A Song of Ascents. By Solomon.
1Unless the Lord builds the house,
they who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchman guards it in vain.
2It is vain for you to rise up early,
to stay up late,
eating the bread of toil,
for He gives sleep to His loved ones.
3Behold, children are a heritage of the Lord.
The fruit of the womb is His reward.
4As arrows in the hand of a mighty man,
so are the children of youth.
5Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.
They won’t be disappointed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.
1Canticum graduum Salomonis. Nisi Dominus ædificaverit domum, in vanum laboraverunt qui ædificant eam. Nisi Dominus custodierit civitatem, frustra vigilat qui custodit eam. 2Vanum est vobis ante lucem surgere: surgite postquam sederitis, qui manducatis panem doloris. Cum dederit dilectis suis somnum, 3ecce hæreditas Domini, filii; merces, fructus ventris. 4Sicut sagittæ in manu potentis, ita filii excussorum. 5Beatus vir qui implevit desiderium suum ex ipsis: non confundetur cum loquetur inimicis suis in porta.