This edition was prepared by Alexander Reuter — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Defend me Lord from shame (Psalm 31) MWV B 32
Staff Notation • Sacred, Liturgical music
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Defend me Lord from shame (Psalm 31) MWV B 32 by Felix Mendelssohn — Lyrics
In finem. Psalmus David, pro extasi.
In te, Domine, speravi; non confundar in aeternum: in justitia tua libera me.
Inclina ad me aurem tuam; accelera ut eruas me.
Esto mihi in Deum protectorem, et in domum refugii, ut salvum me facias:
quoniam fortitudo mea et refugium meum es tu; et propter nomen tuum deduces me et enutries me.
Educes me de laqueo hoc quem absconderunt mihi, quoniam tu es protector meus.
In manus tuas commendo spiritum meum; redemisti me, Domine Deus veritatis.
Odisti observantes vanitates supervacue; ego autem in Domino speravi.
Exsultabo, et laetabor in misericordia tua, quoniam respexisti humilitatem meam;
salvasti de necessitatibus animam meam.
Nec conclusisti me in manibus inimici: statuisti in loco spatioso pedes meos.
Miserere mei, Domine, quoniam tribulor; conturbatus est in ira oculus meus,
anima mea, et venter meus.
Quoniam defecit in dolore vita mea, et anni mei in gemitibus.
Infirmata est in paupertate virtus mea, et ossa mea conturbata sunt.
Super omnes inimicos meos factus sum opprobrium, et vicinis meis valde, et timor notis meis; qui videbant me foras fugerunt a me.
Oblivioni datus sum, tamquam mortuus a corde; factus sum tamquam vas perditum:
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About Defend me Lord from shame (Psalm 31) MWV B 32
Felix Mendelssohn's setting of Psalm 31, Defend me Lord from shame, is a powerful sacred work for SATB choir. The text, drawn from the Latin Vulgate, is a prayer of trust and supplication, a plea for divine protection and deliverance from enemies. Mendelssohn's music reflects the earnestness of the words, moving from intense pleading to exultant affirmation of faith. The Latin and English versions of the text allow for varied liturgical use. This piece offers a profound musical meditation on themes of refuge, truth, and steadfast hope in God, making it a compelling choice for choirs seeking a spiritually rich and musically rewarding repertoire.
