Onus deserti maris. Sicut turbines ab africo veniunt, de deserto venit, de terra horribili.

The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds come from the south, it cometh from the desert from a terrible land.

What burden for the desert by the sea? From the desert it comes, from a land full of terrors, like the storm-wind rising from the south.

Visio dura nuntiata est mihi: qui incredulus est infideliter agit; et qui depopulator est vastat. Ascende, Ælam; obside, Mede; omnem gemitum ejus cessare feci.

A grievous vision is told me: he that is unfaithful dealeth unfaithfully: and he that is a spoiler, spoileth. Go up, O Elam, besiege, O Mede: I have made all the mourning thereof to cease.

Here be stern threats revealed to me: the treacherous one still treacherous, the plunderer still at his plundering! Elam, to the attack! Lay siege to him, Medians! From yonder desert there shall be groaning no more!

Propterea repleti sunt lumbi mei dolore; angustia possedit me sicut angustia parturientis; corrui cum audirem, conturbatus sum cum viderem.

Therefore are my loins filled with pain, anguish hath taken hold of me, as the anguish of a woman in labour: I fell down at the hearing of it, I was troubled at the seeing of it.

What wonder if pain gripped the loins of me, sudden as woman’s pangs in travail? What wonder if sight and sound of it daunt and daze me,

Emarcuit cor meum; tenebræ stupefecerunt me: Babylon dilecta mea posita est mihi in miraculum.

My heart failed, darkness amazed me: Babylon my beloved is become a wonder to me.

if heart fails and I grope in darkness, bewildered over her ruin, the Babylon I love?

Pone mensam, contemplare in specula comedentes et bibentes: surgite, principes, arripite clypeum.

Prepare the table, behold in the watchtower them that eat and drink: arise, ye princes, take up the shield.

What, the banquet spread? From yonder post of vantage look down on them, where they sit at their meat and drink! Now, captains, to arms!

Hæc enim dixit mihi Dominus: Vade, et pone speculatorem, et quodcumque viderit annuntiet.

For thus hath the Lord said to me: Go, and set a watchman: and whatsoever he shall see, let him tell.

Yes, the Lord’s word has came to me, Go and bid the watchman stand at his post, to give tidings of all he sees.

Et vidit currum duorum equitum, ascensorem asini, et ascensorem cameli; et contemplatus est diligenter multo intuitu.

And he saw a chariot with two horsemen, a rider upon an ass, and a rider upon a camel: and he beheld them diligently with much heed.

A chariot he saw, with two out-riders, one that rode on an ass, and one that rode on a camel; looked long at them, watching them eagerly.

Et clamavit leo: Super speculam Domini ego sum, stans jugiter per diem; et super custodiam meam ego sum, stans totis noctibus.

And a lion cried out: I am upon the watchtower of the Lord, standing continually by day: and I am upon my ward, standing whole nights.

Then he cried, Lonely as lion am I, that have charge of the Lord’s watch-tower; day after day I have stood here, night after night I keep my post.

Ecce iste venit ascensor vir bigæ equitum; et respondit, et dixit: Cecidit, cecidit Babylon, et omnia sculptilia deorum ejus contrita sunt in terram.

Behold this man cometh, the rider upon the chariot with two horsemen, and he answered, and said: Babylon is fallen, she is fallen, and all the graven gods thereof are broken unto the ground.

Nearer now, the chariot and its two outriders; Tidings! cries charioteer. Babylon has fallen, has fallen; images of the gods she worshipped have come crashing to the ground.

Tritura mea et filii areæ meæ, quæ audivi a Domino exercituum, Deo Israël, annuntiavi vobis.

O my thrashing, and the children of my floor, that which I have heard of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared unto you.

My countrymen, winnowed with me in the same threshing-floor of trial, from the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, such tidings I bring.

Onus Duma. Ad me clamat ex Seir: Custos, quid de nocte? custos, quid de nocte?

The burden of Duma calleth to me out of Seir: Watchman, what of the night? watchman, what of the night?

What burden for Duma? A cry comes to me from Seir, How goes the night, watchman? How goes the night?

Dixit custos: Venit mane et nox; si quæritis, quærite; convertimini, venite.

The watchman said: The morning cometh, also the night: if you seek, seek: return, come.

Morning is on its way, says he, but with morning, the night. Come back again and enquire, if enquire you must.

Onus in Arabia. In saltu ad vesperam dormietis, in semitis Dedanim.

The burden in Arabia. In the forest at evening you shall sleep, in the paths of Dedanim.

What burden for the Arabs? By evening, sleep in the woods you must, you that travel to Dedanim.

Occurrentes sitienti ferte aquam, qui habitatis terram austri; cum panibus occurrite fugienti.

Meeting the thirsty bring him water, you that inhabit the land of the south, meet with bread him that fleeth.

Dwellers in the south, bring out water to meet the thirsty, bread to meet fleeing men.

A facie enim gladiorum fugerunt, a facie gladii imminentis, a facie arcus extenti, a facie gravis prælii.

For they are fled from before the swords, from the sword that hung over them, from the bent bow, from the face of a grievous battle.

They have fled to escape the sword, the drawn sword, to escape the bow already bent against them, the stress of battle.

Quoniam hæc dicit Dominus ad me: Adhuc in uno anno, quasi in anno mercenarii, et auferetur omnis gloria Cedar.

For thus saith the Lord to me: Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, all the glory of Cedar shall be taken away.

In a year’s time, the Lord says, by the time a labourer’s contract is out, Cedar shall be robbed of all its glory;

Et reliquiæ numeri sagittariorum fortium de filiis Cedar imminuentur; Dominus enim Deus Israël locutus est.

And the residue of the number of strong archers of the children of Cedar shall be diminished: for the Lord the God of Israel hath spoken it.

of all the brave archers that were Cedar’s sons, only a dwindling remnant shall be left; the Lord, the God of Israel has decreed it.