Psalms 89

Here's another long rehearsal of the promises to David (20-38) and one of the great laments (39-52). And it is the end of Book 3 of the Psalms, so verse 53 is a doxology. (And it was, even with all my tools, difficult to write, and so is also difficult to read. A book on the prosody of the Psalms without the benefit of good performances would be painful! No performance available for these versions of Psalms 89 or 78.) No comments on recurrence here, but it is still a factor. Kindness occurs 7 times. You can search for the others. There is no substitute for the work of reading. Note the sandwich structure of the pronouns (you/your, I/my, you/your).

thlim p't	Psalms 89	Fn	Min	Max	Syll
a mwcil laitn hazrki	1 An insight. Of Ethan the Ezrahite.	g	3e	3f	9
b ksdi ihvh yolm awirh ldor vdor aodiy amuntç bpi	2 Of the kindness of Yahweh forever I will sing. From generation to generation I will make known your faithfulness with my mouth.		3e	4B	9 13
g ci-amrti yolm ksd iibnh wmiim tcin amuntç bhm	3 for I said, Kindness ever builds. Heavens you will establish. Your faithfulness is in them.		3e	4B	10 10
d crti brit lbkiri nwbyti ldvid ybdi	4 I have cut a covenant with my chosen. I have sworn to David my servant.		3e	4B	8 8
h yd-yolm acin zryç ubniti ldor-vdor cisaç slh	5 For evermore I will establish your seed, and I will build up your throne from generation to generation. Selah.		3e	4B	8 13
v viodu wmiim plaç ihvh af-amuntç bqhl qdowim	6 Let the heavens give thanks for your wonders, Yahweh, also your faithfulness in the congregation of holy ones.		3e	4C	10 10
z ci mi bwkq iyroç lihvh idmh lihvh bbni alim	7 For who in the sky will compare with Yahweh? Who has the likeness of Yahweh among the children of God?	C	3f	4C	10 8
k al nyrx bsod-qdowim rbh vnora yl-cl-sbibiv	8 God is ruthless in the plenary council of the holy ones, and feared above all around him.	B	3e	4B	11 8
't ihvh alohi xbaot mi-cmoç ksin ih vamuntç sbibotiç	9 Yahweh God of hosts, who is like you, Yah invincible, and your faithfulness all around you?		3e	4C	14 10
i ath mowl bgaut him bwoa gliv ath twbkm	10 You yourself govern over the pride of the sea. When its waves gloat, you yourself soothe them.		3e	4B	9 9
ia ath dicit ckll rhb bzroy yuzç pizrt aoibiç	11 You yourself crushed Rahab to contrition as one who is profaned. With the arm of your strength you have scattered your enemies.		3e	4C	10 11
ib lç wmiim af-lç arx tbl umloah ath isdtm	12 Yours heavens, yours also is earth. World and its fullness, you yourself founded them.		3e	4B	9 10
ig xpon vimin ath bratm tbor vkrmon bwmç irnnu	13 North and south, you yourself created them. Tabor and Hermon in your name will shout for joy.		3e	4B	10 12
id lç zroy ym-gburh tyoz idç trum iminç	14 Yours is an arm with valour. Strong is your hand, exalted your right hand.		3e	4B	9 10
'tv xdq umwp't mcon cisaç ksd vamt iqdmu pniç	15 Righteousness and judgment are the stability of your throne. Kindness and truth go before your face.	B	3e	4B	10 11
'tz awri hym iodyi truyh ihvh baor-pniç ihlcun	16 Happy the people knowing jubilation. Yahweh, in the light of your face they will walk.		3e	4B	9 11
iz bwmç igilun cl-hiom ubxdqtç irumu	17 In your name they will rejoice all the day long, and in your righteousness they will be exalted.	g	3e	4B	9 7
ik ci-tpart yuzmo ath ubrxonç trum qrninu	18 For the adornment of their strength is you yourself, and in your acceptance our horn will be exalted.		3e	4B	9 9
i't ci lihvh mginnu vlqdow iwral mlcnu	19 For of Yahweh is our shield, and the Holy One of Israel our king.	B	3e	4B	7 9
c az dibrt bkzon lksidiç vtamr wivviti yzr yl-gibor hrimoti bkur mym	20 Then you spoke in a vision to one under your mercy and said, I have agreed to help with one who prevails. I have exalted a chosen from the people.	C	3e	4C	23 8
ca mxati dvid ybdi bwmn qodwi mwktiv	21 I have found David my servant. With the oil of my holiness I have anointed him.	g	3e	4B	7 8
cb awr idi ticon yimo af-zroyi tamxnu	22 That my hand will be established with him, also my arm will assure him.		3e	4B	8 8
cg la-iwia aoib bo ubn-yvvlh la iynnu	23 An enemy will not have a claim on him. And a child of injustice will not answer him.		3e	4B	5 9
cd vctoti mpniv xriv umwnaiv agof	24 And I have beaten his foes before his face, and those hating him I will plague.		3e	4B	9 5
ch vamunti vksdi yimo ubwmi trum qrno	25 And my faithfulness and my kindness are with him, and in my name his horn will be exalted.		3e	4B	10 7
cv vwmti bim ido ubnhrot imino	26 And I have set up his hand in the sea, and in the rivers his right hand.		3e	4B	7 7
cz hua iqrani abi ath ali vxur iwuyti	27 He will call to me, You are my father, my God and the rock of my salvation.	B	3e	4B	9 8
ck af-ani bcor atnhu ylion lmlci-arx	28 I myself will also make him firstborn, on high to the kings of earth.		3e	4B	8 6
c't lyolm awmor-lo ksdi ubriti namnt lo	29 Forever I will keep my kindness with him, and my covenant will be his amen.	g	3e	4B	8 8
l vwmti lyd zryo vcisao cimi wmiim	30 And I have set up his seed for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.		3e	4B	7 8
la am-iyzbu bniv torti ubmwp'tii la ilcun	31 If his children forsake my instruction, or fail to walk in my judgment,		3e	4B	9 8
lb am-kuqotii ikllu umxvotii la iwmoru	32 If they profane my statutes, or fail to keep my commandments,		3e	4B	8 8
lg upqdti bwb't pwym ubngyim yvonm	33 then I will visit their transgression with the sceptre, and with touches their iniquity.		3e	4B	9 7
ld vksdi la-apir myimo vla-awqr bamunti	34 But my kindness will not be frustrated in him, and will not be proven false in my faithfulness.	g	3e	4B	8 9
lh la-akll briti umoxa wptii la awnh	35 I will not profane my covenant, and what emerges from my lips I will not feign.		3e	4B	6 10
lv akt nwbyti bqodwi am-ldvid aczb	36 Once I have sworn in my holiness, would I lie to David?	g	3e	4B	8 7
lz zryo lyolm ihih vcisao cwmw ngdi	37 His seed will be forever, and his throne as the sun before me.	g	3e	4B	7 8
lk cirk iicon yolm vyd bwkq namn slh	38 As the moon it will be established forever, a witness as faithful as the sky. Selah.	g	3e	4B	8 10
l't vath znkt vtmas htybrt ym-mwikç	39 But you yourself have rejected and refused. You have passed through with your anointed.		3e	4B	9 9
m niart brit ybdç killt larx nzro	40 You have nullified the covenant of your servant. You have profaned his consecration to the earth.	g	3e	4B	8 8
ma prxt cl-gdrotiv wmt mbxriv mkith	41 You have breached all his fences. You have set up his enclosures in disarray.		3e	4B	8 8
mb wsuhu cl-yobri drç hih krph lwcniv	42 All passing by his way plunder him. He becomes a reproach to his neighbours.	g	3e	4B	8 7
mg hrimot imin xriv hwmkt cl-aoibiv	43 You have exalted the right hand of his foes. You make glad all his enemies.	g	3e	4B	8 6
md af-twib xur krbo vla hqmoto bmlkmh	44 You will also turn the point of his sword, and not let him arise in the battle.		3e	4B	6 10
mh hwbt m'thro vcisao larx migrt	45 You have made his lustre cease, and his throne to earth you have heaved.		3e	4A	6 9
mv hqxrt imi ylumiv hy'tit yliv buwh slh	46 You have harvested the days of his youthful vigour, You have wrapped him in shame. Selah.	g	3e	4B	8 10
mz yd-mh ihvh tistr lnxk tbyr cmo-aw kmtç	47 How long, Yahweh, will you hide? in perpetuity? will you kindle like fire your heat?		3e	4B	10 9
mk zcor-ani mh-kld yl-mh-wva brat cl-bni-adm	48 Remember how transient I am, to what vanity you created all the children of humanity.		3e	4A	7 10
m't mi gbr ikih vla irah-mvvt iml't npwo mid-waol slh	49 How will valour live and not see death? Will he escape from the hand of the grave? Selah.	C	3e	4C	11 11
n aih ksdiç hrawonim adonii nwbyt ldvid bamuntç	50 Where are your former kindnesses, my Lord, the ones that you swore to David in your faithfulness?		3e	4C	13 12
na zcor adonii krpt ybdiç wati bkiqi cl-rbim ymim	51 Remember, my Lord, the reproach of your servants, that I bear in my embrace all of a multitude of peoples,		3e	4B	11 11
nb awr kirpu aoibiç ihvh awr kirpu yiqbot mwikç	52 that your enemies Yahweh have reproached, that they have reproached the footsteps of your anointed.		3e	4C	9 10
ng bruç ihvh lyolm amn vamn	53 Bless Yahweh forever amen and amen.		3e	3g	12

Tate has strophic boundaries 1-8, 9-15, 16-19, 20-38, 39-46, 47-49, 50-52.

My boundaries in my first cut were 1-9 (to include the first 4 of 7 repetitions of faithfulness), 10-19, 20-38, 39-53. Verse 53 naturally stands alone, but it is to be noted that amen is the same root as faithfulness, clearly a theme in this psalm. Verse 19 also stands somewhat by itself, shield, Holy One and Yahweh as king are unique to that verse in this psalm.

If you scan the psalm, you may note some similar shapes in the musical lines. The opening sequence e B g is frequent: verses 2, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 31, 39, 47, 51. e B A is the shape of verses 18, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 33. g B A is the shape of verses 17, 21, 29, 36, 37, 38, 40, 42, 43, 46. I find it curious that there are several contiguous verses in these lists. There may be a certain insistence in the tone of voice.

Four verses begin with B. Three with C, 11 with g, and verse 1 with f, showing a connection with the prior psalm 88. These are all listed with the text above. I have noted frequently that Psalms 96, the psalm appointed in the RCL for Christmas Day, has a strophe structure that is very clear when it is heard (or seen as in this PDF). Would these repeated shapes in Psalms 89 also be heard in a longer psalm and would there be performers who would by training be able to put these shapes across?

Verses 1 and 53 the incipit and the doxology for the entire book 3 are the only verses that are a single colon. All other verses are bicola with a rest on the subdominant, A.

In the Cathedrals today, one might have a change in the chant part way through to indicate a new set of strophes or a new tone. This could be done (as was demonstrated in Psalms 4) with mode variations even within the fixed nature of the deciphering key.