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 tenebris 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 aedificavit 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 conlocavit me quasi mortuos sempiternos
He has set me in dark places, as them that have long been dead.
7 GIMEL circumaedificavit adversum me ut non egrediar adgravavit conpedem meam
He has builded against me, and I can’t come forth: he has made my brazen [chain] heavy.
8 GIMEL sed et cum clamavero et rogavero exclusit orationem meam
GIMEL. Yes, [though] I cry and shout, he shuts out my prayer.
9 GIMEL conclusit vias meas lapidibus quadris semitas meas subvertit
DALETH. He has built up my ways, he has hedged my paths;
10 DELETH 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 DELETH 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 DELETH 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 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 became a laughing stock to all my people; and their song all the day.
15 HE replevit me amaritudinibus inebriavit me absinthio
VAU. He has filled me with bitterness, he has drenched me with gall.
16 VAV 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 VAV et repulsa est anima mea oblitus sum bonorum
He has also removed my soul from peace: I forgot prosperity.
18 VAV et dixi periit finis meus et spes mea a Domino
Therefore my success has perished, and my hope from the Lord.
19 ZAI recordare paupertatis et transgressionis meae absinthii et fellis
ZAIN. I remembered by reason of my poverty, and because of persecution my bitterness and gall shall be remembered;
20 ZAI memoria memor ero et tabescet in me anima mea
and my soul shall meditate with me.
21 ZAI hoc recolens in corde meo ideo sperabo
This will I lay up in my heart, therefore I will endure.
22 HETH misericordiae 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 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 wait for him.
25 TETH bonus est Dominus sperantibus in eum animae quaerenti illum
TETH. The Lord is good to them that wait for him: the soul which shall seek him
26 TETH bonum est praestolari cum silentio salutare Domini
[is] good, and shall wait for, and quietly expect salvation of the Lord.
27 TETH bonum est viro cum portaverit iugum ab adulescentia sua
TETH. [It is] good for a man when he bears a yoke in his youth.
28 IOTH sedebit solitarius et tacebit quia levavit super se
He will sit alone, and be silent, because he has borne [it] upon him.
29 IOTH ponet in pulvere os suum si forte sit spes
30 IOTH dabit percutienti se maxillam saturabitur obprobriis
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 hominis
He has not answered [in anger] from his heart, though he has brought low the children of a man.
34 LAMED ut contereret sub pedibus suis omnes vinctos terrae
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 judgment 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 judgment, 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 quaeramus 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 caelos
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 FE aperuerunt super nos os suum omnes inimici
All our enemies have opened their mouth against us.
47 FE formido et laqueus facta est nobis vaticinatio et contritio
Fear and wrath are come upon us, suspense and destruction.
48 FE divisiones aquarum deduxit oculus meus in contritione filiae populi mei
Mine eye shall pour down torrents of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 AIN oculus meus adflictus 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 caelis
until the Lord look down, and behold from heaven.
51 AIN oculus meus depraedatus est animam meam in cunctis filiabus urbis meae
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 lacu vita mea et posuerunt lapidem super me
and laid a stone upon me.
54 SADE inundaverunt aquae super caput meum dixi perii
Water flowed over my head: I said, I am cut off.
55 COPH invocavi nomen tuum Domine de lacis novissimis
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 adpropinquasti 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 animae meae redemptor vitae meae
RECHS. O Lord, you has pleaded the causes of my soul; you has redeemed my life.
59 RES vidisti Domine iniquitatem 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 SEN audisti obprobria eorum Domine omnes cogitationes eorum adversum me
CHSEN. You have heard their reproach [and] all their devices against me;
62 SEN 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 SEN sessionem eorum et resurrectionem eorum vide ego sum psalmus eorum
their sitting down and their rising up: look you upon their eyes.
64 THAU reddes 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 caelis Domine
You will persecute them in anger, and will consume them from under the heaven, O Lord.
