Lamentationes 3
1 ALEPH ego vir videns paupertatem meam in virga indignationis eius
I am the man who 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 caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
3 ALEPH tantum in me vertit et convertit manum suam tota die
Surely he turns his hand against me, again and again all the day.
4 BETH vetustam fecit pellem meam et carnem meam contrivit ossa mea
He has made my flesh and my skin old. He has broken my bones.
5 BETH aedificavit in gyro meo et circumdedit me felle et labore
He has built against me, and encompassed me with gall and travail.
6 BETH in tenebrosis conlocavit me quasi mortuos sempiternos
He has made me to dwell in dark places, as those who have long been dead.
7 GIMEL circumaedificavit adversum me ut non egrediar adgravavit conpedem meam
He has walled me around, that I cannot go forth. He has made my chain heavy.
8 GIMEL sed et cum clamavero et rogavero exclusit orationem meam
Yea, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
9 GIMEL conclusit vias meas lapidibus quadris semitas meas subvertit
He has walled up my ways with hewn stone. He has made my paths crooked.
10 DELETH ursus insidians factus est mihi leo in absconditis
He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in concealed 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 shafts of his quiver to enter into my reins.
14 HE factus sum in derisu omni populo meo canticum eorum tota die
I have become 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 sated me 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 thou have removed my soul far off from peace. I forgot prosperity.
18 VAV et dixi periit finis meus et spes mea a Domino
And I said, My strength is perished, and my expectation from Jehovah.
19 ZAI recordare paupertatis et transgressionis meae absinthii et fellis
Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
20 ZAI memoria memor ero et tabescet in me anima mea
My soul still has them in remembrance, and is bowed down within me.
21 ZAI hoc recolens in corde meo ideo sperabo
This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope:
22 HETH misericordiae Domini quia non sumus consumpti quia non defecerunt miserationes eius
It is of Jehovah's loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions do not fail.
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
Jehovah is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him.
25 TETH bonus est Dominus sperantibus in eum animae quaerenti illum
Jehovah is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks 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 Jehovah.
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 has 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 be hope.
30 IOTH dabit percutienti se maxillam saturabitur obprobriis
Let him give his cheek to him who smites him. Let him be filled full with reproach.
31 CAPH quia non repellet in sempiternum Dominus
For the Lord will not cast off forever.
32 CAPH quia si abiecit et miserebitur secundum multitudinem misericordiarum suarum
For though he causes grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
33 CAPH non enim humiliavit ex corde suo et abiecit filios hominis
For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the sons 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 does not approve.
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 does not command it?
38 MEM ex ore Altissimi non egredientur nec mala nec bona
Out of the mouth of the Most High does there not come evil and good?
39 MEM quid murmuravit homo vivens vir pro peccatis suis
Why 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 turn again to Jehovah.
41 NUN levemus corda nostra cum manibus ad Dominum in caelos
Let us lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.
42 NUN nos inique egimus et ad iracundiam provocavimus idcirco tu inexorabilis es
We have transgressed and have rebelled. Thou have not pardoned.
43 SAMECH operuisti in furore et percussisti nos occidisti nec pepercisti
Thou have covered with anger and pursued us. Thou have slain; thou have not pitied.
44 SAMECH opposuisti nubem tibi ne transeat oratio
Thou have covered thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
45 SAMECH eradicationem et abiectionem posuisti me in medio populorum
Thou have made us an off-scouring 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 have come upon us, devastation and destruction.
48 FE divisiones aquarum deduxit oculus meus in contritione filiae populi mei
My eye runs 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
My eye pours down, and does not cease, without any intermission,
50 AIN donec respiceret et videret Dominus de caelis
till Jehovah looks down, and beholds from heaven.
51 AIN oculus meus depraedatus est animam meam in cunctis filiabus urbis meae
My eye stirs my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
52 SADE venatione ceperunt me quasi avem inimici mei gratis
They have chased me grievously like a bird, those who are my 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 my head. I said, I am cut off.
55 COPH invocavi nomen tuum Domine de lacis novissimis
I called upon thy name, O Jehovah, out of the lowest dungeon.
56 COPH vocem meam audisti ne avertas aurem tuam a singultu meo et clamoribus
Thou heard my voice. Hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
57 COPH adpropinquasti in die quando invocavi te dixisti ne timeas
Thou drew near in the day that I called upon thee. Thou said, Fear not.
58 RES iudicasti Domine causam animae meae redemptor vitae meae
O Lord, thou have pleaded the causes of my soul. Thou have redeemed my life.
59 RES vidisti Domine iniquitatem adversum me iudica iudicium meum
O Jehovah, thou have seen my wrong. Judge thou my cause.
60 RES vidisti omnem furorem universas cogitationes eorum adversum me
Thou have seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.
61 SEN audisti obprobria eorum Domine omnes cogitationes eorum adversum me
Thou have heard their reproach, O Jehovah, and all their devices against me,
62 SEN labia insurgentium mihi et meditationes eorum adversum me tota die
the lips of those who 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 thou their sitting down, and their rising up. I am their song.
64 THAU reddes eis vicem Domine iuxta opera manuum suarum
Thou will render to them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands.
65 THAU dabis eis scutum cordis laborem tuum
Thou will give them hardness of heart, thy curse to them.
66 THAU persequeris in furore et conteres eos sub caelis Domine
Thou will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.
