Sidney Psalms

The Sidney or Sidneian Psalms are a 16th-century Biblical paraphrase of the Psalms in English verse, the work of Philip and Mary Sidney, aristocratic siblings who were influential Elizabethan poets. The Psalms were published after Philip's death in 1586 and a copy was presented to Queen Elizabeth I of England in 1599. The translation was praised in the work of John Donne.

Psalm 1 is the first in the Sidney Psalter and was written by Philip Sidney in the late 16th century. This is a poetic adaptation of the psalm in the biblical Book of Psalms. The Sidney psalms differ from other psalm translations from the Renaissance period in their focus on aesthetics. Though some claim this detracts from true translation^[who?] they are still praised today for their creative poetic forms. Of the contemporaries, John Donne praised them as "The highest matter in the noblest form".

The first psalm sets up themes which recur through the Psalter:

The Book of Psalms, including the Sidney Psalter, is concerned with being righteous. Psalms 31 and 51 contain pious apologies which blame God (Psalm 22) and others (Psalm 109), when people are not completely sinless. There is a recurring theme of judgement to separate sinners from the righteous. This begins Psalm 1, where the wheat is literally sorted from the "chaff" – "the wicked, but like chaff".

"Not with the just, be their meetings placed". Examples of this recurrent theme include:

Psalm 11:

"on them: storms, brimstone, coals he rains:
that is their share assigned.
But so of happy other side."

Psalm 145: