Lamentationes, 3

1. ALEPH. Ego vir videns paupertatem meam in virga indignationis eius. 1

1. I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath;

2.

2. he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light;

3. ALEPH. Tantum in me vertit et convertit manum suam tota die.

3. surely against me he turns his hand again and again the whole day long.

4. BETH. Consumpsit pellem meam et carnem meam, contrivit ossa mea.

4. He has made my flesh and my skin waste away, and broken my bones;

5. BETH. Aedificavit in gyro meo et circumdedit me felle et labore.

5. he has besieged and enveloped me with bitterness and tribulation;

6. BETH. In tenebrosis collocavit me quasi mortuos sempiternos.

6. he has made me dwell in darkness like the dead of long ago.

7. GHIMEL. Circumaedificavit adversum me, ut non egrediar, aggravavit compedem meum.

7. He has walled me about so that I cannot escape; he has put heavy chains on me;

8. GHIMEL. Sed et cum clamavero et rogavero, exclusit orationem meam.

8. though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer;

9. GHIMEL. Conclusit vias meas lapidibus quadris, semitas meas subvertit.

9. he has blocked my ways with hewn stones, he has made my paths crooked.

10. DALETH. Ursus insidians factus est mihi, leo in absconditis.

10. He is to me like a bear lying in wait, like a lion in hiding;

11. DALETH. Semitas meas subvertit et confregit me, posuit me desolatam.

11. he led me off my way and tore me to pieces; he has made me desolate;

12. DALETH. Tetendit arcum suum et posuit me quasi signum ad sagittam.

12. he bent his bow and set me as a mark for his arrow.

13. HE. Misit in renibus meis filias pharetrae suae.

13. He drove into my heart the arrows of his quiver;

14. HE. Factus sum in derisum omni populo meo, canticum eorum tota die.

14. I have become the laughingstock of all peoples, the burden of their songs all day long.

15. HE. Replevit me amaritudinibus, inebriavit me absinthio.

15. He has filled me with bitterness, he has sated me with wormwood.

16. VAU. Et fregit in glarea dentes meos, depressit me cinere.

16. He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes;

17. VAU. Et repulsa est a pace anima mea, oblitus sum bonorum.

17. my soul is bereft of peace, I have forgotten what happiness is;

18. VAU. Et dixi: “Periit splendor meus et spes mea a Domino”.

18. so I say, "Gone is my glory, and my expectation from the LORD."

19. ZAIN. Recordare paupertatis et peregrinationis meae, absinthii et fellis.

19. Remember my affliction and my bitterness, the wormwood and the gall!

20. ZAIN. Memoria memor est et tabescit in me anima mea.

20. My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me.

21. ZAIN. Haec recolam in corde meo, ideo sperabo.

21. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

22. HETH. Misericordiae Domini, quia non sumus consumpti, quia non defecerunt miserationes eius.

22. The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end;

23. HETH. Novae sunt omni mane, magna est fides tua.

23. they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.

24. HETH. “Pars mea Dominus, dixit anima mea; propterea exspectabo eum”.

24. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."

25. TETH. Bonus est Dominus sperantibus in eum, animae quaerenti illum.

25. The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.

26. TETH. Bonum est praestolari cum silentio salutare Domini.

26. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

27. TETH. Bonum est viro, cum portaverit iugum ab adulescentia sua.

27. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

28. IOD. Sedebit solitarius et tacebit, cum istud imponitur ei.

28. Let him sit alone in silence when he has laid it on him;

29. IOD. Ponet in pulvere os suum, si forte sit spes.

29. let him put his mouth in the dust -- there may yet be hope;

30. IOD. Dabit percutienti se maxillam, saturabitur opprobriis.

30. let him give his cheek to the smiter, and be filled with insults.

31. CAPH. Quia non repellet in sempiternum Dominus.

31. For the Lord will not cast off for ever,

32. CAPH. Quia si afflixit, et miserebitur secundum multitudinem misericordiarum suarum.

32. but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love;

33. CAPH. Non enim humiliat ex corde suo et affligit filios hominum.

33. for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.

34. LAMED. Conterere sub pedibus suis omnes vinctos terrae.

34. To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,

35. LAMED. Declinare iudicium viri in conspectu vultus Altissimi.

35. to turn aside the right of a man in the presence of the Most High,

36. LAMED. Pervertere hominem in iudicio suo, num Dominus haec ignorat?

36. to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord does not approve.

37. MEM. Quis est iste, qui dixit, et factum est? Dominus non iussit?

37. Who has commanded and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it?

38. MEM. Ex ore Altissimi nonne egrediuntur et mala et bona?

38. Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and evil come?

39. MEM. Quid murmurabit homo vivens, vir pro peccatis suis?

39. Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins?

40. NUN. “Scrutemur vias nostras et quaeramus et revertamur ad Dominum.

40. Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD!

41. NUN. Levemus corda nostra cum manibus ad Dominum in caelos.

41. Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven:

42. NUN. Nos inique egimus et rebelles fuimus; idcirco tu inexorabilis fuisti.

42. "We have transgressed and rebelled, and thou hast not forgiven.

43. SAMECH. Operuisti in furore et percussisti nos; occidisti nec pepercisti.

43. "Thou hast wrapped thyself with anger and pursued us, slaying without pity;

44. SAMECH. Opposuisti nubem tibi, ne transeat oratio.

44. thou hast wrapped thyself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through.

45. SAMECH. In eradicationem et abiectionem posuisti nos in medio populorum.

45. Thou hast made us offscouring and refuse among the peoples.

46. PHE. Aperuerunt super nos os suum omnes inimici nostri.

46. "All our enemies rail against us;

47. PHE. Formido et fovea facta est nobis, vastatio et contritio”.

47. panic and pitfall have come upon us, devastation and destruction;

48. PHE. Rivos aquarum deducit oculus meus in contritione filiae populi mei.

48. my eyes flow with rivers of tears because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49. AIN. Oculus meus lacrimas effundit nec tacet, eo quod non sit requies.

49. "My eyes will flow without ceasing, without respite,

50. AIN. Donec respiciat et videat Dominus de caelis.

50. until the LORD from heaven looks down and sees;

51. AIN. Oculus meus affligit animam meam prae cunctis filiabus urbis meae.

51. my eyes cause me grief at the fate of all the maidens of my city.

52. SADE. Venatione venati sunt me quasi avem inimici mei gratis.

52. "I have been hunted like a bird by those who were my enemies without cause;

53. SADE. Perdiderunt in lacu vitam meam et iecerunt lapides super me.

53. they flung me alive into the pit and cast stones on me;

54. SADE. Inundaverunt aquae super caput meum, dixi: “Perii”.

54. water closed over my head; I said, `I am lost.'

55. COPH. Invocavi nomen tuum, Domine, de profunditate lacus.

55. "I called on thy name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit;

56. COPH. Vocem meam audisti: “Ne avertas aurem tuam a singultu meo et clamoribus”.

56. thou didst hear my plea, `Do not close thine ear to my cry for help!'

57. COPH. Appropinquasti in die, quando invocavi te, dixisti: “Ne timeas”.

57. Thou didst come near when I called on thee; thou didst say, `Do not fear!'

58. RES. Iudicasti, Domine, causam animae meae, redemisti vitam meam.

58. "Thou hast taken up my cause, O Lord, thou hast redeemed my life.

59. RES. Vidisti, Domine, afflictionem meam; iudica iudicium meum.

59. Thou hast seen the wrong done to me, O LORD; judge thou my cause.

60. RES. Vidisti omnem furorem eorum, universas cogitationes eorum adversum me.

60. Thou hast seen all their vengeance, all their devices against me.

61. SIN. Audisti opprobrium eorum, Domine, omnes cogitationes eorum adversum me.

61. "Thou hast heard their taunts, O LORD, all their devices against me.

62. SIN. Labia insurgentium mihi et meditationes eorum adversum me tota die.

62. The lips and thoughts of my assailants are against me all the day long.

63. SIN. Sessionem eorum et resurrectionem eorum vide; ego sum psalmus eorum.

63. Behold their sitting and their rising; I am the burden of their songs.

64. THAU. Reddes eis vicem, Domine, iuxta opera manuum suarum.

64. "Thou wilt requite them, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.

65. THAU. Dabis eis duritiam cordis, exsecrationem tuam.

65. Thou wilt give them dullness of heart; thy curse will be on them.

66. THAU. Persequeris in furore et conteres eos sub caelis tuis, Domine.

66. Thou wilt pursue them in anger and destroy them from under thy heavens, O LORD."