Job 3

1 Aftir these thingis Joob openyde his mouth,

Then, opening his mouth, and cursing the day of his birth,

2 and curside his dai, and seide, Perische the dai in which Y was borun,

Job made answer and said,

3 and the nyyt in which it was seid, The man is conceyued.

Let destruction take the day of my birth, and the night on which it was said, A man child has come into the world.

4 Thilke dai be turnede in to derknessis; God seke not it aboue, and be it not in mynde, nethir be it liytned with liyt.

That day — let it be dark; let not God take note of it from on high, and let not the light be shining on it;

5 Derknessis make it derk, and the schadewe of deeth and myist occupie it; and be it wlappid with bittirnesse.

Let the dark and the black night take it for themselves; let it be covered with a cloud; let the dark shades of day send fear on it.

6 Derk whirlwynde holde that niyt; be it not rikynyd among the daies of the yeer, nethir be it noumbrid among the monethes.

That night — let the thick dark take it; let it not have joy among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months.

7 Thilke nyyt be soleyn, and not worthi of preisyng.

As for that night, let it have no fruit; let no voice of joy be sounded in it;

8 Curse thei it, that cursen the dai, that ben redi to reise Leuyathan.

Let it be cursed by those who put a curse on the day; who are ready to make Leviathan awake.

9 Sterris be maad derk with the derknesse therof; abide it liyt, and se it not, nethir the bigynnyng of the morwetid risyng vp.

Let its morning stars be dark; let it be looking for light, but may it not have any; let it not see the eyes of the dawn.

10 For it closide not the doris of the wombe, that bar me, nethir took awei yuels fro min iyen.

Because it did not keep the doors of my mother's body shut, so that trouble might be veiled from my eyes.

11 Whi was not Y deed in the wombe? whi yede Y out of the wombe, and perischide not anoon?

Why did death not take me when I came out of my mother's body, why did I not, when I came out, give up my last breath?

12 Whi was Y takun on knees? whi was Y suclid with teetis?

Why did the knees take me, or why the breasts that they might give me milk?

13 For now Y slepynge schulde be stille, and schulde reste in my sleep,

For then I might have gone to my rest in quiet, and in sleep have been in peace,

14 with kyngis, and consuls of erthe, that bilden to hem soleyn places;

With kings and the wise ones of the earth, who put up great houses for themselves;

15 ethir with prynces that han gold in possessioun, and fillen her housis with siluer;

Or with rulers who had gold, and whose houses were full of silver;

16 ethir as a `thing hid not borun Y schulde not stonde, ethir whiche conseyued sien not liyt.

Or as a child dead at birth I might never have come into existence; like young children who have not seen the light.

17 There wickid men ceessiden of noise, and there men maad wery of strengthe restiden.

There the passions of the evil are over, and those whose strength has come to an end have rest.

18 And sum tyme boundun togidere with out disese thei herden not the voys of the wrongful axere.

There the prisoners are at peace together; the voice of the overseer comes not again to their ears.

19 A litil man and greet man be there, and a seruaunt free fro his lord.

The small and the great are there, and the servant is free from his master.

20 Whi is liyt youun to the wretche, and lijf to hem that ben in bitternesse of soule?

Why does he give light to him who is in trouble, and life to the bitter in soul;

21 Whiche abiden deeth, and it cometh not;

To those whose desire is for death, but it comes not; who are searching for it more than for secret wealth;

22 as men diggynge out tresour and ioien greetly, whanne thei han founde a sepulcre?

Who are glad with great joy, and full of delight when they come to their last resting-place;

23 Whi is liyt youun to a man, whos weie is hid, and God hath cumpassid hym with derknessis?

To a man whose way is veiled, and who is shut in by God?

24 Bifore that Y ete, Y siyhe; and as of watir flowynge, so is my roryng.

In place of my food I have grief, and cries of sorrow come from me like water.

25 For the drede, which Y dredde, cam to me; and that, that Y schamede, bifelde.

For I have a fear and it comes on me, and my heart is greatly troubled.

26 Whether Y dissymilide not? whether Y was not stille? whether Y restide not? and indignacioun cometh on me.

I have no peace, no quiet, and no rest; nothing but pain comes on me.