Lamentationes 3
1 ALEPH ego vir videns paupertatem meam in virga indignationis eius
Aleph. I am the man that see my poverty by the rod of his indignation.
2 ALEPH me minavit et adduxit in tenebris et non in lucem
Aleph. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, and not into light.
3 ALEPH tantum in me vertit et convertit manum suam tota die
Aleph. Only against me he hath turned, and turned again his hand all the day.
4 BETH vetustam fecit pellem meam et carnem meam contrivit ossa mea
Beth. My skin and my flesh he hath made old, he hath broken my bones.
5 BETH aedificavit in gyro meo et circumdedit me felle et labore
Beth. He hath built round about me, and he hath compassed me with gall and labour.
6 BETH in tenebrosis conlocavit me quasi mortuos sempiternos
Beth. He hath set me in dark places as those that are dead for ever.
7 GIMEL circumaedificavit adversum me ut non egrediar adgravavit conpedem meam
Ghimel. He hath built against me round about, that I may not get out: he hath made my fetters heavy.
8 GIMEL sed et cum clamavero et rogavero exclusit orationem meam
Ghimel. Yea, and when I cry, and entreat, he hath shut out my prayer.
9 GIMEL conclusit vias meas lapidibus quadris semitas meas subvertit
Ghimel. He hath shut up my ways with square stones, he hath turned my paths upside down.
10 DELETH ursus insidians factus est mihi leo in absconditis
Daleth. He is become to me as a bear lying in wait: as a lion in secret places.
11 DELETH semitas meas subvertit et confregit me posuit me desolatam
Daleth. He hath turned aside my paths, and hath broken me in pieces, he hath made me desolate.
12 DELETH tetendit arcum suum et posuit me quasi signum ad sagittam
Daleth. He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for his arrows.
13 HE misit in renibus meis filias faretrae suae
He. He hath shot into my reins the daughters of his quiver.
14 HE factus sum in derisu omni populo meo canticum eorum tota die
He. I am made a derision to all my people, their song all the day long.
15 HE replevit me amaritudinibus inebriavit me absinthio
He. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath inebriated me with wormwood.
16 VAV et fregit ad numerum dentes meos cibavit me cinere
Vau. And he hath broken my teeth one by one, he hath fed me with ashes.
17 VAV et repulsa est anima mea oblitus sum bonorum
Vau. And my soul is removed far off from peace, I have forgotten good things.
18 VAV et dixi periit finis meus et spes mea a Domino
Vau. And I said: My end and my hope is perished from the Lord.
19 ZAI recordare paupertatis et transgressionis meae absinthii et fellis
Zain. Remember my poverty, and transgression, the wormwood, and the gall.
20 ZAI memoria memor ero et tabescet in me anima mea
Zain. I will be mindful and remember, and my soul shall languish within me.
21 ZAI hoc recolens in corde meo ideo sperabo
Zain. These things I shall think over in my heart, therefore will I hope.
22 HETH misericordiae Domini quia non sumus consumpti quia non defecerunt miserationes eius
Heth. The mercies of the Lord that we are not consumed: because his commiserations have not failed.
23 HETH novae diluculo multa est fides tua
Heth. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.
24 HETH pars mea Dominus dixit anima mea propterea expectabo eum
Heth. The Lord is my portion, said my soul: therefore will I wait for him.
25 TETH bonus est Dominus sperantibus in eum animae quaerenti illum
Teth. The Lord is good to them that hope in him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 TETH bonum est praestolari cum silentio salutare Domini
Teth. It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God.
27 TETH bonum est viro cum portaverit iugum ab adulescentia sua
Teth. It is good for a man, when he hath borne the yoke from his youth.
28 IOTH sedebit solitarius et tacebit quia levavit super se
Jod. He shall sit solitary, and hold his peace: because he hath taken it up upon himself.
29 IOTH ponet in pulvere os suum si forte sit spes
Jod. He shall put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
30 IOTH dabit percutienti se maxillam saturabitur obprobriis
Jod. He shall give his cheek to him that striketh him, he shall be filled with reproaches.
31 CAPH quia non repellet in sempiternum Dominus
Caph. For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
32 CAPH quia si abiecit et miserebitur secundum multitudinem misericordiarum suarum
Caph. For if he hath cast off, he will also have mercy, according to the multitude of his mercies.
33 CAPH non enim humiliavit ex corde suo et abiecit filios hominis
Caph. For he hath not willingly afflicted, nor cast off the children of men.
34 LAMED ut contereret sub pedibus suis omnes vinctos terrae
Lamed. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the land,
35 LAMED ut declinaret iudicium viri in conspectu vultus Altissimi
Lamed. To turn aside the judgment of a man before the face of the most High,
36 LAMED ut perverteret hominem in iudicio suo Dominus ignoravit
Lamed. To destroy a man wrongfully in his judgment, the Lord hath not approved.
37 MEM quis est iste qui dixit ut fieret Domino non iubente
Mem. Who is he that hath commanded a thing to be done, when the Lord commandeth it not?
38 MEM ex ore Altissimi non egredientur nec mala nec bona
Mem. Shall not both evil and good proceed out of the mouth of the Highest?
39 MEM quid murmuravit homo vivens vir pro peccatis suis
Mem. Why hath a living man murmured, man suffering for his sins?
40 NUN scrutemur vias nostras et quaeramus et revertamur ad Dominum
Nun. Let us search our ways, and seek, and return to the Lord.
41 NUN levemus corda nostra cum manibus ad Dominum in caelos
Nun. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to the Lord in the heavens.
42 NUN nos inique egimus et ad iracundiam provocavimus idcirco tu inexorabilis es
Nun. We have done wickedly, and provoked thee to wrath: therefore thou art inexorable.
43 SAMECH operuisti in furore et percussisti nos occidisti nec pepercisti
Samech. Thou hast covered in thy wrath, and hast struck us: thou hast killed and hast not spared.
44 SAMECH opposuisti nubem tibi ne transeat oratio
Samech. Thou hast set a cloud before thee, that our prayer may not pass through.
45 SAMECH eradicationem et abiectionem posuisti me in medio populorum
Samech. Thou hast made me as an outcast, and refuse in the midst of the people.
46 FE aperuerunt super nos os suum omnes inimici
Phe. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
47 FE formido et laqueus facta est nobis vaticinatio et contritio
Phe. Prophecy is become to us a fear, and a snare, and destruction.
48 FE divisiones aquarum deduxit oculus meus in contritione filiae populi mei
Phe. My eye hath run down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 AIN oculus meus adflictus est nec tacuit eo quod non esset requies
Ain. My eye is afflicted, and hath not been quiet, because there was no rest:
50 AIN donec respiceret et videret Dominus de caelis
Ain. Till the Lord regarded and looked down from the heavens.
51 AIN oculus meus depraedatus est animam meam in cunctis filiabus urbis meae
Ain. My eye hath wasted my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
52 SADE venatione ceperunt me quasi avem inimici mei gratis
Sade. My enemies have chased me and caught me like a bird, without cause.
53 SADE lapsa est in lacu vita mea et posuerunt lapidem super me
Sade. My life is fallen into the pit, and they have laid a stone over me.
54 SADE inundaverunt aquae super caput meum dixi perii
Sade. Waters have flowed over my head: I said: I am cut off.
55 COPH invocavi nomen tuum Domine de lacis novissimis
Coph. I have called upon thy name, O Lord, from the lowest pit.
56 COPH vocem meam audisti ne avertas aurem tuam a singultu meo et clamoribus
Coph. Thou hast heard my voice: turn not away thy ear from my sighs, and cries.
57 COPH adpropinquasti in die quando invocavi te dixisti ne timeas
Coph. Thou drewest near in the day, when I called upon thee, thou saidst: Fear not.
58 RES iudicasti Domine causam animae meae redemptor vitae meae
Res. Thou hast judged, O Lord, the cause of my soul, thou the Redeemer of my life.
59 RES vidisti Domine iniquitatem adversum me iudica iudicium meum
Res. Thou hast seen, O Lord, their iniquity against me: judge thou my judgment.
60 RES vidisti omnem furorem universas cogitationes eorum adversum me
Res. Thou hast seen all their fury, and all their thoughts against me.
61 SEN audisti obprobria eorum Domine omnes cogitationes eorum adversum me
Sin. Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, all their imaginations against me.
62 SEN labia insurgentium mihi et meditationes eorum adversum me tota die
Sin. The lips of them that rise up against me: and their devices against me all the day.
63 SEN sessionem eorum et resurrectionem eorum vide ego sum psalmus eorum
Sin. Behold their sitting down, and their rising up, I am their song.
64 THAU reddes eis vicem Domine iuxta opera manuum suarum
Thau. Thou shalt render them a recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.
65 THAU dabis eis scutum cordis laborem tuum
Thau. Thou shalt give them a buckler of heart, thy labour.
66 THAU persequeris in furore et conteres eos sub caelis Domine
Thau. Thou shalt persecute them in anger, and shalt destroy them from under the heavens, O Lord.
