Ii Samuelis 1

1 Factum est autem, postquam mortuus est Saul, ut David reverteretur a cæde Amalec, et maneret in Siceleg duos dies.

Now it came to pass, after Saul was dead, that David returned from the slaughter of the Amalecites, and abode two days in Siceleg.

2 In die autem tertia apparuit homo veniens de castris Saul veste conscissa, et pulvere conspersus caput: et ut venit ad David, cecidit super faciem suam, et adoravit.

And on the third day, there appeared a man who came out of Saul’s camp, with his garments rent, and dust strewed on his head: and when he came to David, he fell upon his face, and adored.

3 Dixitque ad eum David: Unde venis? Qui ait ad eum: De castris Israël fugi.

And David said to him: From whence comest thou? And he said to him: I am fled out of the camp of Israel.

4 Et dixit ad eum David: Quod est verbum quod factum est? indica mihi. Qui ait: Fugit populus ex prælio, et multi corruentes e populo mortui sunt: sed et Saul et Jonathas filius ejus interierunt.

And David said unto him: What is the matter that is come to pass? tell me. He said: The people are fled from the battle, and many of the people are fallen and dead: moreover Saul and Jonathan his son are slain.

5 Dixitque David ad adolescentem qui nuntiabat ei: Unde scis quia mortuus est Saul, et Jonathas filius ejus?

And David said to the young man that told him: How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son, are dead?

6 Et ait adolescens qui nuntiabat ei: Casu veni in montem Gelboë, et Saul incumbebat super hastam suam: porro currus et equites appropinquabant ei,

And the young man that told him, said: I came by chance upon mount Gelboe, and Saul leaned upon his spear: and the chariots and horsemen drew nigh unto him,

7 et conversus post tergum suum, vidensque me, vocavit. Cui cum respondissem: Adsum:

And looking behind him, and seeing me, he called me. And I answered, Here am I.

8 dixit mihi: Quisnam es tu? Et aio ad eum: Amalecites ego sum.

And he said to me: Who art thou? And I said to him: I am an Amalecite.

9 Et locutus est mihi: Sta super me, et interfice me: quoniam tenent me angustiæ, et adhuc tota anima mea in me est.

And he said to me: Stand over me, and kill me: for anguish is come upon me, and as yet my whole life is in me.

10 Stansque super eum, occidi illum: sciebam enim quod vivere non poterat post ruinam: et tuli diadema quod erat in capite ejus, et armillam de brachio illius, et attuli ad te dominum meum huc.

So standing over him, I killed him: for I knew that he could not live after the fall: and I took the diadem that was on his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm and have brought them hither to thee, my lord.

11 Apprehendens autem David, vestimenta sua scidit, omnesque viri qui erant cum eo,

Then David took hold of his garments and rent them, and likewise all the men that were with him.

12 et planxerunt, et fleverunt, et jejunaverunt usque ad vesperam super Saul, et super Jonathan filium ejus, et super populum Domini, et super domum Israël, eo quod corruissent gladio.

And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until evening for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel, because they were fallen by the sword.

13 Dixitque David ad juvenem qui nuntiaverat ei: Unde es tu? Qui respondit: Filius hominis advenæ Amalecitæ ego sum.

And David said to the young man that told him: Whence art thou? He answered: I am the son of a stranger of Amalee.

14 Et ait ad eum David: Quare non timuisti mittere manum tuam ut occideres christum Domini?

David said to him: Why didst thou not fear to put out thy hand to kill the Lord’s anointed?

15 Vocansque David unum de pueris suis, ait: Accedens irrue in eum. Qui percussit illum, et mortuus est.

And David calling one of his servants, said: Go near and fall upon him. And he struck him so that he died.

16 Et ait ad eum David: Sanguis tuus super caput tuum: os enim tuum locutum est adversum te, dicens: Ego interfeci christum Domini.

And David said to him: Thy blood be upon thy own head: for thy own mouth hath spoken against thee, saying: I have slain the Lord’s anointed.

17 Planxit autem David planctum hujuscemodi super Saul, et super Jonathan filium ejus

And David made this kind of lamentation over Saul, and over Jonathan his son.

18 (et præcepit ut docerent filios Juda arcum, sicut scriptum est in libro justorum), et ait: Considera, Israël, pro his qui mortui sunt, super excelsa tua vulnerati.

(Also he commanded that they should teach the children of Juda the use of the bow, as it is written in the book of the just.) And he said: Consider, O Israel, for them that are dead, wounded on thy high places.

19 Inclyti Israël super montes tuos interfecti sunt: quomodo ceciderunt fortes?

The illustrious of Israel are slain upon thy mountains: how are the valiant fallen?

20 Nolite annuntiare in Geth, neque annuntietis in compitis Ascalonis: ne forte lætentur filiæ Philisthiim; ne exultent filiæ incircumcisorum.

Tell it not in Geth, publish it not in the streets of Ascalon: lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph,

21 Montes Gelboë, nec ros, nec pluvia veniant super vos, neque sint agri primitiarum: quia ibi abjectus est clypeus fortium: clypeus Saul, quasi non esset unctus oleo.

Ye mountains of Gelboe, let neither dew, nor rain come upon you, neither be they fields of firstfruits: for there was cast away the shield of the valiant, the shield of Saul as though he had not been anointed with oil.

22 A sanguine interfectorum, ab adipe fortium, sagitta Jonathæ numquam rediit retrorsum, et gladius Saul non est reversus inanis.

From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the valiant, the arrow of Jonathan never turned back, and the sword of Saul did not return empty.

23 Saul et Jonathas amabiles, et decori in vita sua, in morte quoque non sunt divisi: aquilis velociores, leonibus fortiores.

Saul and Jonathan, lovely, and comely in their life, even in death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.

24 Filiæ Israël, super Saul flete, qui vestiebat vos coccino in deliciis, qui præbebat ornamenta aurea cultui vestro.

Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you with scarlet in delights, who gave ornaments of gold for your attire.

25 Quomodo ceciderunt fortes in prælio? Jonathas in excelsis tuis occisus est?

How are the valiant fallen in battle? Jonathan slain in the high places?

26 Doleo super te, frater mi Jonatha, decore nimis, et amabilis super amorem mulierum. Sicut mater unicum amat filium suum, ita ego te diligebam.

I grieve for thee, my brother Jonathan: exceeding beautiful, and amiable to me above the love of women. As the mother loveth her only son, so did I love thee.

27 Quomodo ceciderunt robusti, et perierunt arma bellica?

How are the valiant fallen, and the weapons of war perished?