Lamentations 3
1 Aleph. I am a man seynge my pouert in the yerde of his indignacioun.
Aleph. I am the man that see my poverty by the rod of his indignation.
2 Aleph. He droof me, and brouyte in to derknessis, and not in to liyt.
Aleph. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, and not into light.
3 Aleph. Oneli he turnede in to me, and turnede togidere his hond al dai.
Aleph. Only against me he hath turned, and turned again his hand all the day.
4 Beth. He made eld my skyn, and my fleisch; he al to-brak my boonys.
Beth. My skin and my flesh he hath made old, he hath broken my bones.
5 Beth. He bildid in my cumpas, and he cumpasside me with galle and trauel.
Beth. He hath built round about me, and he hath compassed me with gall and labour.
6 Beth. He settide me in derk places, as euerlastynge deed men.
Beth. He hath set me in dark places as those that are dead for ever.
7 Gymel. He bildide aboute ayens me, that Y go not out; he aggregide my gyues.
Ghimel. He hath built against me round about, that I may not get out: he hath made my fetters heavy.
8 Gymel. But and whanne Y crie and preye, he hath excludid my preier.
Ghimel. Yea, and when I cry, and entreat, he hath shut out my prayer.
9 Gymel. He closide togidere my weies with square stoonus; he distriede my pathis.
Ghimel. He hath shut up my ways with square stones, he hath turned my paths upside down.
10 Deleth. He is maad a bere settinge aspies to me, a lioun in hid places.
Daleth. He is become to me as a bear lying in wait: as a lion in secret places.
11 Deleth. He distriede my pathis, and brak me; he settide me desolat.
Daleth. He hath turned aside my paths, and hath broken me in pieces, he hath made me desolate.
12 Deleth. He bente his bowe, and settide me as a signe to an arowe.
Daleth. He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for his arrows.
13 He. He sente in my reynes the douytris of his arowe caas.
He. He hath shot into my reins the daughters of his quiver.
14 He. Y am maad in to scorn to al the puple, the song of hem al dai.
He. I am made a derision to all my people, their song all the day long.
15 He. He fillide me with bitternesses; he gretli fillide me with wermod.
He. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath inebriated me with wormwood.
16 Vau. He brak at noumbre my teeth; he fedde me with aische.
Vau. And he hath broken my teeth one by one, he hath fed me with ashes.
17 Vau. And my soule is putte awei; Y haue foryete goodis.
Vau. And my soul is removed far off from peace, I have forgotten good things.
18 Vau. And Y seide, Myn ende perischide, and myn hope fro the Lord.
Vau. And I said: My end and my hope is perished from the Lord.
19 Zai. Haue thou mynde on my pouert and goyng ouer, and on wermod and galle.
Zain. Remember my poverty, and transgression, the wormwood, and the gall.
20 Zai. Bi mynde Y schal be myndeful; and my soule schal faile in me.
Zain. I will be mindful and remember, and my soul shall languish within me.
21 Zai. Y bithenkynge these thingis in myn herte, schal hope in God.
Zain. These things I shall think over in my heart, therefore will I hope.
22 Heth. The mercies of the Lord ben manye, for we ben not wastid; for whi hise merciful doyngis failiden not.
Heth. The mercies of the Lord that we are not consumed: because his commiserations have not failed.
23 Heth. Y knew in the morewtid; thi feith is miche.
Heth. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.
24 Heth. My soule seide, The Lord is my part; therfor Y schal abide hym.
Heth. The Lord is my portion, said my soul: therefore will I wait for him.
25 Teth. The Lord is good to hem that hopen in to hym, to a soule sekynge hym.
Teth. The Lord is good to them that hope in him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 Teth. It is good to abide with stilnesse the helthe of God.
Teth. It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God.
27 Teth. It is good to a man, whanne he hath bore the yok fro his yongthe.
Teth. It is good for a man, when he hath borne the yoke from his youth.
28 Joth. He schal sitte aloone, and he schal be stille; for he reiside hym silf aboue hym silf.
Jod. He shall sit solitary, and hold his peace: because he hath taken it up upon himself.
29 Joth. He schal sette his mouth in dust, if perauenture hope is.
Jod. He shall put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
30 Joth. He schal yyue the cheke to a man that smytith hym; he schal be fillid with schenschipis.
Jod. He shall give his cheek to him that striketh him, he shall be filled with reproaches.
31 Caph. For the Lord schal not putte awei with outen ende.
Caph. For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
32 Caph. For if he castide awei, and he schal do merci bi the multitude of hise mercies.
Caph. For if he hath cast off, he will also have mercy, according to the multitude of his mercies.
33 Caph. For he makide not low of his herte; and castide not awei the sones of men. Lameth.
Caph. For he hath not willingly afflicted, nor cast off the children of men.
34 That he schulde al to-foule vndur hise feet alle the boundun men of erthe. Lameth.
Lamed. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the land,
35 That he schulde bowe doun the dom of man, in the siyt of the cheer of the hiyeste.
Lamed. To turn aside the judgment of a man before the face of the most High,
36 Lameth. That he schulde peruerte a man in his dom, the Lord knew not.
Lamed. To destroy a man wrongfully in his judgment, the Lord hath not approved.
37 Men. Who is this that seide, that a thing schulde be don, whanne the Lord comaundide not?
Mem. Who is he that hath commanded a thing to be done, when the Lord commandeth it not?
38 Men. Nether goodis nether yuels schulen go out of the mouth of the hiyeste.
Mem. Shall not both evil and good proceed out of the mouth of the Highest?
39 Men. What grutchide a man lyuynge, a man for hise synnes?
Mem. Why hath a living man murmured, man suffering for his sins?
40 Nun. Serche we oure weies, and seke we, and turne we ayen to the Lord.
Nun. Let us search our ways, and seek, and return to the Lord.
41 Nun. Reise we oure hertis with hondis, to the Lord in to heuenes.
Nun. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to the Lord in the heavens.
42 Nun. We han do wickidli, and han terrid thee to wraththe; therfor thou art not able to be preied.
Nun. We have done wickedly, and provoked thee to wrath: therefore thou art inexorable.
43 Sameth. Thou hilidist in stronge veniaunce, and smitidist vs; thou killidist, and sparidist not.
Samech. Thou hast covered in thy wrath, and hast struck us: thou hast killed and hast not spared.
44 Sameth. Thou settidist a clowde to thee, that preier passe not.
Samech. Thou hast set a cloud before thee, that our prayer may not pass through.
45 Sameth. Thou settidist me, drawing vp bi the roote, and castynge out, in the myddis of puplis.
Samech. Thou hast made me as an outcast, and refuse in the midst of the people.
46 Ayn. Alle enemyes openyden her mouth on vs.
Phe. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
47 Ayn. Inward drede and snare is maad to vs, profesie and defoulyng.
Phe. Prophecy is become to us a fear, and a snare, and destruction.
48 Ayn. Myn iyen ledden doun departyngis of watris, for the defoulyng of the douyter of my puple.
Phe. My eye hath run down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Phe. Myn iye was turmentid, and was not stille; for no reste was.
Ain. My eye is afflicted, and hath not been quiet, because there was no rest:
50 Phe. Vntil the Lord bihelde, and siy fro heuenes.
Ain. Till the Lord regarded and looked down from the heavens.
51 Phe. Myn iye robbide my soule in alle the douytris of my citee.
Ain. My eye hath wasted my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Sade. Myn enemyes token me with out cause, bi huntyng as a brid.
Sade. My enemies have chased me and caught me like a bird, without cause.
53 Sade. My lijf slood in to a lake; and thei puttiden a stoon on me.
Sade. My life is fallen into the pit, and they have laid a stone over me.
54 Sade. Watris flowiden ouer myn heed; Y seide, Y perischide.
Sade. Waters have flowed over my head: I said: I am cut off.
55 Coph. Lord, Y clepide to help thi name, fro the laste lake.
Coph. I have called upon thy name, O Lord, from the lowest pit.
56 Coph. Thou herdist my vois; turne thou not awei thin eere fro my sobbyng and cries.
Coph. Thou hast heard my voice: turn not away thy ear from my sighs, and cries.
57 Coph. Thou neiyidist to me in the dai, wherynne Y clepide thee to help; thou seidist, Drede thou not.
Coph. Thou drewest near in the day, when I called upon thee, thou saidst: Fear not.
58 Res. Lord, ayenbiere of my lijf, thou demydist the cause of my soule.
Res. Thou hast judged, O Lord, the cause of my soul, thou the Redeemer of my life.
59 Res. Lord, thou siest the wickidnesse of hem ayens me; deme thou my doom.
Res. Thou hast seen, O Lord, their iniquity against me: judge thou my judgment.
60 Res. Thou siest al the woodnesse, alle the thouytis of hem ayenus me.
Res. Thou hast seen all their fury, and all their thoughts against me.
61 Syn. Lord, thou herdist the schenshipis of hem; alle the thouytis of hem ayens me.
Sin. Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, all their imaginations against me.
62 Syn. The lippis of men risynge ayens me, and the thouytis of hem ayens me al dai.
Sin. The lips of them that rise up against me: and their devices against me all the day.
63 Syn. Se thou the sittynge and risyng ayen of hem; Y am the salm of hem.
Sin. Behold their sitting down, and their rising up, I am their song.
64 Thau. Lord, thou schalt yelde while to hem, bi the werkis of her hondis.
Thau. Thou shalt render them a recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.
65 Tau. Thou schalt yyue to hem the scheeld of herte, thi trauel.
Thau. Thou shalt give them a buckler of heart, thy labour.
66 Tau. Lord, thou schalt pursue hem in thi strong veniaunce, and thou schalt defoule hem vndur heuenes.
Thau. Thou shalt persecute them in anger, and shalt destroy them from under the heavens, O Lord.
