Lamentationes 3
1 ALEPH ego vir videns paupertatem meam in virga indignationis eius
I AM the man that has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2 ALEPH me minavit et adduxit in tenebris et non in lucem
He has led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.
3 ALEPH tantum in me vertit et convertit manum suam tota die
Surely against me is he turned; he turns his hand against me all the day.
4 BETH vetustam fecit pellem meam et carnem meam contrivit ossa mea
My flesh and my skin has he made old; he has broken my bones.
5 BETH aedificavit in gyro meo et circumdedit me felle et labore
He has built against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
6 BETH in tenebrosis conlocavit me quasi mortuos sempiternos
He has set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.
7 GIMEL circumaedificavit adversum me ut non egrediar adgravavit conpedem meam
He has hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he has made my chain heavy.
8 GIMEL sed et cum clamavero et rogavero exclusit orationem meam
Also when I cry and shout, he shuts out my prayer.
9 GIMEL conclusit vias meas lapidibus quadris semitas meas subvertit
He has enclosed my ways with hewn stone, he has made my paths crooked.
10 DELETH ursus insidians factus est mihi leo in absconditis
He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.
11 DELETH semitas meas subvertit et confregit me posuit me desolatam
He has turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he has made me desolate.
12 DELETH tetendit arcum suum et posuit me quasi signum ad sagittam
He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13 HE misit in renibus meis filias faretrae suae
He has caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
14 HE factus sum in derisu omni populo meo canticum eorum tota die
I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.
15 HE replevit me amaritudinibus inebriavit me absinthio
He has filled me with bitterness, he has made me drunken with wormwood.
16 VAV et fregit ad numerum dentes meos cibavit me cinere
He has also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he has covered me with ashes.
17 VAV et repulsa est anima mea oblitus sum bonorum
And you have removed my soul far off from peace: I forgotten about prosperity.
18 VAV et dixi periit finis meus et spes mea a Domino
And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:
19 ZAI recordare paupertatis et transgressionis meae absinthii et fellis
Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
20 ZAI memoria memor ero et tabescet in me anima mea
My soul has them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
21 ZAI hoc recolens in corde meo ideo sperabo
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
22 HETH misericordiae Domini quia non sumus consumpti quia non defecerunt miserationes eius
It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 HETH novae 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 will I hope in him.
25 TETH bonus est Dominus sperantibus in eum animae quaerenti illum
The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.
26 TETH bonum est praestolari cum silentio salutare Domini
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
27 TETH bonum est viro cum portaverit iugum ab adulescentia sua
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke of his youth.
28 IOTH sedebit solitarius et tacebit quia levavit super se
He sits alone and keeps silence, because he has borne it upon him.
29 IOTH ponet in pulvere os suum si forte sit spes
He puts his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.
30 IOTH dabit percutienti se maxillam saturabitur obprobriis
He gives his cheek to him that strikes him: he is filled full with reproach.
31 CAPH quia non repellet in sempiternum Dominus
For the LORD will not cast off for ever:
32 CAPH quia si abiecit et miserebitur secundum multitudinem misericordiarum suarum
But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
33 CAPH non enim humiliavit ex corde suo et abiecit filios hominis
For he does not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
34 LAMED ut contereret sub pedibus suis omnes vinctos terrae
To crush under his feet all 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 subvert a man in his cause, the LORD approves not.
37 MEM quis est iste qui dixit ut fieret Domino non iubente
Who is he that says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord commands it not?
38 MEM ex ore Altissimi non egredientur nec mala nec bona
Out of the mouth of the most High proceeds not evil and good?
39 MEM quid murmuravit homo vivens vir pro peccatis suis
Wherefore does a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
40 NUN scrutemur vias nostras et quaeramus et revertamur ad Dominum
Let us search and try our ways, and return to the LORD.
41 NUN levemus corda nostra cum manibus ad Dominum in caelos
Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
42 NUN nos inique egimus et ad iracundiam provocavimus idcirco tu inexorabilis es
We have transgressed and have rebelled: you have not pardoned.
43 SAMECH operuisti in furore et percussisti nos occidisti nec pepercisti
You have covered with anger, and persecuted us: you have slain, you have not pitied.
44 SAMECH opposuisti nubem tibi ne transeat oratio
You have covered yourself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.
45 SAMECH eradicationem et abiectionem posuisti me in medio populorum
You have made us as the waste and refuse in the midst of the people.
46 FE aperuerunt super nos os suum omnes inimici
All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
47 FE formido et laqueus facta est nobis vaticinatio et contritio
Fear and a snare has come upon us, desolation and destruction.
48 FE divisiones aquarum deduxit oculus meus in contritione filiae populi mei
Mine eye runs down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 AIN oculus meus adflictus est nec tacuit eo quod non esset requies
Mine eye trickes down, and ceases not, without any intermission.
50 AIN donec respiceret et videret Dominus de caelis
Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.
51 AIN oculus meus depraedatus est animam meam in cunctis filiabus urbis meae
Mine eye affects mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.
52 SADE venatione ceperunt me quasi avem inimici mei gratis
Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause.
53 SADE lapsa est in lacu vita mea et posuerunt lapidem super me
They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me.
54 SADE inundaverunt aquae super caput meum dixi perii
Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.
55 COPH invocavi nomen tuum Domine de lacis novissimis
I called upon your name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.
56 COPH vocem meam audisti ne avertas aurem tuam a singultu meo et clamoribus
You have heard my voice: hide not your ear at my breathing, at my cry.
57 COPH adpropinquasti in die quando invocavi te dixisti ne timeas
You drew near in the day that I called upon you: you said, Fear not.
58 RES iudicasti Domine causam animae meae redemptor vitae meae
O LORD, you have pleaded the causes of my soul; you have redeemed my life.
59 RES vidisti Domine iniquitatem adversum me iudica iudicium meum
O LORD, you have seen my wrong: judge you my cause.
60 RES vidisti omnem furorem universas cogitationes eorum adversum me
You have seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.
61 SEN audisti obprobria eorum Domine omnes cogitationes eorum adversum me
You have heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me;
62 SEN labia insurgentium mihi et meditationes eorum adversum me tota die
The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.
63 SEN sessionem eorum et resurrectionem eorum vide ego sum psalmus eorum
Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their music.
64 THAU reddes eis vicem Domine iuxta opera manuum suarum
Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
65 THAU dabis eis scutum cordis laborem tuum
Give them sorrow of heart, your curse unto them.
66 THAU persequeris in furore et conteres eos sub caelis Domine
Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.
