1 The `title of the hundrid and sixe and twentithe `salm. The song of greces of Salomon. `No but the Lord bilde the hous; thei that bilden it han trauelid in veyn. No but the Lord kepith the citee; he wakith in veyn that kepith it.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "When the Lord turned back the captivity of Sion, we became as those that are comforted" [Psalm 126:1]. He meant by this to say, we became joyful. When? "When the Lord turned back the captivity of Sion." What is Sion? Jerusalem, the same is also the eternal Sion. How is Sion eternal, how is Sion captive? In angels eternal, in men captive.
2 It is veyn to you to rise bifore the liyt; rise ye after that ye han sete, that eten the breed of sorewe. Whanne he schal yyue sleep to his loued; lo!
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Then was our mouth filled with joy, and our tongue with exultation" (ver. 2). That mouth, brethren, which we have in our body, how is it "filled with joy"? It useth not to be "filled," save with meat, or drink, or some such thing put into the mouth. Sometimes our mouth is filled; and it is more that we say to your holiness, when we have our mouth full, we cannot speak.
3 the eritage of the Lord `is sones, the mede is the fruyt of wombe.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Yea, the Lord has done great things for us already, whereof we rejoice" [Psalm 126:3]. Consider, my brethren, if Sion does not at present say this among the heathen, throughout the whole world; consider if men are not running unto the Church. In the whole world our redemption is received; Amen is answered.
4 As arowis ben in the hond of the miyti; so the sones of hem that ben schakun out.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Therefore, the devil and his angels, by turning from the light and warmth of charity and going over to pride and envy, were made numb as by an icy hardness. Therefore they are figuratively located in the north.
5 Blessid is the man, that hath fillid his desier of tho; he schal not be schent, whanne he schal speke to hise enemyes in the yate.
Basil of Caesarea · AD 379 "Blessed are they who weep, for they shall laugh." They, therefore, who spend the days of their life, which is already at its consummation and declining toward its setting, in weeping for their sins, these will be glad in that true morning that is approaching. "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy," of course, in the future.
Caesarius of Arles · AD 542 Let no one believe that he possesses any happiness or true joy in this world. Happiness can be prepared for, but it cannot be possessed here. Two times succeed each other in their own order, "a time to weep, and a time to laugh." Let no one deceive himself, brethren; there is no time to laugh in this world.
Bernard of Clairvaux · AD 1153 Whoever among you therefore, after those bitter and tearful beginnings of his conversion, rejoices that he has breathed again into hope and, lifted up on the wings of grace, has flown forth into a certain serenity of heavenly consolation; he indeed already reaps, receiving the temporal fruit of his tears; and he himself has seen God and has heard the voice of him who says: Give…