Lamentationes 3
1 ALEPH ego vir videns paupertatem meam in virga indignationis eius
I am the man that 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 against me he turns his hand again and again all the day.
4 BETH vetustam fecit pellem meam et carnem meam contrivit ossa mea
My flesh and my skin he has made old; he has broken my bones.
5 BETH aedificavit in gyro meo et circumdedit me felle et labore
He has built against me, and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
6 BETH in tenebrosis conlocavit me quasi mortuos sempiternos
He has made me to dwell in dark places, like those that have been long dead.
7 GIMEL circumaedificavit adversum me ut non egrediar adgravavit conpedem meam
He has walled me in, so I can't escape; he has made my chains heavy.
8 GIMEL sed et cum clamavero et rogavero exclusit orationem meam
Yes, 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 cut 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 hiding.
11 DELETH semitas meas subvertit et confregit me posuit me desolatam
He has obstructed my path, and torn 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 arrows of his quiver to pierce my inward parts.
14 HE factus sum in derisu omni populo meo canticum eorum tota die
I have become a laughingstock to all peoples, and their song all the day.
15 HE replevit me amaritudinibus inebriavit me absinthio
He has filled me with bitterness, he has given me in full measure wormwood.
16 VAV et fregit ad numerum dentes meos cibavit me cinere
He has also broken my teeth with gravel; he has pressed me down in the dust.
17 VAV et repulsa est anima mea oblitus sum bonorum
You have removed my soul far away from peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18 VAV et dixi periit finis meus et spes mea a Domino
And I said, "My strength and my hope has perished from the LORD."
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 considers them, and is depressed.
21 ZAI hoc recolens in corde meo ideo sperabo
But this I call to my mind; therefore I have hope:
22 HETH misericordiae Domini quia non sumus consumpti quia non defecerunt miserationes eius
The LORD's faithful love does not cease; his compassion does not fail.
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 I will hope in him."
25 TETH bonus est Dominus sperantibus in eum animae quaerenti illum
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
It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
27 TETH bonum est viro cum portaverit iugum ab adulescentia sua
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke while he is young.
28 IOTH sedebit solitarius et tacebit quia levavit super se
Let him sit alone and keep silence when he is disciplining him.
29 IOTH ponet in pulvere os suum si forte sit spes
Let him put his mouth to the dust, there may yet be hope.
30 IOTH dabit percutienti se maxillam saturabitur obprobriis
Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him; let him be filled with insults.
31 CAPH quia non repellet in sempiternum Dominus
For the LORD will not reject forever.
32 CAPH quia si abiecit et miserebitur secundum multitudinem misericordiarum suarum
For though he may cause grief, yet he will have compassion according to the abundance of his loving kindness.
33 CAPH non enim humiliavit ex corde suo et abiecit filios hominis
For he is not predisposed to bring affliction or suffering to human beings.
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 deprive a man of justice 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 can speak a thing and have it come to pass, unless the LORD has commanded it?
38 MEM ex ore Altissimi non egredientur nec mala nec bona
Doesn't both calamity and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?
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 examine and search our ways, and return to the LORD.
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, and you have not forgiven.
43 SAMECH operuisti in furore et percussisti nos occidisti nec pepercisti
You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us; you killed without sparing.
44 SAMECH opposuisti nubem tibi ne transeat oratio
You have covered yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
45 SAMECH eradicationem et abiectionem posuisti me in medio populorum
You have made us rubbish 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 on us, devastation and destruction.
48 FE divisiones aquarum deduxit oculus meus in contritione filiae populi mei
Streams of tears run down from my eyes because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 AIN oculus meus adflictus est nec tacuit eo quod non esset requies
My tears flow and do not cease, without respite,
50 AIN donec respiceret et videret Dominus de caelis
until the LORD looks down and sees from heaven.
51 AIN oculus meus depraedatus est animam meam in cunctis filiabus urbis meae
My eyes bring my soul grief, because of all the daughters of my city.
52 SADE venatione ceperunt me quasi avem inimici mei gratis
They have chased me relentlessly 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 a pit, and have cast a stone on me.
54 SADE inundaverunt aquae super caput meum dixi perii
Waters flowed over my head; I said, 'I am finished.'
55 COPH invocavi nomen tuum Domine de lacis novissimis
I called on your name, LORD, out of the depths of the pit.
56 COPH vocem meam audisti ne avertas aurem tuam a singultu meo et clamoribus
You heard my voice; do not hide your ear at my sighs, to my cry.
57 COPH adpropinquasti in die quando invocavi te dixisti ne timeas
You drew near in the day that I called on you; you said, "Do not be afraid."
58 RES iudicasti Domine causam animae meae redemptor vitae meae
LORD, you have taken up the case for my soul; you have redeemed my life.
59 RES vidisti Domine iniquitatem adversum me iudica iudicium meum
You have seen, LORD, the wrong done to me; judge my case.
60 RES vidisti omnem furorem universas cogitationes eorum adversum me
You have seen all their vengeance and all their plots against me.
61 SEN audisti obprobria eorum Domine omnes cogitationes eorum adversum me
You have heard their insults, LORD, and all their plots against me.
62 SEN labia insurgentium mihi et meditationes eorum adversum me tota die
The lips of those that rose up against me, and their plots against me all day long.
63 SEN sessionem eorum et resurrectionem eorum vide ego sum psalmus eorum
Look their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their mocking song.
64 THAU reddes eis vicem Domine iuxta opera manuum suarum
You will render to them what they deserve, LORD, according to the work of their hands.
65 THAU dabis eis scutum cordis laborem tuum
You will give them hardness of heart as your curse to them.
66 THAU persequeris in furore et conteres eos sub caelis Domine
You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.
