Lamentationes 3
1 ALEPH. Ego vir videns paupertatem meam in virga indignationis eius.
I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of God’s wrath.
2 ALEPH. Me minavit, et adduxit in tenebras, et non in lucem.
He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness instead of light.
3 ALEPH. Tantum in me vertit, et convertit manum suam tota die.
Indeed, He keeps turning His hand against me all day long.
4 BETH. Vetustam fecit pellem meam, et carnem meam, contrivit ossa mea.
He has worn away my flesh and skin; He has shattered my bones.
5 BETH. Aedificavit in gyro meo, et circumdedit me felle, et labore.
He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
6 BETH. In tenebrosis collocavit me, quasi mortuos sempiternos.
He has made me dwell in darkness like those dead for ages.
7 GHIMEL. Circumaedificavit adversum me, ut non egrediar: aggravavit compedem meum.
He has walled me in so I cannot escape; He has weighed me down with chains.
8 GHIMEL. Sed et cum clamavero, et rogavero, exclusit orationem meam.
Even when I cry out and plead for help, He shuts out my prayer.
9 GHIMEL. Conclusit vias meas lapidibus quadris, semitas meas subvertit.
He has barred my ways with cut stones; He has made my paths crooked.
10 DALETH. Ursus insidians factus est mihi: leo in absconditis.
He is a bear lying in wait, a lion hiding in ambush.
11 DALETH. Semitas meas subvertit, et confregit me: posuit me desolatam.
He forced me off my path and tore me to pieces; He left me without help.
12 DALETH. Tetendit arcum suum, et posuit me quasi signum ad sagittam.
He bent His bow and set me as the target for His arrow.
13 HE. Misit in renibus meis filias pharetrae suae.
He pierced my kidneys with His arrows.
14 HE. Factus sum in derisum omni populo meo, canticum eorum tota die.
I am a laughingstock to all my people; they mock me in song all day long.
15 HE. Replevit me amaritudinibus, inebriavit me absynthio.
He has filled me with bitterness; He has intoxicated me with wormwood.
16 VAU. Et fregit ad numerum dentes meos, cibavit me cinere.
He has ground my teeth with gravel and trampled me in the dust.
17 VAU. Et repulsa est a pace anima mea, oblitus sum bonorum.
My soul has been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18 VAU. Et dixi: Periit finis meus, et spes mea a Domino.
So I say, “My strength has perished, along with my hope from the LORD.”
19 ZAIN. Recordare paupertatis, et transgressionis meae, absinthii, et fellis.
Remember my affliction and wandering, the wormwood and the gall.
20 ZAIN. Memoria memor ero, et tabescet in me anima mea.
Surely my soul remembers and is humbled within me.
21 ZAIN. Haec recolens in corde meo, ideo sperabo.
Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope:
22 HETH. Misericordiae Domini quia non sumus consumpti: quia non defecerunt miserationes eius.
Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail.
23 HETH. Novi diluculo, multa est fides tua.
They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!
24 HETH. Pars mea Dominus, dixit anima mea: propterea expectabo eum.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”
25 TETH. Bonus est Dominus sperantibus in eum, animae quaerenti illum.
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
26 TETH. Bonum est praestolari cum silentio salutare Dei.
It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
27 TETH. Bonum est viro, cum portaverit iugum ab adolescentia sua.
It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is still young.
28 IOD. Sedebit solitarius, et tacebit: quia levavit se super se.
Let him sit alone in silence, for God has disciplined him.
29 IOD. Ponet in pulvere os suum, si forte sit spes.
Let him bury his face in the dust— perhaps there is still hope.
30 IOD. Dabit percutienti se maxillam, saturabitur opprobriis.
Let him offer his cheek to the one who would strike him; let him be filled with reproach.
31 CAPH. Quia non repellet in sempiternum Dominus.
For the Lord will not cast us off forever.
32 CAPH. Quia si abiecit, miserebitur secundum multitudinem misericordiarum suarum.
Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion.
33 CAPH. Non enim humiliavit ex corde suo, et abiecit filios hominum,
For He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.
34 LAMED. Ut conteret sub pedibus suis omnes vinctos terrae,
To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land,
35 LAMED. Ut declinaret iudicium viri in conspectu vultus Altissimi.
to deny a man justice before the Most High,
36 LAMED. Ut perverteret hominem in iudicio suo, Dominus ignoravit.
to subvert a man in his lawsuit— of these the Lord does not approve.
37 MEM. Quis est iste, qui dixit ut fieret, Domino non iubente?
Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it?
38 MEM. Ex ore Altissimi non egredientur nec mala nec bona?
Do not both adversity and good come from the mouth of the Most High?
39 MEM. Quid murmuravit homo vivens, vir pro peccatis suis?
Why should any mortal man complain, in view of his sins?
40 NUN. Scrutemur vias nostras, et quaeramus, et revertamur ad Dominum.
Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the LORD.
41 NUN. Levemus corda nostra cum manibus ad Dominum in caelos.
Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven:
42 NUN. Nos inique egimus, et ad iracundiam provocavimus: idcirco tu inexorabilis es.
“We have sinned and rebelled; You have not forgiven.”
43 SAMECH. Operuisti in furore, et percussisti nos: occidisti, nec pepercisti.
You have covered Yourself in anger and pursued us; You have killed without pity.
44 SAMECH. Opposuisti nubem tibi, ne transeat oratio.
You have covered Yourself with a cloud that no prayer can pass through.
45 SAMECH. Eradicationem, et abiectionem posuisti me in medio populorum.
You have made us scum and refuse among the nations.
46 PHE. Aperuerunt super nos os suum omnes inimici.
All our enemies open their mouths against us.
47 PHE. Formido, et laqueus facta est nobis vaticinatio, et contritio.
Panic and pitfall have come upon us— devastation and destruction.
48 PHE. Divisiones aquarum deduxit oculus meus, in contritione filiae populi mei.
Streams of tears flow from my eyes over the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 AIN. Oculus meus afflictus est, nec tacuit, eo quod non esset requies,
My eyes overflow unceasingly, without relief,
50 AIN. Donec respiceret et videret Dominus de caelis.
until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees.
51 AIN. Oculus meus depraedatus est animam meam in cunctis filiabus urbis meae.
My eyes bring grief to my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
52 SADE. Venatione ceperunt me quasi avem inimici mei gratis.
Without cause my enemies hunted me like a bird.
53 SADE. Lapsa est in lacum vita mea, et posuerunt lapidem super me.
They dropped me alive into a pit and cast stones upon me.
54 SADE. Inundaverunt aquae super caput meum: dixi: Perii.
The waters flowed over my head, and I thought I was going to die.
55 COPH. Invocavi nomen tuum Domine de lacu novissimo.
I called on Your name, O LORD, out of the depths of the Pit.
56 COPH. Vocem meam audisti: ne avertas aurem tuam a singultu meo, et clamoribus.
You heard my plea: “Do not ignore my cry for relief.”
57 COPH. Appropinquasti in die, quando invocavi te: dixisti: Ne timeas.
You drew near when I called on You; You said, “Do not be afraid.”
58 RES. Iudicasti Domine causam animae meae, redemptor vitae meae.
You defend my cause, O Lord; You redeem my life.
59 RES. Vidisti Domine iniquitatem illorum adversum me: iudica iudicium meum.
You have seen, O LORD, the wrong done to me; vindicate my cause!
60 RES. Vidisti omnem furorem, universas cogitationes eorum adversum me.
You have seen all their malice, all their plots against me.
61 SIN. Audisti opprobrium eorum Domine, omnes cogitationes eorum adversum me:
O LORD, You have heard their insults, all their plots against me—
62 SIN. Labia insurgentium mihi; et meditationes eorum adversum me tota die.
the slander and murmuring of my assailants against me all day long.
63 SIN. Sessionem eorum, et resurrectionem eorum vide, ego sum psalmus eorum.
When they sit and when they rise, see how they mock me in song.
64 THAU. Redes eis vicem Domine iuxta opera manuum suarum.
You will pay them back what they deserve, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
65 THAU. Dabis eis scutum cordis laborem tuum.
Put a veil of anguish over their hearts; may Your curse be upon them!
66 THAU. Persequeris in furore, et conteres eos sub caelis Domine.
You will pursue them in anger and exterminate them from under Your heavens, O LORD.
