But now the younger in time scorn me, whose fathers I would not have set with the dogs of my flock:

And now? Now I am a laughing-stock, even to younger men; a flock of such base breed as theirs sheep-dog of mine never tended!

Nunc autem derident me juniores tempore, quorum non dignabar patres ponere cum canibus gregis mei:

The strength of whose hands was to me as nothing, and they were thought unworthy of life itself.

So profitless their puny strength, I would have let them die before ever they came to maturity.

quorum virtus manuum mihi erat pro nihilo, et vita ipsa putabantur indigni:

Barren with want and hunger, who gnawed in the wilderness, disfigured with calamity and misery.

Starveling creatures, they should browse in the waste, unkempt, haggard and woe-begone,

egestate et fame steriles, qui rodebant in solitudine, squallentes calamitate et miseria.

And they ate grass, and barks of trees, and the root of junipers was their food.

cropping mallow and tree-bark and juniper-root for their diet,

Et mandebant herbas, et arborum cortices, et radix juniperorum erat cibus eorum:

Who snatched up these things out of the valleys, and when they had found any of them, they ran to them with a cry.

and making great hue and cry after such dainties, as they pluck them from the hill-slopes!

qui de convallibus ista rapientes, cum singula reperissent, ad ea cum clamore currebant.

They dwelt in the desert places of torrents, and in caves of earth, or upon the gravel.

Barren ravine and cave and rock their dwelling-place,

In desertis habitabant torrentium, et in cavernis terræ, vel super glaream:

They pleased themselves among these kind of things, and counted it delightful to be under the briers.

they were glad of so much shelter; a bramble thicket should be their welcome refuge.

qui inter hujuscemodi lætabantur, et esse sub sentibus delicias computabant:

The children of foolish and base men, and not appearing at all upon the earth.

A senseless and a nameless breed, earth is well rid of them.

filii stultorum et ignobilium, et in terra penitus non parentes.

Now I am turned into their song, and am become their byword.

O that I should be a song and a by-word on such lips as these!

Nunc in eorum canticum versus sum, et factus sum eis in proverbium.

They abhor me, and flee far from me, and are not afraid to spit in my face.

That they loathe and shun me, and make bold to spit in my face, being what they are!

Abominantur me, et longe fugiunt a me, et faciem meam conspuere non verentur.

For he hath opened his quiver, and hath afflicted me, and hath put a bridle into my mouth.

Now God has made me a mark for his archery, now he has put a bit in my mouth;

Pharetram enim suam aperuit, et afflixit me, et frenum posuit in os meum.

At the right hand of my rising, my calamities forthwith arose: they have overthrown my feet, and have overwhelmed me with their paths as with waves.

when my fair spring was overcast by calamity, every passer-by might throw me down; like a flood they swept over me,

Ad dexteram orientis calamitates meæ illico surrexerunt: pedes meos subverterunt, et oppresserunt quasi fluctibus semitis suis.

They have destroyed my ways, they have lain in wait against me, and they have prevailed, and there was none to help.

trampled down my path, took me unawares and overcame me, when there was none to bring rescue.

Dissipaverunt itinera mea; insidiati sunt mihi, et prævaluerunt: et non fuit qui ferret auxilium.

They have rushed in upon me, as when a wall is broken, and a gate opened, and have rolled themselves down to my miseries.

One breach made, one gate forced, they might fall upon me all at once, and add their weight to my misery.

Quasi rupto muro, et aperta janua, irruerunt super me, et ad meas miserias devoluti sunt.

I am brought to nothing: as a wind thou hast taken away my desire: and my prosperity hath passed away like a cloud.

All that I was, is gone, the ambition, the happiness that was mine swept away like clouds before the storm;

Redactus sum in nihilum: abstulisti quasi ventus desiderium meum, et velut nubes pertransiit salus mea.

And now my soul fadeth within myself, and the days of affliction possess me.

my heart is dead within me, a prey to long despairs.

Nunc autem in memetipso marcescit anima mea, et possident me dies afflictionis.

In the night my bone is pierced with sorrows: and they that feed upon me, do not sleep.

By night, anguish racks my frame; sleepless the cares that consume me,

Nocte os meum perforatur doloribus, et qui me comedunt, non dormiunt.

With the multitude of them my garment is consumed, and they have girded me about, as with the collar of my coat.

their poison seems to eat away the very garments I wear, clings fast about me like the collar of my coat.

In multitudine eorum consumitur vestimentum meum, et quasi capitio tunicæ succinxerunt me.

I am compared to dirt, and am likened to embers and ashes.

No better I than mud in the streets, little thought of as dust or ashes;

Comparatus sum luto, et assimilatus sum favillæ et cineri.

I cry to thee, and thou hearest me not: I stand up, and thou dost not regard me.

unheard I cry to thee, unregarded I stand in thy presence;

Clamo ad te, et non exaudis me: sto, et non respicis me.

Thou art changed to be cruel toward me, and in the hardness of thy hand thou art against me.

so hardened is thy heart, so pitilessly thy blows fall upon me.

Mutatus es mihi in crudelem, et in duritia manus tuæ adversaris mihi.

Thou hast lifted me up, and set me as it were upon the wind, and thou hast mightily dashed me.

Didst thou exalt me, lift me so high in air, only to hurl me down in ruin?

Elevasti me, et quasi super ventum ponens; elisisti me valide.

I know that thou wilt deliver me to death, where a house is appointed for every one that liveth.

I know well enough that thou wilt bring me to the grave at last; it is the home thou hast appointed for all living men;

Scio quia morti trades me, ubi constituta est domus omni viventi.

But yet thou stretchest not forth thy hand to their consumption: and if they shall fall down thou wilt save.

but surely thou dost not exert thy power only to destroy, surely thou hast mercy on the fallen?

Verumtamen non ad consumptionem eorum emittis manum tuam: et si corruerint, ipse salvabis.

I wept heretofore for him that was afflicted, and my soul had compassion on the poor.

I myself know what it is to pity the afflicted, to shed tears over human need!

Flebam quondam super eo qui afflictus erat, et compatiebatur anima mea pauperi.

I expected good things, and evils are come upon me: I waited for light, and darkness broke out.

But no, hope I for better things, I hope in vain; ever deeper the darkness shews to eyes straining for the light.

Expectabam bona, et venerunt mihi mala: præstolabar lucem, et eruperunt tenebræ.

My inner parts have boiled without any rest, the days of affliction have prevented me.

Still my heart is in turmoil, greeted still by fresh despairs;

Interiora mea efferbuerunt absque ulla requie: prævenerunt me dies afflictionis.

I went mourning without indignation; I rose up, and cried in the crowd.

I go mourning, my face blacker than ever the sun’s heat made it, rise up in public, and claim audience for my wrongs;

Mœrens incedebam sine furore; consurgens, in turba clamabam.

I was the brother of dragons, and companion of ostriches.

crying so dismally as if I had jackals for my brothers, ostriches for my company.

Frater fui draconum, et socius struthionum.

My skin is become black upon me, and my bones are dried up with heat.

And all the while, fever to discolour this flesh, to shrivel this frame!

Cutis mea denigrata est super me, et ossa mea aruerunt præ caumate.

My harp is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of those that weep.

What wonder if all, with me, is mourning and lament, if the music of harp and flute is heard no more?

Versa est in luctum cithara mea, et organum meum in vocem flentium.