Lamentations 5
1 Remember, O Lord, what hath occurred to us, look down, and behold our disgrace.
Lord, haue thou mynde what bifelle to vs; se thou, and biholde oure schenschipe.
2 Our inheritance is turned over to strangers, our houses to aliens.
Oure eritage is turned to aliens, oure housis ben turned to straungers.
3 Orphans are we become, and [we are] without a father, our mothers are like widows.
We ben maad fadirles children with out fadir; oure modris ben as widewis.
4 Our water have we drunk for money: our wood cometh to us for a purchase price.
We drunken oure watir for monei, we bouyten oure trees for siluer.
5 Up to our necks are we pursued: we are fatigued, and no rest is allowed us.
We weren dryuun bi oure heedis, and reste was not youun to feynt men.
6 To Egypt do we stretch out our hand, to Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.
We yauen hond to Egipt, and to Assiriens, that we schulden be fillid with breed.
7 Our fathers have sinned, and are no more; but we have indeed to bear their iniquities.
Oure fadris synneden, and ben not, and we baren the wickidnessis of hem.
8 Servants rule over us: no one delivereth us out of their hand.
Seruauntis weren lordis of vs, and noon was, that ayenbouyte fro the hond of hem.
9 At the peril of our life must we bring home our bread, 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 gloweth like an oven, because of the heat of famine.
Oure skynne is brent as a furneis, of the face of tempestis of hungur.
11 Women have they ravished in Zion, virgins, in the cities of Judah.
Thei maden low wymmen in Sion, and virgyns in the citees of Juda.
12 Princes were hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honored.
Princes weren hangid bi the hond; thei weren not aschamed of the faces of elde men.
13 Young men they bore to the mill, and boys stumbled under the wood.
Thei mysusiden yonge wexynge men vnchastli, and children fellen doun in tree.
14 The elders have ceased from the gate, young men, from their singing.
Elde men failiden fro yatis; yonge men failiden of the queer of singeris.
15 Ceased hath the joy of our heart: our dance is changed into mourning.
The ioie of oure herte failide; oure song is turned in to mourenyng.
16 Fallen is the crown of our head: woe to us, for we have sinned.
The coroun of oure heed fellen doun; wo to vs! for we synneden.
17 Because of this is our heart made sick; for these things are our eyes dimmed;
Therfor oure herte is maad soreuful, therfor oure iyen ben maad derk.
18 Because of the mount of Zion which is wasted, foxes walk about on it.
For the hil of Sion, for it perischide; foxis yeden in it.
19 O thou, Lord, wilt truly abide for ever, thy throne existeth throughout all generations.
But thou, Lord, schal dwelle with outen ende; thi seete schal dwelle in generacioun and in to generacioun.
20 Wherefore wilt thou forget us for ever! wilt thou forsake us for so long a time?
Whi schalt thou foryete vs with outen ende, schalt thou forsake vs in to lengthe of daies?
21 Cause us to return, O Lord, unto thee, and we will return: renew our days as of old.
Lord, conuerte thou vs to thee, and we schal be conuertid; make thou newe oure daies, as at the bigynnyng.
22 For wouldst thou entirely reject us, be wroth with us to the uttermost?
But thou castynge awei hast cast awei vs; thou art wrooth ayens vs greetli.
