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 wrath.
2 ALEPH me minavit et adduxit in tenebris et non in lucem
He hath led me and caused me to walk in darkness and not in light.
3 ALEPH tantum in me vertit et convertit manum suam tota die
Surely against me he turneth his hand again and again all the day.
4 BETH vetustam fecit pellem meam et carnem meam contrivit ossa mea
My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.
5 BETH aedificavit in gyro meo et circumdedit me felle et labore
He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
6 BETH in tenebrosis conlocavit me quasi mortuos sempiternos
He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
7 GIMEL circumaedificavit adversum me ut non egrediar adgravavit conpedem meam
He hath fenced me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath made my chain heavy.
8 GIMEL sed et cum clamavero et rogavero exclusit orationem meam
Yea, when I cry and call for help, he shutteth out my prayer.
9 GIMEL conclusit vias meas lapidibus quadris semitas meas subvertit
He hath fenced up my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.
10 DELETH ursus insidians factus est mihi leo in absconditis
He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.
11 DELETH semitas meas subvertit et confregit me posuit me desolatam
He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.
12 DELETH tetendit arcum suum et posuit me quasi signum ad sagittam
He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13 HE misit in renibus meis filias faretrae suae
He hath caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my reins.
14 HE factus sum in derisu omni populo meo canticum eorum tota die
I am become a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.
15 HE replevit me amaritudinibus inebriavit me absinthio
He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath sated me with wormwood.
16 VAV et fregit ad numerum dentes meos cibavit me cinere
He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.
17 VAV et repulsa est anima mea oblitus sum bonorum
And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace; I forgat prosperity.
18 VAV et dixi periit finis meus et spes mea a Domino
And I said, My strength is perished, and mine expectation from the LORD.
19 ZAI recordare paupertatis et transgressionis meae absinthii et fellis
Remember mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
20 ZAI memoria memor ero et tabescet in me anima mea
My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down within 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 thy faithfulness.
24 HETH pars mea Dominus dixit anima mea propterea expectabo eum
The LORD is my portion, saith 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 seeketh him.
26 TETH bonum est praestolari cum silentio salutare Domini
It is good that a man should 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 in his youth.
28 IOTH sedebit solitarius et tacebit quia levavit super se
Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he hath laid it upon him.
29 IOTH ponet in pulvere os suum si forte sit spes
Let him put his mouth in the dust; if so be there may he hope.
30 IOTH dabit percutienti se maxillam saturabitur obprobriis
Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him; let him be 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
For 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 doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
34 LAMED ut contereret sub pedibus suis omnes vinctos terrae
To crush under foot 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 approveth not.
37 MEM quis est iste qui dixit ut fieret Domino non iubente
Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
38 MEM ex ore Altissimi non egredientur nec mala nec bona
Out of the mouth of the Most High cometh there not evil and good?
39 MEM quid murmuravit homo vivens vir pro peccatis suis
Wherefore doth 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 turn again 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; thou hast not pardoned.
43 SAMECH operuisti in furore et percussisti nos occidisti nec pepercisti
Thou hast covered with anger and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
44 SAMECH opposuisti nubem tibi ne transeat oratio
Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that [our] prayer should not pass through.
45 SAMECH eradicationem et abiectionem posuisti me in medio populorum
Thou hast made us [as] the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
46 FE aperuerunt super nos os suum omnes inimici
all our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
47 FE formido et laqueus facta est nobis vaticinatio et contritio
Fear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and destruction.
48 FE divisiones aquarum deduxit oculus meus in contritione filiae populi mei
Mine eye runneth 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 poureth down, and ceaseth 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 affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
52 SADE venatione ceperunt me quasi avem inimici mei gratis
They have chased me sore like a bird, that are mine enemies 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 have cast a stone upon me.
54 SADE inundaverunt aquae super caput meum dixi perii
Waters flowed over mine head; I said, I am cut off.
55 COPH invocavi nomen tuum Domine de lacis novissimis
I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the lowest dungeon.
56 COPH vocem meam audisti ne avertas aurem tuam a singultu meo et clamoribus
Thou heardest my voice; hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
57 COPH adpropinquasti in die quando invocavi te dixisti ne timeas
Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.
58 RES iudicasti Domine causam animae meae redemptor vitae meae
O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.
59 RES vidisti Domine iniquitatem adversum me iudica iudicium meum
O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong; judge thou my cause.
60 RES vidisti omnem furorem universas cogitationes eorum adversum me
Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.
61 SEN audisti obprobria eorum Domine omnes cogitationes eorum adversum me
Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their devices 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 imagination against me all the day.
63 SEN sessionem eorum et resurrectionem eorum vide ego sum psalmus eorum
Behold thou their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song.
64 THAU reddes eis vicem Domine iuxta opera manuum suarum
Thou wilt render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
65 THAU dabis eis scutum cordis laborem tuum
Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, thy curse unto them.
66 THAU persequeris in furore et conteres eos sub caelis Domine
Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.
