This edition was prepared by James Gibb — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
By the waters of Babylon
Staff Notation • Sacred, Anthems
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By the waters of Babylon by William Boyce — Lyrics
Psalmus David, Jeremiae. Super flumina Babylonis illic sedimus et flevimus, dum recordaremur Sion.
In salicibus in medio ejus suspendimus organa nostra:
quia illic interrogaverunt nos, qui captivos duxerunt nos, verba cantionum; et qui abduxerunt nos: Hymnum cantate nobis de canticis Sion.
Quomodo cantabimus canticum Domini in terra aliena?
Si oblitus fuero tui, Jerusalem, oblivioni detur dextera mea.
Adhaereat lingua mea faucibus meis, si non meminero tui; si non proposuero Jerusalem in principio laetitiae meae.
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About By the waters of Babylon
This setting of Psalm 137 (136 in the Vulgate) for SATB choir captures the poignant lament of the Israelites in exile. As they sit by the rivers of Babylon, they weep for their lost homeland, Zion. The text questions how they can sing the Lord's songs in a foreign land, vividly expressing their sorrow and longing. William Boyce’s anthem, likely intended for church services, masterfully conveys the emotional weight of this biblical passage. The work moves between the original Latin of the psalm and an English translation, reflecting the common practice of the era for anthems. It is a powerful expression of displacement and hope for remembrance.
