even if you aren’t working through that course thoroughly, a quick read of it is a great way of revising your Latin if you already have some, or speeding up your absorption of the Latin from immersion if not.

In the case of the vocabulary, what I propose to do is offer a couple of word lists to help you focus as you work through the psalm. As we do each verse, I'll provide a list of each word used.  After we've finished each psalm, I’ll then provide an alphabetical list of all the vocabulary used in it.   Before we start each psalm though, I’ll try providing a short list of very high frequency words for absolute beginners to learn, and some more focused lists that may make learning more of the key words easier for more advanced students.

Learn all the words or just some?

There are two possible strategies for learning vocabulary: learn every word you come across, and don’t move on until you have; or learn the most important words, the words that are used all the time, then go back later and fill in the ones you don’t know. I’d strongly recommend the second course!

First, if you focus on the really important words, you will quickly understand an awful lot of the text anyway, so you can make guesses as to what the rest means. You will also pick up a lot of others just by repetition. Secondly, being prepared to look up a few words in an online dictionary or go back and refresh your memory from the notes is far more efficient. There are around 2,800 different base words used in the psalms. So even if you learnt around 30 a week (which is the level of a fairly challenging language course) it would still take you around two years to learn it all. But if you learn the words that make up the overwhelming majority of the text and just fill in the gaps as you need to, you will understand most of it much faster.

How many you try and learn is up to you.  I'll provide some starting points here, and add to them once we go on a few verses.

Seven frequently used words to get started with

The first thing to do is to look in the psalm as a whole for the words that occur several times.  And focus particularly on ones frequently used in general - you can find a frequency count for words in the Latin Vulgate here, though I'll try and point out key ones as they occur.

Look through it for frequently used words – there are a few that are really worth learning first. So for example in this psalm:

Dominus – Lord

Here is the psalm with the occurrences bolded:

Dómine quid multiplicáti sunt qui tríbulant me? multi insúrgunt advérsum me.
Multi dicunt ánimæ meæ: Non est salus ipsi in Deo ejus.
Tu autem, Dómine, suscéptor meus es, glória mea, et exáltans caput meum.
Voce mea ad Dóminum clamávi: et exaudívit me de monte sancto suo.
Ego dormívi, et soporátus sum: et exsurréxi, quia Dóminus suscépit me.
Non timébo míllia pópuli circumdántis me: exsúrge, Dómine, salvum me fac, Deus meus.
Quóniam tu percussísti omnes adversántes mihi sine causa: dentes peccatórum contrivísti.
Dómini est salus: et super pópulum tuum benedíctio tua.

Note that it appears here with a number of different endings that change the meaning of the sentence – domine (O Lord), dominum (object), domini (of the Lord).

Deus – God

Dómine quid multiplicáti sunt qui tríbulant me? multi insúrgunt advérsum me.
Multi dicunt ánimæ meæ: Non est salus ipsi in Deo ejus....
Non timébo míllia pópuli circumdántis me: exsúrge, Dómine, salvum me fac, Deus meus.

et - and

Tu autem, Dómine, suscéptor meus es, glória mea, et exáltans caput meum.
Voce mea ad Dóminum clamávi: et exaudívit me de monte sancto suo.
Ego dormívi, et soporátus sum: et exsurréxi, quia Dóminus suscépit me....
Dómini est salus: et super pópulum tuum benedíctio tua.

Now find all the occurrences of these couple of words -

meus (mea, meum) – my, mine (adjective)

me – me (pronoun)

tuus (tuum, tua) – your, yours, referring to one person

tu (pronoun) - you

Other high frequency words to look out for

anima, ae, soul
gloria, ae,. glory, honor, majesty
vox, vocis, the voice of a person, or, the sound of an instrument
populus -i m people

dico dixi, dictum, ere 3, to say, speak; to sing; in the sense of to think, plan, desire; to praise.
clamo, avi, atum, are to call, cry out; to call to or upon for aid.
timeo, ere 2, to fear, be afraid of.
dormio, ivi or ii, itum, ire, to sleep, to lie down to rest.

quoniam, conj., for, because, since, seeing that, whereas.
super, with, on, upon, for, because of.

sanctus, a, um, holy.
multus, a, um, much; many, numerous; much, great
omnis, e, all, each, every; subst., all men, all things, everything

For those who want to learn more words...

This listing doesn't cover all the words in the psalm, just a few that might be worth having in mind as you work throught it, grouped here in ways that might make remembering them easier.

caput, itis, n. the head
dens, dentis, m. a tooth
maxilla, ae, the jawbone, the jaw.
benedictio, ionis f. blessing
mons montis montium m. mountain, hill

adversor, atus sum, ari to oppose, resist, withstand, to be ill-disposed towards any one.
adversus or adversum, prep, with acc. against, in the presence of, over against, before.
tribulo, avi, atum, are to oppress, afflict, harass.
peccator, oris, m. a sinner, transgressor; the wicked, the godless.

contero, trivi, Itum, ere 3, to break, crush, destroy.
percuto, cussi, cussum, ere 3 to smite ,strike; to kill, slay.
dormio, ivi or li, Itum, ire, to sleep, to lie down to rest.
soporor, atus sum, ari to go to sleep

insurgo, surrexi, surrectum, ere 3 to rise up against, revolt against;
circumdo, dedi, datum, are, to surround, beset, encompass with a hostile intent; to gather round

exaudio, ivi, Itum, ire, to hear, hearken to, listen to, give heed to; to regard, answer.
exsurgo, surrexi, surrectum, ere 3, to rise up, arise, i.e., to come to the aid of
exsulto, avi, atum, are to spring, leap, or jump up; to exult, to rejoice exceedingly

susceptor, oris, m. a protector, helper, defender, a stay, support.
salus, utis, /. the act of helping, saving; victory, temporal salvation; help, deliverance, safety, salvation.

Do let me know if this is helpful or not, and alert me to any errors you detect!