Lamentations 5
1 Remember, O Lord, what has happened to us: behold, and look on our reproach.
Lord, haue thou mynde what bifelle to vs; se thou, and biholde oure schenschipe.
2 Our inheritance has been turned away to aliens, our houses to strangers:
Oure eritage is turned to aliens, oure housis ben turned to straungers.
3 we are become orphans, we have no father, our mothers are as widows.
We ben maad fadirles children with out fadir; oure modris ben as widewis.
4 We have drunk our water for money; our wood is sold to us [for a burden] on our neck:
We drunken oure watir for monei, we bouyten oure trees for siluer.
5 we have been persecuted, we have laboured, we have had no rest.
We weren dryuun bi oure heedis, and reste was not youun to feynt men.
6 Egypt gave the hand [to us], Assur to their own satisfaction.
We yauen hond to Egipt, and to Assiriens, that we schulden be fillid with breed.
7 Our fathers sinned, [and] are not: we have borne their iniquities.
Oure fadris synneden, and ben not, and we baren the wickidnessis of hem.
8 Servants have ruled over us: there is none to ransom [us] out of their hand.
Seruauntis weren lordis of vs, and noon was, that ayenbouyte fro the hond of hem.
9 We shall bring in our bread with [danger of] our lives, because of the sword of the wilderness.
In oure lyues we brouyten breed to vs, fro the face of swerd in desert.
10 Our skin is blackened like an oven; they are convulsed, because of the storms of famine.
Oure skynne is brent as a furneis, of the face of tempestis of hungur.
11 They humbled the women in Sion, the virgins in the cities of Juda.
Thei maden low wymmen in Sion, and virgyns in the citees of Juda.
12 Princes were hanged up by their hands: the elders were not honoured.
Princes weren hangid bi the hond; thei weren not aschamed of the faces of elde men.
13 The chosen men lifted up [the voice in] weeping, and the youths fainted under the wood.
Thei mysusiden yonge wexynge men vnchastli, and children fellen doun in tree.
14 And the elders ceased from the gate, the chosen men ceased from their music.
Elde men failiden fro yatis; yonge men failiden of the queer of singeris.
15 The joy of our heart has ceased; our dance is turned into mourning.
The ioie of oure herte failide; oure song is turned in to mourenyng.
16 The crown has fallen [from] our head: yes, woe to us! for we have sinned.
The coroun of oure heed fellen doun; wo to vs! for we synneden.
17 For this has grief come; our heart is sorrowful: for this our eyes are darkened.
Therfor oure herte is maad soreuful, therfor oure iyen ben maad derk.
18 Over the mountain of Sion, because it is made desolate, foxes have walked therein.
For the hil of Sion, for it perischide; foxis yeden in it.
19 But you, O Lord, shall dwell for ever; your throne [shall endure] to generation and generation.
But thou, Lord, schal dwelle with outen ende; thi seete schal dwelle in generacioun and in to generacioun.
20 Therefore will you utterly forget us, and abandon us a long time?
Whi schalt thou foryete vs with outen ende, schalt thou forsake vs in to lengthe of daies?
21 Turn us, O Lord, to you, and we shall be turned; and renew our days as before.
Lord, conuerte thou vs to thee, and we schal be conuertid; make thou newe oure daies, as at the bigynnyng.
22 For you have indeed rejected us; you have been very angry against us.
But thou castynge awei hast cast awei vs; thou art wrooth ayens vs greetli.
