Psalm 137 (
GreekThe Septuagint , or simply "LXX", referred to in critical works by the abbreviation ...
numbering:
Psalm 136) is one of the best known of the Biblical psalms. Its opening lines, "By the rivers of Babylon..." (Septuagint: "By the waters of Babylon...") have been set to music on several occasions.
The psalm is a hymn expressing the yearnings of the Jewish people in exile following the Babylonian conquest of
JerusalemJerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
in 586 BC. The rivers of
BabylonBabylon was a city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
are the
EuphratesThe Euphrates is the longest and historically one of the most important rivers of Southwest Asia. Together with the Tigris, the Euphrates is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
river, its tributaries, and the Chebar river (possibly the river Habor, the Chaboras, or modern Khabour, which joins the
EuphratesThe Euphrates is the longest and historically one of the most important rivers of Southwest Asia. Together with the Tigris, the Euphrates is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
at Circesium).
Psalm 137 (
GreekThe Septuagint , or simply "LXX", referred to in critical works by the abbreviation ...
numbering:
Psalm 136) is one of the best known of the Biblical psalms. Its opening lines, "By the rivers of Babylon..." (Septuagint: "By the waters of Babylon...") have been set to music on several occasions.
The psalm is a hymn expressing the yearnings of the Jewish people in exile following the Babylonian conquest of
JerusalemJerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
in 586 BC. The rivers of
BabylonBabylon was a city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
are the
EuphratesThe Euphrates is the longest and historically one of the most important rivers of Southwest Asia. Together with the Tigris, the Euphrates is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
river, its tributaries, and the Chebar river (possibly the river Habor, the Chaboras, or modern Khabour, which joins the
EuphratesThe Euphrates is the longest and historically one of the most important rivers of Southwest Asia. Together with the Tigris, the Euphrates is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
at Circesium). In its whole form, the psalm reflects the yearning for Jerusalem as well as hatred for the Holy City's enemies with sometimes violent imagery. Rabbinical sources attributed the poem to the prophet
JeremiahJeremiah was one of the prophets of the Hebrew Bible. His writings are put together in the Book of Jeremiah and traditionally, authorship of the Book of Lamentations is ascribed to him...
, and the Septuagint version of the psalm bears the superscription: "For David. By Jeremias, in the Captivity."
The early lines of the poem are very well known, as they describe the sadness of the
IsraeliteIn the Bible, the Israelites were the descendants of the Biblical patriarch Jacob. They were divided into twelve tribes, each descended from one of twelve sons or grandsons of Jacob....
s, asked to "sing the Lord's song in a foreign land". This they refuse to do, leaving their harps hanging on trees. The poem then turns into self-exhortation to remember
JerusalemJerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
. It ends with violent fantasies of revenge, telling a "Daughter of Babylon" of the delight of "he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks." (New International Version).
Liturgical use
Some Jewish communities recite Psalm 137 before the Birkat Hamazon (Grace After Meals) during the nine days preceding Tisha B'Av, the fast of the Ninth Day of the month of Av, which commemorates the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem.
In the
Eastern Orthodox ChurchThe Orthodox Church, also officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to in English speaking countries as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the world's second largest Christian communion, estimated to number 225 million members...
and those Eastern Catholic Churches which use the
Byzantine RiteThe Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite, is the liturgical rite used currently by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches and by the Greek-Catholic Churches...
, Psalm 137 (which is known by its
SeptuagintThe Septuagint , or simply "LXX", referred to in critical works by the abbreviation ...
numbering as Psalm 136) is a part of the Nineteenth
KathismaA Kathisma , literally, "seat", is a division of the Psalter, used by Eastern Orthodox Christians and Eastern Catholics who follow the Byzantine Rite...
(division of the
PsalterA psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms and which often contains other devotional material. Various schemes for the arrangement of the Psalms are described in Latin Psalters....
) and is read at
MatinsMatins is the early morning or night prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox liturgies of the canonical hours. The term is also used in some Protestant denominations to describe morning services.The name "Matins" originally referred to the morning office also...
on Friday mornings throughout the year, except during
Bright WeekBright Week or Renewal Week is the name used by the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches of the Byzantine Rite for the period of seven days beginning on Pascha and continuing up to the following Sunday, which is known as Thomas Sunday...
(the week following Easter Sunday) when no psalms at all are read. During most of
Great LentGreat Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important fasting season in the church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, Pascha...
it is read at Matins on Thursday and at the Third Hour on Friday, but during the fifth week of Great Lent it is read at
VespersVespers is the evening prayer service in the Western Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran liturgies of the canonical hours. The word comes from the Greek εσπερινός and the Latin vesper, meaning "evening." The term is also in limited use in some Protestant...
on Tuesday evening and at the Third Hour on Friday.
This psalm is also solemnly chanted at Matins after the
PolyeleosThe Polyeleos is a festive portion of the Matins or All-Night Vigil service as observed on higher-ranking feast days in the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Rite Catholic Churches...
on the three Sundays which precede the beginning of
Great LentGreat Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important fasting season in the church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, Pascha...
.
Musical settings
The psalm, generally under variants of its title
By the waters of Babylon, has been set to music by many composers.
Many musical settings omit the last verse.
John L. BellJohn Lamberton Bell is a hymn-writer. A Church of Scotland minister, he is a member of the Iona Community, a broadcaster, and former student activist...
, a hymnwriter who writes many challenging texts himself, comments alongside his own setting of this Psalm: "The final verse is omitted in this metricization, because its seemingly outrageous curse is better dealt with in preaching or group conversation. It should not be forgotten, especially by those who have never known exile, dispossession or the rape of people and land."
- Latin settings (Super Flumina Babylonis) by Palestrina
Palestrina is an ancient city and comune with a population of about 18,000, in Lazio, c. 35 km east of Rome...
(1525-1594) and Orlando di Lasso (1532-1594) for 4 voices.
- A Hebrew setting (Al Naharot Bavel) by Salamone Rossi
Salamone Rossi or Salomone Rossi was an Italian Jewish violinist and composer. He was a transitional figure between the late Italian Renaissance period and early Baroque.-Life:...
(1570-1630) for 4 voices.
- 19th century French pianist-composer (1813-1888) Charles-Valentin Alkan
Charles-Valentin Alkan was a French composer and one of the greatest virtuoso pianists of his day. His attachment to his Jewish origins is displayed both in his life and his work. He entered the Paris Conservatoire at the age of six, earning many awards, and as an adult became a famous virtuoso...
's "Super Flumina Babylonis" Op. 52.
- It was the inspiration for the famous slave chorus Va, pensiero
Va', pensiero is a chorus from the third act of Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi, with words by Temistocle Solera, inspired by Psalm 137. Known as Verdi's "Jewish" work of art, it recollects the story of Jewish exiles from Babylon after the loss of the First Temple in Jerusalem...
from the Giuseppe VerdiGiuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
(1813-1901) opera NabuccoNabucco is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera, based on the Biblical story and the 1836 play by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornue...
.
- The second of the Harry Partch
Harry Partch was an American composer and instrument creator. He was one of the first twentieth-century composers to work extensively and systematically with microtonal scales, writing much of his music for custom-made instruments that he built himself, tuned in 11-limit just...
(1901-1974) "Two Psalms" (1931) is "By the Rivers of Babylon" (1931/41), originally for adapted viola & intoning voice, with kithara and chromelodeon added in 1955.
- In the William Walton
Sir William Turner Walton OM was a British composer and conductor.His style was influenced by the works of Stravinsky and Prokofiev as well as jazz music, and is characterized by rhythmic vitality, bittersweet harmony, sweeping Romantic melody and brilliant orchestration...
(1902-1983) oratorioAn oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. The oratorio was somewhat modeled after the opera. Their similarities include the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
Belshazzar's FeastBelshazzar's Feast is an oratorio by the English composer William Walton. It was first performed at the Leeds Festival on 8 October 1931. The work has remained one of Walton's most celebrated compositions and one of the most popular works in the English choral repertoire...
a version of the opening section is set to music, as if sung by the Israelite captives in Babylon.
- An English setting ("By the Rivers of Babylon") by David Amram
David Amram is an American composer, musician, conductor, and writer. As a classical composer and virtuoso performer, his integration of jazz , ethnic and folk music has led him to work with the likes of Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Willie Nelson, Charles Mingus, Leonard Bernstein,...
(b. 1930), SSAA (S-Soprano).
- It was set, as On the Willows, in the Steven Schwartz (b. 1948) Broadway musical Godspell
Godspell is a 1970 musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since...
.
- Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of The Melodians
The Melodians were formed in the Greenwich Town area of Kingston, Jamaica in 1965, by Tony Brevett , Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton...
wrote Rivers of Babylon"Rivers of Babylon" is a song written and recorded by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of The Melodians in 1972, and popularized mainly by the 1978 Boney M. cover version...
, a version of the psalm set to the music of Jamaica and well known through its rendition by Boney MBoney M. is a pop and disco group created by record producer Frank Farian. Originally based in West Germany, the four original members of the group's official lineup were Bobby Farrell , Liz Mitchell , Marcia Barrett and Maizie Williams .- History :Frank Farian , German schlager singer, wasn't...
in the 1970s. In 1992, the rock/reggae group SublimeSublime is an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California. Originally formed in 1986, Sublime consisted of Bradley Nowell , Bud Gaugh , and Eric Wilson . Lou Dog, Nowell's dalmatian, was the mascot of the band. Sublime achieved mainstream success with their self-titled third album...
released a live cover of the song on their 40 oz. to Freedom40oz. to Freedom is the 1992 debut album by the Southern California ska-punk band Sublime. 40oz. to Freedom received mixed critical reviews upon its first release, but is now generally approved as a sincere record, with many spots of brilliance and ingenuity...
album.
- Psalm 137:5-6 is the basis for the chorus of Matisyahu
Matthew Paul Miller , better known by his Hebrew name Matisyahu, is an American Hasidic Jewish reggae musician.Known for blending traditional Jewish themes with Reggae, rock and hip hop sounds, Matisyahu is most recognizable for his single "King Without a Crown", which was a surprise Top 40 hit...
's single Jerusalem.
- The first verse was also used for Don McLean
Donald McLean, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for his 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent"....
's song 'Babylon' on his 1971 album American PieAmerican Pie is the title of a 1971 music album by Don McLean, best known for its title track about The Day the Music Died. The third track, "Vincent," is a tribute to the famed artist Vincent Van Gogh....
Literature
- The title of William Faulkner
William Faulkner was a Nobel Prize-winning American author. One of the most influential writers of the 20th century, his reputation is based on his novels, novellas and short stories. He was also a published poet and an occasional screenwriter.Most of Faulkner's works are set in his native state...
's If I Forget Thee Jerusalem (1939)
- The Portuguese 16th century poet Luís de Camões
Luís Vaz de Camões is considered Portugal's greatest poet. His mastery of verse has been compared to that of Shakespeare, Homer, Virgil, and Dante. He wrote a considerable amount of lyrical poetry and drama but is best remembered for his epic work Os Lusíadas...
's Sobre os Rios que Vão is based on Psalm 137.
The
incipitThe incipit of a text, such as a poem, song, or book, is its first few words or opening line. In music it can also refer to the opening notes of a composition. Before the development of titles, texts were often referred to by their incipits. Incipit comes from the Latin for "it begins"...
has been referenced in numerous works, including:
- In the third stanza, The Fire Sermon, of T. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns Eliot, OM , was a poet, playwright, and literary critic. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948. Among his most famous writings are The Love Song of J...
's 1922 poem The Waste LandThe Waste Land[A] is a 434 line[B] modernist poem by T. S. Eliot published in 1922...
line 182 is: 'By the waters of Leman I sat down and wept...'. Leman is both the French for Lake GenevaLake Geneva or Lake Léman is the largest natural freshwater lake in western Europe . In addition it is the largest body of freshwater in continental Europe in term of volume . 60% of it comes under the jurisdiction of Switzerland , and 40% under France...
and an archaic word for "mistressMistress is an old form of address for a woman. It implies "lady of the house", especially a woman who is head of a household.An example is Mistress Quickly in Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor. The title did not necessarily distinguish between married and unmarried women.The title Mrs. is...
".
- By the Waters of Babylon
"By the Waters of Babylon" is a post-apocalyptic short story by Stephen Vincent Benét first published July 31, 1937, in The Saturday Evening Post as "The Place of the Gods"...
, 1937 short story by Stephen Vincent BenétStephen Vincent Benét was an American author, poet, short story writer, and novelist. Benét is best known for his book-length narrative poem of the American Civil War, John Brown's Body , for which he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1929, and for two short stories, "The Devil and Daniel Webster" and "By...
.
- By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept
By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept is a novel of prose poetry written by the Canadian author Elizabeth Smart and published in 1945. It is widely considered to be a classic of the genre....
, 1945 prose poem by Elizabeth SmartElizabeth Smart was a Canadian poet and novelist. Her book, By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept, detailed her romance with the poet George Barker...
.
- By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept
By the River Piedra I sat Down and Wept is one of Paulo Coelho's most prominent titles. This is the first part in Coelho's trilogy "On the Seventh Day". The other two parts are Veronika Decides to Die and The Devil and Miss Prym...
, 1994 novel by Paulo CoelhoPaulo Coelho is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist.- Biography :Paulo Coelho was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He attended a Jesuit school. As a teenager, Coelho wanted to become a writer. Upon telling his mother this, she responded with "My dear, your father is an engineer. He's a logical,...
.
Historical instances of use
- Pope Gregory X
Pope Blessed Gregory X , born Tebaldo Visconti, was Pope from 1271 to 1276. He was elected by the papal election, 1268–1271, the longest papal election in the history of the Roman Catholic Church....
quoted Psalm 137 ("If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning") before departing the CrusadesThe Crusades were a series of religiously-sanctioned military campaigns waged by much of Latin Christian Europe, particularly the Franks of France and the Holy Roman Empire. The specific crusades to restore Christian control of the Holy Land were fought over a period of nearly 200 years, between...
upon his election by the papal conclave, 1268-1271.
External links