Lamentationes 3
1 ALEPH. Ego vir videns paupertatem meam in virga indignationis eius.
I am the man who has seen trouble by the rod of his wrath.
2 ALEPH. Me minavit, et adduxit in tenebras, et non in lucem.
By him I have been made to go in the dark where there is no light.
3 ALEPH. Tantum in me vertit, et convertit manum suam tota die.
Truly against me his hand has been turned again and again all the day.
4 BETH. Vetustam fecit pellem meam, et carnem meam, contrivit ossa mea.
My flesh and my skin have been used up by him and my bones broken.
5 BETH. Aedificavit in gyro meo, et circumdedit me felle, et labore.
He has put up a wall against me, shutting me in with bitter sorrow.
6 BETH. In tenebrosis collocavit me, quasi mortuos sempiternos.
He has kept me in dark places, like those who have been long dead.
7 GHIMEL. Circumaedificavit adversum me, ut non egrediar: aggravavit compedem meum.
He has put a wall round me, so that I am not able to go out; he has made great the weight of my chain.
8 GHIMEL. Sed et cum clamavero, et rogavero, exclusit orationem meam.
Even when I send up a cry for help, he keeps my prayer shut out.
9 GHIMEL. Conclusit vias meas lapidibus quadris, semitas meas subvertit.
He has put up a wall of cut stones about my ways, he has made my roads twisted.
10 DALETH. Ursus insidians factus est mihi: leo in absconditis.
He is like a bear waiting for me, like a lion in secret places.
11 DALETH. Semitas meas subvertit, et confregit me: posuit me desolatam.
By him my ways have been turned on one side and I have been pulled in bits; he has made me waste.
12 DALETH. Tetendit arcum suum, et posuit me quasi signum ad sagittam.
With his bow bent, he has made me the mark for his arrows.
13 HE. Misit in renibus meis filias pharetrae suae.
He has let loose his arrows into the inmost parts of my body.
14 HE. Factus sum in derisum omni populo meo, canticum eorum tota die.
I have become the sport of all the peoples; I am their song all the day.
15 HE. Replevit me amaritudinibus, inebriavit me absynthio.
He has made my life nothing but pain, he has given me the bitter root in full measure.
16 VAU. Et fregit ad numerum dentes meos, cibavit me cinere.
By him my teeth have been broken with crushed stones, and I am bent low in the dust.
17 VAU. Et repulsa est a pace anima mea, oblitus sum bonorum.
My soul is sent far away from peace, I have no more memory of good.
18 VAU. Et dixi: Periit finis meus, et spes mea a Domino.
And I said, My strength is cut off, and my hope from the Lord.
19 ZAIN. Recordare paupertatis, et transgressionis meae, absinthii, et fellis.
Keep in mind my trouble and my wandering, the bitter root and the poison.
20 ZAIN. Memoria memor ero, et tabescet in me anima mea.
My soul still keeps the memory of them; and is bent down in me.
21 ZAIN. Haec recolens in corde meo, ideo sperabo.
This I keep in mind, and because of this I have hope.
22 HETH. Misericordiae Domini quia non sumus consumpti: quia non defecerunt miserationes eius.
It is through the Lord's love that we have not come to destruction, because his mercies have no limit.
23 HETH. Novi diluculo, multa est fides tua.
They are new every morning; great is your good faith.
24 HETH. Pars mea Dominus, dixit anima mea: propterea expectabo eum.
I said to myself, The Lord is my heritage; and because of this I will have hope in him.
25 TETH. Bonus est Dominus sperantibus in eum, animae quaerenti illum.
The Lord is good to those who are waiting for him, to the soul which is looking for him.
26 TETH. Bonum est praestolari cum silentio salutare Dei.
It is good to go on hoping and quietly waiting for the salvation of the Lord.
27 TETH. Bonum est viro, cum portaverit iugum ab adolescentia sua.
It is good for a man to undergo the yoke when he is young.
28 IOD. Sedebit solitarius, et tacebit: quia levavit se super se.
Let him be seated by himself, saying nothing, because he has put it on him.
29 IOD. Ponet in pulvere os suum, si forte sit spes.
Let him put his mouth in the dust, if by chance there may be hope.
30 IOD. Dabit percutienti se maxillam, saturabitur opprobriis.
Let his face be turned to him who gives him blows; let him be full of shame.
31 CAPH. Quia non repellet in sempiternum Dominus.
For the Lord does not give a man up for ever.
32 CAPH. Quia si abiecit, miserebitur secundum multitudinem misericordiarum suarum.
For though he sends grief, still he will have pity in the full measure of his love.
33 CAPH. Non enim humiliavit ex corde suo, et abiecit filios hominum,
For he has no pleasure in troubling and causing grief to the children of men.
34 LAMED. Ut conteret sub pedibus suis omnes vinctos terrae,
In a man's crushing under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
35 LAMED. Ut declinaret iudicium viri in conspectu vultus Altissimi.
In his turning away the right of a man before the face of the Most High.
36 LAMED. Ut perverteret hominem in iudicio suo, Dominus ignoravit.
In his doing wrong to a man in his cause, the Lord has no pleasure.
37 MEM. Quis est iste, qui dixit ut fieret, Domino non iubente?
Who is able to say a thing, and give effect to it, if it has not been ordered by the Lord?
38 MEM. Ex ore Altissimi non egredientur nec mala nec bona?
Do not evil and good come from the mouth of the Most High?
39 MEM. Quid murmuravit homo vivens, vir pro peccatis suis?
What protest may a living man make, even a man about the punishment of his sin?
40 NUN. Scrutemur vias nostras, et quaeramus, et revertamur ad Dominum.
Let us make search and put our ways to the test, turning again to the Lord;
41 NUN. Levemus corda nostra cum manibus ad Dominum in caelos.
Lifting up our hearts with our hands to God in the heavens.
42 NUN. Nos inique egimus, et ad iracundiam provocavimus: idcirco tu inexorabilis es.
We have done wrong and gone against your law; we have not had your forgiveness.
43 SAMECH. Operuisti in furore, et percussisti nos: occidisti, nec pepercisti.
Covering yourself with wrath you have gone after us, cutting us off without pity;
44 SAMECH. Opposuisti nubem tibi, ne transeat oratio.
Covering yourself with a cloud, so that prayer may not get through.
45 SAMECH. Eradicationem, et abiectionem posuisti me in medio populorum.
You have made us like waste and that for which there is no use, among the peoples.
46 PHE. Aperuerunt super nos os suum omnes inimici.
The mouths of all our haters are open wide against us.
47 PHE. Formido, et laqueus facta est nobis vaticinatio, et contritio.
Fear and deep waters have come on us, wasting and destruction.
48 PHE. Divisiones aquarum deduxit oculus meus, in contritione filiae populi mei.
Rivers of water are running down from my eyes, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 AIN. Oculus meus afflictus est, nec tacuit, eo quod non esset requies,
My eyes are streaming without stopping, they have no rest,
50 AIN. Donec respiceret et videret Dominus de caelis.
Till the Lord's eye is turned on me, till he sees my trouble from heaven.
51 AIN. Oculus meus depraedatus est animam meam in cunctis filiabus urbis meae.
The Lord is unkind to my soul, more than all the daughters of my town.
52 SADE. Venatione ceperunt me quasi avem inimici mei gratis.
They who are against me without cause have gone hard after me as if I was a bird;
53 SADE. Lapsa est in lacum vita mea, et posuerunt lapidem super me.
They have put an end to my life in the prison, stoning me with stones.
54 SADE. Inundaverunt aquae super caput meum: dixi: Perii.
Waters were flowing over my head; I said, I am cut off.
55 COPH. Invocavi nomen tuum Domine de lacu novissimo.
I was making prayer to your name, O Lord, out of the lowest prison.
56 COPH. Vocem meam audisti: ne avertas aurem tuam a singultu meo, et clamoribus.
My voice came to you; let not your ear be shut to my breathing, to my cry.
57 COPH. Appropinquasti in die, quando invocavi te: dixisti: Ne timeas.
You came near in the day when I made my prayer to you: you said, Have no fear.
58 RES. Iudicasti Domine causam animae meae, redemptor vitae meae.
O Lord, you have taken up the cause of my soul, you have made my life safe.
59 RES. Vidisti Domine iniquitatem illorum adversum me: iudica iudicium meum.
O Lord, you have seen my wrong; be judge in my cause.
60 RES. Vidisti omnem furorem, universas cogitationes eorum adversum me.
You have seen all the evil rewards they have sent on me, and all their designs against me.
61 SIN. Audisti opprobrium eorum Domine, omnes cogitationes eorum adversum me:
Their bitter words have come to your ears, O Lord, and all their designs against me;
62 SIN. Labia insurgentium mihi; et meditationes eorum adversum me tota die.
The lips of those who came up against me, and their thoughts against me all the day.
63 SIN. Sessionem eorum, et resurrectionem eorum vide, ego sum psalmus eorum.
Take note of them when they are seated, and when they get up; I am their song.
64 THAU. Redes eis vicem Domine iuxta opera manuum suarum.
You will give them their reward, O Lord, answering to the work of their hands.
65 THAU. Dabis eis scutum cordis laborem tuum.
You will let their hearts be covered over with your curse on them.
66 THAU. Persequeris in furore, et conteres eos sub caelis Domine.
You will go after them in wrath, and put an end to them from under the heavens of the Lord.
