Lamentations 5

1 Lord, haue thou mynde what bifelle to vs; se thou, and biholde oure schenschipe.

2 Oure eritage is turned to aliens, oure housis ben turned to straungers.

3 We ben maad fadirles children with out fadir; oure modris ben as widewis.

4 We drunken oure watir for monei, we bouyten oure trees for siluer.

5 We weren dryuun bi oure heedis, and reste was not youun to feynt men.

6 We yauen hond to Egipt, and to Assiriens, that we schulden be fillid with breed.

7 Oure fadris synneden, and ben not, and we baren the wickidnessis of hem.

8 Seruauntis weren lordis of vs, and noon was, that ayenbouyte fro the hond of hem.

9 In oure lyues we brouyten breed to vs, fro the face of swerd in desert.

10 Oure skynne is brent as a furneis, of the face of tempestis of hungur.

11 Thei maden low wymmen in Sion, and virgyns in the citees of Juda.

12 Princes weren hangid bi the hond; thei weren not aschamed of the faces of elde men.

13 Thei mysusiden yonge wexynge men vnchastli, and children fellen doun in tree.

14 Elde men failiden fro yatis; yonge men failiden of the queer of singeris.

15 The ioie of oure herte failide; oure song is turned in to mourenyng.

16 The coroun of oure heed fellen doun; wo to vs! for we synneden.

17 Therfor oure herte is maad soreuful, therfor oure iyen ben maad derk.

18 For the hil of Sion, for it perischide; foxis yeden in it.

19 But thou, Lord, schal dwelle with outen ende; thi seete schal dwelle in generacioun and in to generacioun.

20 Whi schalt thou foryete vs with outen ende, schalt thou forsake vs in to lengthe of daies?

21 Lord, conuerte thou vs to thee, and we schal be conuertid; make thou newe oure daies, as at the bigynnyng.

22 But thou castynge awei hast cast awei vs; thou art wrooth ayens vs greetli.