Latin Text Selections

Kevin Francis | OT: psalms and poetry | Monday, February 25th, 2008

Penitential Psalms	Psalm 31
The Latin: Beatus vir cui non imputavit Dominus peccatum, nec est in spiritu eius dolus. Quoniam tacui, inveteraverunt ossa mea, dum clamarem tota die. Quoniam die ac nocte gravata est super me manus tua, conversus sum in ærumna mea, dum configitur spina. Delictum meum cognitum tibi feci, et injustitiam meam non abscondi. Dixi: Confitebor adversum me iniustitiam meam Domino; et tu remisisti impietatem peccati mei.	The English: Blessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin, and in whose spirit there is no guile. Because I was silent my bones grew old; whilst I cried out all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: I am turned in my anguish, whilst the thorn is fastened. I have acknowledged my sin to thee, and my injustice I have not concealed. I said I will confess against myself my injustice to the Lord: and thou hast forgiven the wickedness of my sin.
The text is from Vulsearch and DRBO. tacui: the third form and past tense of the verb tacere (taceo, tacere, tacui, tacitus), meaning ‘to be silent’. in aerumna mea: this is a meaning of anguish I don’t remember seeing before, in the ablative contruction. configitur spina: a passive construction with the verb configere, meaning ‘fastened with nails’.