Lamentationes 3
1 ALEPH. Ego vir videns paupertatem meam in virga indignationis eius.
ALEPH. I am the man that sees poverty, through the rod of his wrath upon me.
2 ALEPH. Me minavit, et adduxit in tenebras, et non in lucem.
He has taken me, and led me away into darkness, and not [into] light.
3 ALEPH. Tantum in me vertit, et convertit manum suam tota die.
Nay, against me has he turned his hand all the day.
4 BETH. Vetustam fecit pellem meam, et carnem meam, contrivit ossa mea.
He has made old my flesh and my skin; he has broken my bones.
5 BETH. Ædificavit in gyro meo, et circumdedit me felle, et labore.
BETH. He has built against me, and compassed my head, and brought travail [upon me].
6 BETH. In tenebrosis collocavit me, quasi mortuos sempiternos.
He has set me in dark places, as them that have long been dead.
7 GHIMEL. Circumædificavit adversum me, ut non egrediar: aggravavit compedem meum.
He has builded against me, and I can’t come forth: he has made my brazen [chain] heavy.
8 GHIMEL. Sed et cum clamavero, et rogavero, exclusit orationem meam.
GIMEL. Yes, [though] I cry and shout, he shuts out my prayer.
9 GHIMEL. Conclusit vias meas lapidibus quadris, semitas meas subvertit.
DALETH. He has built up my ways, he has hedged my paths;
10 DALETH. Ursus insidians factus est mihi: leo in absconditis.
he has troubled me, [as] a she-bear lying in wait: he is to me [as] a lion in secret places.
11 DALETH. Semitas meas subvertit, et confregit me: posuit me desolatam.
He pursued [me] after I departed, and brought me to a stand: he has utterly ruined me.
12 DALETH. Tetendit arcum suum, et posuit me quasi signum ad sagittam.
HE. He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13 HE. Misit in renibus meis filias pharetræ suæ.
He has caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
14 HE. Factus sum in derisum omni populo meo, canticum eorum tota die.
I became a laughing stock to all my people; and their song all the day.
15 HE. Replevit me amaritudinibus, inebriavit me absynthio.
VAU. He has filled me with bitterness, he has drenched me with gall.
16 VAU. Et fregit ad numerum dentes meos, cibavit me cinere.
And he has dashed out my teeth with gravel, he has fed me with ashes.
17 VAU. Et repulsa est a pace anima mea, oblitus sum bonorum.
He has also removed my soul from peace: I forgot prosperity.
18 VAU. Et dixi: Periit finis meus, et spes mea a Domino.
Therefore my success has perished, and my hope from the Lord.
19 ZAIN. Recordare paupertatis, et transgressionis meæ, absinthii, et fellis.
ZAIN. I remembered by reason of my poverty, and because of persecution my bitterness and gall shall be remembered;
20 ZAIN. Memoria memor ero, et tabescet in me anima mea.
and my soul shall meditate with me.
21 ZAIN. Hæc recolens in corde meo, ideo sperabo.
This will I lay up in my heart, therefore I will endure.
22 HETH. Misericordiæ Domini quia non sumus consumpti: quia non defecerunt miserationes eius.
HETH. [It is] the mercies of the Lord, that he has not failed me, because his compassions are not exhausted. Pity [us], O Lord, early [every] month: for we are not brought to an end, because his compassions are not exhausted.
23 HETH. Novi 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 wait for him.
25 TETH. Bonus est Dominus sperantibus in eum, animæ quærenti illum.
TETH. The Lord is good to them that wait for him: the soul which shall seek him
26 TETH. Bonum est præstolari cum silentio salutare Dei.
[is] good, and shall wait for, and quietly expect salvation of the Lord.
27 TETH. Bonum est viro, cum portaverit iugum ab adolescentia sua.
TETH. [It is] good for a man when he bears a yoke in his youth.
28 IOD. Sedebit solitarius, et tacebit: quia levavit super se.
He will sit alone, and be silent, because he has borne [it] upon him.
29 IOD. Ponet in pulvere os suum, si forte sit spes.
30 IOD. Dabit percutienti se maxillam, saturabitur opprobriis.
JOD. He will give [his] cheek to him that smites him: he will be filled full with reproaches.
31 CAPH. Quia non repellet in sempiternum Dominus.
For the Lord will not reject for ever.
32 CAPH. Quia si abiecit, et miserebitur secundum multitudinem misericordiarum suarum.
CHAPH. For he that has brought down will pity, and [that] according to the abundance of his mercy.
33 CAPH. Non enim humiliavit ex corde suo, et abiecit filios hominum,
He has not answered [in anger] from his heart, though he has brought low the children of a man.
34 LAMED. Ut conteret sub pedibus suis omnes vinctos terræ,
LAMED. To bring down under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
35 LAMED. Ut declinaret iudicium viri in conspectu vultus Altissimi.
to turn aside the judgement of a man before the face of the Most High,
36 LAMED. Ut perverteret hominem in iudicio suo, Dominus ignoravit.
to condemn a man [unjustly] in his judgement, the Lord has not given commandment.
37 MEM. Quis est iste, qui dixit ut fieret, Domino non iubente?
Who has thus spoken, and it has come to pass? the Lord has not commanded it.
38 MEM. Ex ore Altissimi non egredientur nec mala nec bona?
Out of the mouth of the Most High there shall not come forth evil and good.
39 MEM. Quid murmuravit homo vivens, vir pro peccatis suis?
MEM. Why should a living man complain, a man concerning his sin?
40 NUN. Scrutemur vias nostras, et quæramus, et revertamur ad Dominum.
NUN. Our way has been searched out and examined, and we will turn to the Lord.
41 NUN. Levemus corda nostra cum manibus ad Dominum in cælos.
Let us lift up our hearts with [our] hand to the lofty One in heaven.
42 NUN. Nos inique egimus, et ad iracundiam provocavimus: idcirco tu inexorabilis es.
We have sinned, we have transgressed; and you have not pardoned.
43 SAMECH. Operuisti in furore, et percussisti nos: occidisti, nec pepercisti.
SAMECH. You has visited [us] in wrath, and driven us away: you has slain, you has not pitied.
44 SAMECH. Opposuisti nubem tibi, ne transeat oratio.
You have veiled yourself with a cloud because of prayer, that I might be blind,
45 SAMECH. Eradicationem, et abiectionem posuisti me in medio populorum.
and be cast off. AIN. You have set us [alone] in the midst of the nations.
46 PHE. Aperuerunt super nos os suum omnes inimici.
All our enemies have opened their mouth against us.
47 PHE. Formido, et laqueus facta est nobis vaticinatio, et contritio.
Fear and wrath are come upon us, suspense and destruction.
48 PHE. Divisiones aquarum deduxit oculus meus, in contritione filiæ populi mei.
Mine eye shall pour down torrents of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 AIN. Oculus meus afflictus est, nec tacuit, eo quod non esset requies,
PHE. Mine eye is drowned [with tears], and I will not be silent, so that there shall be no rest,
50 AIN. Donec respiceret et videret Dominus de cælis.
until the Lord look down, and behold from heaven.
51 AIN. Oculus meus deprædatus est animam meam in cunctis filiabus urbis meæ.
Mine eye shall prey upon my soul, because of all the daughters of the city.
52 SADE. Venatione ceperunt me quasi avem inimici mei gratis.
TSADE. The fowlers chased me as a sparrow, all mine enemies destroyed my life in a pit without cause,
53 SADE. Lapsa est in lacum vita mea, et posuerunt lapidem super me.
and laid a stone upon me.
54 SADE. Inundaverunt aquæ super caput meum: dixi: Perii.
Water flowed over my head: I said, I am cut off.
55 COPH. Invocavi nomen tuum Domine de lacu novissimo.
KOPH. I called upon your name, O Lord, out of the lowest dungeon.
56 COPH. Vocem meam audisti: ne avertas aurem tuam a singultu meo, et clamoribus.
You heard my voice: close not your ears to my supplication.
57 COPH. Appropinquasti in die, quando invocavi te: dixisti: Ne timeas.
You drew near to my help: in the day wherein I called upon you you said to me, Fear not.
58 RES. Iudicasti Domine causam animæ meæ, Redemptor vitæ meæ.
RECHS. O Lord, you has pleaded the causes of my soul; you has redeemed my life.
59 RES. Vidisti Domine iniquitatem illorum adversum me: iudica iudicium meum.
You have seen, O Lord, my troubles: you have judged my cause.
60 RES. Vidisti omnem furorem, universas cogitationes eorum adversum me.
You have seen all their vengeance, [you have looked] on all their devices against me.
61 SIN. Audisti opprobrium eorum Domine, omnes cogitationes eorum adversum me:
CHSEN. You have heard their reproach [and] all their devices against me;
62 SIN. Labia insurgentium mihi; et meditationes eorum adversum me tota die.
the lips of them that rose up against me, and their plots against me all the day;
63 SIN. Sessionem eorum, et resurrectionem eorum vide, ego sum psalmus eorum.
their sitting down and their rising up: look you upon their eyes.
64 THAU. Redes eis vicem Domine iuxta opera manuum suarum.
You will render them a recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.
65 THAU. Dabis eis scutum cordis laborem tuum.
THAU. You will give them [as] a covering, the grief of my heart.
66 THAU. Persequeris in furore, et conteres eos sub cælis Domine.
You will persecute them in anger, and will consume them from under the heaven, O Lord.
