לַמְנַצֵּחַ מַשְׂכִּיל לִבְנֵי קֹרַח

For the chief musician, a contemplation, by the sons of Korah. An alternative translation is “for the sons of Korah,” meaning that the song was composed by someone else and given to them to sing.

כְּאַיָּל תַּעֲרֹג עַל אֲפִיקֵי מָיִם כֵּן נַפְשִׁי תַעֲרֹג אֵלֶיךָ אֱלֹהִים

As a deer longs for brooks of water, so my soul longs for You, God. The rare verb ta’arog, translated here as “longs,” can also refer to the craving sound made by a deer. In either case the sense is the same.

צָמְאָה נַפְשִׁי לֵאלֹהִים לְאֵל חָי מָתַי אָבוֹא וְאֵרָאֶה פְּנֵי אֱלֹהִים

My soul thirsts for God, the living God Almighty. When will I come to God’s Temple and appear before God’s countenance? The Torah refers to a visit to the House of God as “appearing before God’s countenance.”

הָיְתָה לִּי דִמְעָתִי לֶחֶם יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה בֶּאֱמֹר אֵלַי כָּל הַיּוֹם אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֶיך

The psalmist describes his feelings when he is distant from God’s Temple, or even in exile in a foreign land: My tears have been my bread, they are as common to me as my daily food, day and night, when they, my enemies, say to me all day long: Where is your God?

אֵלֶּה אֶזְכְּרָה וְאֶשְׁפְּכָה עָלַי נַפְשִׁי כִּי אֶעֱבֹר בַּסָּךְ אֶדַּדֵּם עַד בֵּית אֱלֹהִים בְּקוֹל רִנָּה וְתוֹדָה הָמוֹן חוֹגֵג

These things I remember, and pour out my soul: When I used to go with a throng of people in a procession to the House of God, a celebrating multitude with voice of song and thanksgiving.

מַה תִּשְׁתּוֹחֲחִי נַפְשִׁי וַתֶּהֱמִי עָלָי הוֹחִלִי לֵאלֹהִים כִּי עוֹד אוֹדֶנּוּ יְשׁוּעוֹת פָּנָיו

The psalmist returns to speaking of his feelings while in exile. Addressing himself, he asks: Why, my soul, are you stooped over, downcast? Why do you sigh for me? Have hope in God, for I will yet be saved by Him and thank Him for the salvation of His presence.

אֱלֹהַי עָלַי נַפְשִׁי תִשְׁתּוֹחָח עַל כֵּן אֶזְכָּרְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ יַרְדֵּן וְחֶרְמוֹנִים מֵהַר מִצְעָר

My God, my soul is stooped over, downcast; thus I recall You from the lands of Jordan and the Hermons, the territories where the sources of the Jordan River are located, near Mount Hermon, from Mount Mitzar, apparently a mountain in that northern area.

תְּהוֹם אֶל תְּהוֹם קוֹרֵא לְקוֹל צִנּוֹרֶיךָ כָּל מִשְׁבָּרֶיךָ וְגַלֶּיךָ עָלַי עָבָרוּ

Deep calls to deep, one body of abundant water calls to another, as it were, in the sound of Your waterways. For the psalmist, the sound of cascading water is evocative of sadness. All Your breakers and waves have passed over me, as if signifying my being overrun with torrents of troubles.

יוֹמָם יְצַוֶּה ה' חַסְדּוֹ וּבַלַּיְלָה שִׁירֹה עִמִּי תְּפִלָּה לְאֵל חַיָּי

The psalmist expresses his devotion and hope: The Lord commands His kindness to me by day, so that His song, the song of prayer that I sing to Him, remains with me by night, a prayer to the Almighty God of my life.

אוֹמְרָה לְאֵל סַלְעִי לָמָה שְׁכַחְתָּנִי לָמָּה קֹדֵר אֵלֵךְ בְּלַחַץ אוֹיֵב

In that prayer I will say to God Almighty, my rock: Why have You forgotten me? Why do I walk in gloom, oppressed by the enemy?

בְּרֶצַח בְּעַצְמוֹתַי חֵרְפוּנִי צוֹרְרָי בְּאָמְרָם אֵלַי כָּל הַיּוֹם אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֶיך

I feel murder in my bones, like actually being stabbed in my bones, as my foes ridicule me with their taunts, saying to me all day long: Where is your God? There is nothing more painful to me than this scornful question.

מַה תִּשְׁתּוֹחֲחִי נַפְשִׁי וּמַה תֶּהֱמִי עָלָי הוֹחִילִי לֵאלֹהִים כִּי עוֹד אוֹדֶנּוּ יְשׁוּעֹת פָּנַי וֵאלֹהָי

The psalmist again addresses his soul: Why, my soul, are you stooped over and downcast? Why do you sigh for me? Rather, have hope in God, for I will be saved by Him and thank Him again; I will thank Him, my salvation and my God, before He even redeems me, and again when He comes to my aid.