Lamentations 5
1 Lord, haue thou mynde what bifelle to vs; se thou, and biholde oure schenschipe.
Remember, LORD, what has come on us. Look, and see our disgrace.
2 Oure eritage is turned to aliens, oure housis ben turned to straungers.
Our inheritance is turned over to strangers, our houses to foreigners.
3 We ben maad fadirles children with out fadir; oure modris ben as widewis.
We are orphans and fatherless. Our mothers are like widows.
4 We drunken oure watir for monei, we bouyten oure trees for siluer.
We have to pay for a drink of water; our wood is sold to us.
5 We weren dryuun bi oure heedis, and reste was not youun to feynt men.
Our pursuers are on our necks; we are weary, and have no rest.
6 We yauen hond to Egipt, and to Assiriens, that we schulden be fillid with breed.
We have submitted to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians, to get enough bread.
7 Oure fadris synneden, and ben not, and we baren the wickidnessis of hem.
Our fathers sinned, and are no more; but we have borne their iniquities.
8 Seruauntis weren lordis of vs, and noon was, that ayenbouyte fro the hond of hem.
Servants rule over us: There is none to deliver us out of their hand.
9 In oure lyues we brouyten breed to vs, fro the face of swerd in desert.
We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness.
10 Oure skynne is brent as a furneis, of the face of tempestis of hungur.
Our skin is hot like an oven, because of the burning heat of famine.
11 Thei maden low wymmen in Sion, and virgyns in the citees of Juda.
They raped the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes weren hangid bi the hond; thei weren not aschamed of the faces of elde men.
Princes were hung by their hands; elders were shown no respect.
13 Thei mysusiden yonge wexynge men vnchastli, and children fellen doun in tree.
The young men grind at the mill; the boys stagger under loads of wood.
14 Elde men failiden fro yatis; yonge men failiden of the queer of singeris.
The elders have gone from the gate, the young men from their music.
15 The ioie of oure herte failide; oure song is turned in to mourenyng.
The joy of our heart has ceased; our dancing is turned into mourning.
16 The coroun of oure heed fellen doun; wo to vs! for we synneden.
The crown is fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned.
17 Therfor oure herte is maad soreuful, therfor oure iyen ben maad derk.
For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes grow dim.
18 For the hil of Sion, for it perischide; foxis yeden in it.
For the mountain of Zion, which is desolate; the foxes walk on it.
19 But thou, Lord, schal dwelle with outen ende; thi seete schal dwelle in generacioun and in to generacioun.
But you, LORD, abide forever; your throne is from generation to generation.
20 Whi schalt thou foryete vs with outen ende, schalt thou forsake vs in to lengthe of daies?
Why do you keep on forgetting us? Why do you forsake us so long?
21 Lord, conuerte thou vs to thee, and we schal be conuertid; make thou newe oure daies, as at the bigynnyng.
Restore us to you, LORD, and we shall be restored; renew our days as in former times,
22 But thou castynge awei hast cast awei vs; thou art wrooth ayens vs greetli.
unless you have completely rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.
