{"slug": "by-babels-riverside-we-sat-in-tears", "title": "Remembrance of Church Priveleges", "first_line": "By Babel's riverside we sat in tears", "author_source": "The Psalter, 1912", "foot": "iambic", "meter": {"pattern": [10, 10, 10, 10], "doubled": false, "refrain": false, "alleluia": false, "irregular": false}, "psalm": 137, "topics": ["Psalms"], "scripture": ["Psalm 137"], "provenance": {"layer": "text", "source": "psalter-1912", "source_kind": "open_encoding", "encoding_origin": "hymnary.org (selection 380) via the Wayback Machine; cross-verified against two independently scanned printings (archive.org OCR)", "pd_basis": "pub_pre_1931", "pd_evidence": "The Psalter, United Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1912 \u2014 Psalm 137, selection 380. Imported by tools/psalter1912_import.py: word-bag attested by both scans; every line machine-scanned to the metre.", "pd_jurisdictions": {"US": true}}, "stanzas": {"1": {"syllabified": "By Ba -- bel's riv -- er -- side we sat in tears, Re -- mem -- b'ring Zi -- on's pride in for -- mer years, While on the weep -- ing wil -- lows there were hung The harps our grief had si -- lenced and un -- strung.", "prose": ["By Babel's riverside we sat in tears,", "Rememb'ring Zion's pride in former years,", "While on the weeping willows there were hung", "The harps our grief had silenced and unstrung."]}, "2": {"syllabified": "For they who led us there a cap -- tive throng Re -- quired that we pre -- pare for them a song; Yea, there our cap -- tives asked for mirth and praise, Re -- quired a song of Zi -- on's hap -- py days.", "prose": ["For they who led us there a captive throng", "Required that we prepare for them a song;", "Yea, there our captives asked for mirth and praise,", "Required a song of Zion's happy days."]}, "3": {"syllabified": "O how shall we thus sing at their com -- mand Songs of the Lord, our King, in this strange land? O Zi -- on, if I e'er for -- get thy woe, Let my right hand its skill no long -- er know.", "prose": ["O how shall we thus sing at their command", "Songs of the Lord, our King, in this strange land?", "O Zion, if I e'er forget thy woe,", "Let my right hand its skill no longer know."]}, "4": {"syllabified": "Yea, let my tongue, i pray, all si -- lent be, If I do not al -- way re -- mem -- ber thee; If I pre -- fer not thee, thought in thy grief, A -- bove all oth -- er joys my ver -- y chief.", "prose": ["Yea, let my tongue, i pray, all silent be,", "If I do not alway remember thee;", "If I prefer not thee, thought in thy grief,", "Above all other joys my very chief."]}}, "license": "The hymn texts and tunes are in the public domain; per-layer provenance is recorded on each record."}