Lamentations 4
1 ALEPH. O how the gold has become dulled, the finest color has been altered, the stones of the sanctuary have been scattered at the head of every street.
Aleph. How is gold maad derk, the beste colour is chaungid? the stonys of the seyntuarie ben scaterid in the heed of alle stretis.
2 BETH. The famous sons of Zion, and those clothed with the foremost gold: how they have become like earthen vessels, the work of the hands of a potter.
Beth. The noble sones of Sion, and clothid with the best gold, hou ben thei arettid in to erthene vessels, in to the werk of the hondis of a pottere?
3 GHIMEL. Yet even savages expose their breast and give milk to their young. But the daughter of my people is cruel, like the ostrich in the desert.
Gimel. But also lamyes maden nakid her tetis, yauen mylk to her whelpis; the douyter of my puple is cruel, as an ostrig in desert.
4 DALETH. The tongue of the infant adheres to his palate out of thirst. The little ones have asked for bread, and there was no one to break it for them.
Deleth. The tonge of the soukynge childe cleued to his palat in thirst; litle children axiden breed, and noon was that brak to hem.
5 HE. Those who were fed indulgently have passed away in the roads. Those who were nourished with saffron have welcomed filth.
He. Thei that eeten lustfuli, perischiden in weies; thei that weren nurschid in cradels, biclippiden toordis.
6 VAU. And the iniquity of the daughter of my people has been made greater than the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, and yet hands did not take captives in her.
Vau. And the wickidnesse of the douyter of my puple is maad more than the synne of men of Sodom, that was distried in a moment, and hondis token not therynne.
7 ZAIN. Her Nazirites were whiter than snow, shinier than milk, more ruddy than ancient ivory, more beautiful than sapphire.
Zai. Nazareis therof weren whitere than snow, schynyngere than mylk; rodier than elde yuer, fairere than safire.
8 HETH. Their face has been blacked more than coals, and they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has adhered to their bones; it dried out and became like wood.
Heth. The face of hem was maad blackere than coolis, and thei weren not knowun in stretis; the skyn cleuyde to her boonys, it driede, and was maad as a tre.
9 TETH. It was better for those slain by the sword, than for those put to death by famine. For these waste away, being consumed by the sterility of the land.
Teth. It was betere to men slayn with swerd, than to men slayn with hungur; for these men wexiden rotun, thei weren wastid of the bareynesse of erthe.
10 JOD. The hands of pitiable women have boiled their sons. They became their food in the grief of the daughter of my people.
Joth. The hondis of merciful wymmen sethiden her children; thei weren maad the metis of tho wymmen in the sorewe of the douyter of my puple.
11 CAPH. The Lord has completed his fury; he has poured out the wrath of his indignation. And he has kindled a fire in Zion, and it has devoured its foundations.
Caph. The Lord fillide his strong veniaunce, he schedde out the ire of his indignacioun; and the Lord kyndlide a fier in Sion, and it deuouride the foundementis therof.
12 LAMED. The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, did not believe that the adversary and the enemy would enter through the gates of Jerusalem.
Lamet. The kyngis of erthe, and alle dwelleris of the world bileueden not, that an aduersarie and enemy schulde entre bi the yatis of Jerusalem.
13 MEM. It is because of the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, who have shed the blood of the just in her midst.
Men. For the synnes of the profetis therof, and for wickidnessis of preestis therof, that schedden out the blood of iust men in the myddis therof.
14 NUN. They have wandered in the streets like the blind; they have been defiled with blood. And when they were not able, they held their garments.
Nun. Blynde men erryden in stretis, thei weren defoulid in blood; and whanne thei miyten not go, thei helden her hemmes.
15 SAMECH. “Go back, you polluted ones!” they cried out to them. “Go back, go away, do not touch!” Of course, they argued, and being removed, they said among the Gentiles, “He will no longer dwell among them.”
Samet. Thei crieden to hem, Departe awei, ye defoulide men, departe ye, go ye awei, nyle ye touche; forsothe thei chidden, and weren stirid; thei seiden among hethene men, God schal no more leie to, that he dwelle among hem.
16 PHE. The face of the Lord has divided them. He will no longer respect them. They were not ashamed before the faces of the priests, nor did they take pity on the elderly.
Ayn. The face of the Lord departide hem, he schal no more leie to, that he biholde hem; thei weren not aschamed of the faces of preestis, nether thei hadden merci on eld men.
17 AIN. While we were still standing, our eyes failed, expecting help for us in vain, when we looked attentively toward a nation that was not able to save.
Phe. The while we stoden yit, oure iyen failiden to oure veyn help; whanne we bihelden ententif to a folc, that myyte not saue vs.
18 SADE. Our footsteps have slipped on the paths of our own streets. Our end draws near. Our days have been completed, for our end has arrived.
Sade. Oure steppis weren slidir in the weie of oure stretis; oure ende neiyede, oure daies weren fillid, for oure ende cam.
19 COPH. Our persecutors have been swifter than the eagles of the sky. They have been pursuing us above the mountains; they have lain in wait for us in the desert.
Coph. Oure pursueris weren swiftere than the eglis of heuene; thei pursueden vs on hillis, thei settiden buschementis to vs in desert.
20 RES. The spirit of our mouth, Christ the Lord, has been captured by our sins; to him, we said, “In your shadow, we will live among the Gentiles.”
Res. The spirit of oure mouth, Crist the Lord, was takun in oure synnes; to whom we seiden, We schulen lyue in thi schadewe among hethene men.
21 SIN. Be glad and rejoice, O daughter of Edom, who dwells in the Land of Uz. The cup will also pass to you; you will be inebriated as well as naked.
Syn. Thou douyter of Edom, make ioye, and be glad, that dwellist in the lond of Hus; the cuppe schal come also to thee, thou schalt be maad drunkun, and schalt be maad bare.
22 THAU. Your iniquity has been completed, O daughter of Zion. He will no longer send you away to captivity. He has visited your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he has uncovered your sins.
Thau. Thou douyter of Sion, thi wickidnesse is fillid; he schal not adde more, that he make thee to passe ouer; thou douyter of Edom, he schal visite thi wickidnesse, he schal vnhile thi synnes.
