Lamentationes 3
1 ALEPH. Ego vir videns paupertatem meam in virga indignationis eius.
I, am the man, that hath seen affliction, by the rod of his indignation;
2 ALEPH. Me minavit, et adduxit in tenebras, et non in lucem.
Me, hath he driven out and brought into darkness, and not light;
3 ALEPH. Tantum in me vertit, et convertit manum suam tota die.
Surely, against me, doth he again and again, turn his hand all the day.
4 BETH. Vetustam fecit pellem meam, et carnem meam, contrivit ossa mea.
He hath worn out my flesh and my skin, hath broken my bones;
5 BETH. Aedificavit in gyro meo, et circumdedit me felle, et labore.
He hath built up against me, and carried round me, fortifications and a trench;
6 BETH. In tenebrosis collocavit me, quasi mortuos sempiternos.
In dark places, hath he made me sit, like the dead of age-past times.
7 GHIMEL. Circumaedificavit adversum me, ut non egrediar: aggravavit compedem meum.
He hath walled up around me, that I cannot get out, hath weighted my fetter;
8 GHIMEL. Sed et cum clamavero, et rogavero, exclusit orationem meam.
Yea, when I make outcry and implore, he hath shut out my prayer;
9 GHIMEL. Conclusit vias meas lapidibus quadris, semitas meas subvertit.
He hath walled in my ways with hewn stone, my paths, hath he caused to wind back.
10 DALETH. Ursus insidians factus est mihi: leo in absconditis.
A bear lying in wait, he is to me, a lion, in secret places;
11 DALETH. Semitas meas subvertit, et confregit me: posuit me desolatam.
My ways, hath he turned aside, and hath torn me in pieces, hath made me desolate;
12 DALETH. Tetendit arcum suum, et posuit me quasi signum ad sagittam.
He hath trodden his bow, and set me up, as a mark for the arrow.
13 HE. Misit in renibus meis filias pharetrae suae.
He hath caused to enter my reins, the sons of his quiver;
14 HE. Factus sum in derisum omni populo meo, canticum eorum tota die.
I have become a derision to all my people, their song all the day;
15 HE. Replevit me amaritudinibus, inebriavit me absynthio.
He hath sated me with bitter things, hath drenched me with wormwood.
16 VAU. Et fregit ad numerum dentes meos, cibavit me cinere.
And he hath crushed, with gravel-stones, my teeth, hath made me cower in ashes;
17 VAU. Et repulsa est a pace anima mea, oblitus sum bonorum.
And thou hast thrust away from welfare, my soul, I have forgotten prosperity;
18 VAU. Et dixi: Periit finis meus, et spes mea a Domino.
And I said, Vanished is mine endurance, even mine expectation, from Yahweh.
19 ZAIN. Recordare paupertatis, et transgressionis meae, absinthii, et fellis.
Remember my humiliation and my fleeings, the wormwood and poison;
20 ZAIN. Memoria memor ero, et tabescet in me anima mea.
Thou wilt, indeed remember, that, bowed down concerning myself, is my soul;
21 ZAIN. Haec recolens in corde meo, ideo sperabo.
This, will I bring back to my heart, therefore, will I hope.
22 HETH. Misericordiae Domini quia non sumus consumpti: quia non defecerunt miserationes eius.
The lovingkindnesses of Yahweh, verily they are not exhausted, Verily! not at an end, are his compassions:
23 HETH. Novi diluculo, multa est fides tua.
New things for the mornings! Abundant is thy faithfulness:
24 HETH. Pars mea Dominus, dixit anima mea: propterea expectabo eum.
My portion, is Yahweh, saith my soul, For this cause, will I wait for him.
25 TETH. Bonus est Dominus sperantibus in eum, animae quaerenti illum.
Good is Yahweh, to them who wait for him, to the soul that will seek him;
26 TETH. Bonum est praestolari cum silentio salutare Dei.
Good it is—both to wait and to be silent, for the deliverance of Yahweh;
27 TETH. Bonum est viro, cum portaverit iugum ab adolescentia sua.
Good it is for a man, that he should bear the yoke in his youth.
28 IOD. Sedebit solitarius, et tacebit: quia levavit se super se.
Let him sit alone, and keep silence, because he took it upon himself:
29 IOD. Ponet in pulvere os suum, si forte sit spes.
Let him put, in the dust, his mouth, peradventure, there is hope!
30 IOD. Dabit percutienti se maxillam, saturabitur opprobriis.
Let him give, to him that smiteth him, his cheek, let him be sated with reproach.
31 CAPH. Quia non repellet in sempiternum Dominus.
Surely My Lord, will not cast off, unto times age-abiding;
32 CAPH. Quia si abiecit, miserebitur secundum multitudinem misericordiarum suarum.
Surely, though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion, according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses;
33 CAPH. Non enim humiliavit ex corde suo, et abiecit filios hominum,
Surely he hath not afflicted from his heart, nor caused sorrow to the sons of men.
34 LAMED. Ut conteret sub pedibus suis omnes vinctos terrae,
To crush, under his feet, any of the prisoners of the earth;
35 LAMED. Ut declinaret iudicium viri in conspectu vultus Altissimi.
To turn aside the right of a man, before the face of the Most High;
36 LAMED. Ut perverteret hominem in iudicio suo, Dominus ignoravit.
To oppress a son of earth in his cause, My Lord, hath made no provision.
37 MEM. Quis est iste, qui dixit ut fieret, Domino non iubente?
Who was it that spake, and it was done, [when], My Lord, had not commanded?
38 MEM. Ex ore Altissimi non egredientur nec mala nec bona?
Out of the mouth of the Most High, Proceed there not misfortunes and blessing?
39 MEM. Quid murmuravit homo vivens, vir pro peccatis suis?
Why should a living son of earth complain, [Let] a man [complain] because of his sins?
40 NUN. Scrutemur vias nostras, et quaeramus, et revertamur ad Dominum.
Let us search out our ways, and examine them well, and let us return unto Yahweh;
41 NUN. Levemus corda nostra cum manibus ad Dominum in caelos.
Let us lift up our heart, to the opened palms, to the Mighty One in the heavens;
42 NUN. Nos inique egimus, et ad iracundiam provocavimus: idcirco tu inexorabilis es.
We, have trespassed and rebelled, Thou, hast not pardoned.
43 SAMECH. Operuisti in furore, et percussisti nos: occidisti, nec pepercisti.
Thou hast covered thyself with anger, and pursued us, hast slain—hast not spared;
44 SAMECH. Opposuisti nubem tibi, ne transeat oratio.
Thou hast screened thyself with the clouds, that prayer, should not pass through;
45 SAMECH. Eradicationem, et abiectionem posuisti me in medio populorum.
Offscouring and refuse, dost thou make us, in the midst of the peoples.
46 PHE. Aperuerunt super nos os suum omnes inimici.
With their mouth, opened wide over us, [stand] all our foes.
47 PHE. Formido, et laqueus facta est nobis vaticinatio, et contritio.
Terror and a pit, have befallen us, tumult and grievous injury;
48 PHE. Divisiones aquarum deduxit oculus meus, in contritione filiae populi mei.
With streams of water, mine eye runneth down, over the grievous injury of the daughter of my people.
49 AIN. Oculus meus afflictus est, nec tacuit, eo quod non esset requies,
Mine eye, poureth itself out and ceaseth not, without relief;
50 AIN. Donec respiceret et videret Dominus de caelis.
Until Yahweh out of the heavens shall look forth, and see,
51 AIN. Oculus meus depraedatus est animam meam in cunctis filiabus urbis meae.
Mine eye dealeth severely with my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
52 SADE. Venatione ceperunt me quasi avem inimici mei gratis.
They, have laid snares, for me as a bird, who are mine enemies without cause:
53 SADE. Lapsa est in lacum vita mea, et posuerunt lapidem super me.
They have cut off, in the dungeon, my life, and have cast a stone upon me;
54 SADE. Inundaverunt aquae super caput meum: dixi: Perii.
Waters, flowed over, my head, I said, I am cut off!
55 COPH. Invocavi nomen tuum Domine de lacu novissimo.
I have called upon thy Name, O Yahweh, out of the dungeon below;
56 COPH. Vocem meam audisti: ne avertas aurem tuam a singultu meo, et clamoribus.
My voice, thou hast heard, —do not close thine ear to my respite, to mine outcry;
57 COPH. Appropinquasti in die, quando invocavi te: dixisti: Ne timeas.
Thou drewest near, in the day I kept calling on thee, thou saidst, Do not fear!
58 RES. Iudicasti Domine causam animae meae, redemptor vitae meae.
Thou hast pleaded, O My Lord, the pleas of my soul, hast redeemed my life;
59 RES. Vidisti Domine iniquitatem illorum adversum me: iudica iudicium meum.
Thou hast beheld, O Yahweh, my failure to get justice, Pronounce thou my sentence;
60 RES. Vidisti omnem furorem, universas cogitationes eorum adversum me.
Thou hast seen all their vindictiveness, all their plots against me.
61 SIN. Audisti opprobrium eorum Domine, omnes cogitationes eorum adversum me:
Thou hast heard their reproach, O Yahweh, all their plots against me;
62 SIN. Labia insurgentium mihi; et meditationes eorum adversum me tota die.
The lips of mine assailants, and their mutterings, are against me, all the day;
63 SIN. Sessionem eorum, et resurrectionem eorum vide, ego sum psalmus eorum.
On their downsitting and their uprising, do thou look, I, am their song.
64 THAU. Redes eis vicem Domine iuxta opera manuum suarum.
Thou wilt render to them a recompense, O Yahweh, according to the work of their hands;
65 THAU. Dabis eis scutum cordis laborem tuum.
Thou wilt suffer them a veiling of heart, thy curse to them;
66 THAU. Persequeris in furore, et conteres eos sub caelis Domine.
Thou wilt pursue in anger, and wilt destroy them, from under the heavens of Yahweh.
