Ah, what straits have I not known, under the avenging rod!

Aleph. I AM the man that see my poverty by the rod of his indignation.

Aleph Ego vir videns paupertatem meam in virga indignationis ejus.

Asked I for light, into deeper shadow the Lord’s guidance led me;

Aleph. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, and not into light.

Aleph Me minavit, et adduxit in tenebras, et non in lucem.

Always upon me, none other, falls endlessly the blow.

Aleph. Only against me he hath turned, and turned again his hand all the day.

Aleph Tantum in me vertit et convertit manum suam tota die.

Broken this frame, under the wrinkled skin, the sunk flesh.

Beth. My skin and my flesh he hath made old, he hath broken my bones.

Beth Vetustam fecit pellem meam et carnem meam; contrivit ossa mea.

Bitterness of despair fills my prospect, walled in on every side;

Beth. He hath built round about me, and he hath compassed me with gall and labour.

Beth Ædificavit in gyro meo, et circumdedit me felle et labore.

Buried in darkness, and, like the dead, interminably.

Beth. He hath set me in dark places as those that are dead for ever.

Beth In tenebrosis collocavit me, quasi mortuos sempiternos.

Closely he fences me in, beyond hope of rescue; loads me with fetters.

Ghimel. He hath built against me round about, that I may not get out: he hath made my fetters heavy.

Ghimel Circumædificavit adversum me, ut non egrediar; aggravavit compedem meum.

Cry out for mercy as I will, prayer of mine wins no audience;

Ghimel. Yea, and when I cry, and entreat, he hath shut out my prayer.

Ghimel Sed et cum clamavero, et rogavero, exclusit orationem meam.

Climb these smooth walls I may not; every way of escape he has undone.

Ghimel. He hath shut up my ways with square stones, he hath turned my paths upside down.

Ghimel Conclusit vias meas lapidibus quadris; semitas meas subvertit.

Deep ambushed he lies, as lurking bear or lion from the covert;

Daleth. He is become to me as a bear lying in wait: as a lion in secret places.

Daleth Ursus insidians factus est mihi, leo in absconditis.

Drawn aside from my path, I fall a lonely prey to his ravening.

Daleth. He hath turned aside my paths, and hath broken me in pieces, he hath made me desolate.

Daleth Semitas meas subvertit, et confregit me; posuit me desolatam.

Dread archer, of me he makes a target for all his arrows;

Daleth. He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for his arrows.

Daleth Tetendit arcum suum, et posuit me quasi signum ad sagittam.

Each shaft of his quiver at my vitals taught to strike home!

He. He hath shot into my reins the daughters of his quiver.

He Misit in renibus meis filias pharetræ suæ.

Evermore for me the taunts of my neighbours, their songs of derision.

He. I am made a derision to all my people, their song all the day long.

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

Entertainment of bitter herbs he gives me, and of wormwood my fill,

He. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath inebriated me with wormwood.

He Replevit me amaritudinibus; inebriavit me absinthio.

Files all my teeth with hard gravel-stones, bids me feed on ashes.

Vau. And he hath broken my teeth one by one, he hath fed me with ashes.

Vau Et fregit ad numerum dentes meos; cibavit me cinere.

Far away is my old contentment, happier days forgotten;

Vau. And my soul is removed far off from peace, I have forgotten good things.

Vau Et repulsa est a pace anima mea; oblitus sum bonorum.

Farewell, my hopes of long continuance, my patient trust in the Lord!

Vau. And I said: My end and my hope is perished from the Lord.

Vau Et dixi: Periit finis meus, et spes mea a Domino.

Guilt and suffering, gall and wormwood, keep all this well in memory.

Zain. Remember my poverty, and transgression, the wormwood, and the gall.

Zain Recordare paupertatis, et transgressionis meæ, absinthii et fellis.

God knows it shall be remembered, and with sinking of the heart;

Zain. I will be mindful and remember, and my soul shall languish within me.

Zain Memoria memor ero, et tabescet in me anima mea.

Gage there can be none other of remaining confidence.

Zain. These things I shall think over in my heart, therefore will I hope.

Zain Hæc recolens in corde meo, ideo sperabo.

His be the thanks if we are not extinguished; his mercies never weary;

Heth. The mercies of the Lord that we are not consumed: because his commiserations have not failed.

Heth Misericordiæ Domini, quia non sumus consumpti; quia non defecerunt miserationes ejus.

Hope comes with each dawn; art thou not faithful, Lord, to thy promise?

Heth. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.

Heth Novi diluculo, multa est fides tua.

Heart whispers, The Lord is my portion; I will trust him yet.

Heth. The Lord is my portion, said my soul: therefore will I wait for him.

Heth Pars mea Dominus, dixit anima mea; propterea exspectabo eum.

In him be thy trust, for him thy heart’s longing, gracious thou shalt find him;

Teth. The Lord is good to them that hope in him, to the soul that seeketh him.

Teth Bonus est Dominus sperantibus in eum, animæ quærenti illum.

If deliverance thou wouldst have from the Lord, in silence await it.

Teth. It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God.

Teth Bonum est præstolari cum silentio salutare Dei.

It is well thou shouldst learn to bear the yoke, now in thy youth,

Teth. It is good for a man, when he hath borne the yoke from his youth.

Teth Bonum est viro cum portaverit jugum ab adolescentia sua.

Just burden, in solitude and silence justly borne.

Jod. He shall sit solitary, and hold his peace: because he hath taken it up upon himself.

Jod Sedebit solitarius, et tacebit, quia levavit super se.

Joy may yet be thine, for mouth that kisses the dust,

Jod. He shall put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.

Jod Ponet in pulvere os suum, si forte sit spes.

Jeering of the multitude, and cheek buffeted in scorn, bravely endured.

Jod. He shall give his cheek to him that striketh him, he shall be filled with reproaches.

Jod Dabit percutienti se maxillam: saturabitur opprobriis.

Know for certain, the Lord has not finally abandoned thee;

Caph. For the Lord will not cast off for ever.

Caph Quia non repellet in sempiternum Dominus.

Kind welcome the outcast shall have, from one so rich in kindness.

Caph. For if he hath cast off, he will also have mercy, according to the multitude of his mercies.

Caph Quia si abjecit, et miserebitur, secundum multitudinem misericordiarum suarum.

Kin of Adam he will not crush or cast away wantonly;

Caph. For he hath not willingly afflicted, nor cast off the children of men.

Caph Non enim humiliavit ex corde suo et abjecit filios hominum.

Let there be oppression of the poor under duress,

Lamed. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the land,

Lamed Ut conteret sub pedibus suis omnes vinctos terræ.

Law’s right denied, such as the most High grants to all men,

Lamed. To turn aside the judgment of a man before the face of the most High,

Lamed Ut declinaret judicium viri in conspectu vultus Altissimi.

Lying perversion of justice, then he cannot overlook it.

Lamed. To destroy a man wrongfully in his judgment, the Lord hath not approved.

Lamed Ut perverteret hominem in judicio suo; Dominus ignoravit.

Man may foretell; only the Lord brings his word to pass;

Mem. Who is he that hath commanded a thing to be done, when the Lord commandeth it not?

Mem Quis est iste qui dixit ut fieret, Domino non jubente?

Mingled good and evil proceed both from the will of the most High;

Mem. Shall not both evil and good proceed out of the mouth of the Highest?

Mem Ex ore Altissimi non egredientur nec mala nec bona?

Mortal is none may repine; let each his own sins remember.

Mem. Why hath a living man murmured, man suffering for his sins?

Mem Quid murmuravit homo vivens, vir pro peccatis suis?

Narrowly our path scan we, and to the Lord return;

Nun. Let us search our ways, and seek, and return to the Lord.

Nun Scrutemur vias nostras, et quæramus, et revertamur ad Dominum.

Never hand or heart but must point heavenward this day!

Nun. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to the Lord in the heavens.

Nun Levemus corda nostra cum manibus ad Dominum in cælos.

Nothing but defiant transgression on our part; and shouldst thou relent?

Nun. We have done wickedly, and provoked thee to wrath: therefore thou art inexorable.

Nun Nos inique egimus, et ad iracundiam provocavimus; idcirco tu inexorabilis es.

Over our heads thy angry vengeance lowered; smiting, thou wouldst not spare.

Samech. Thou hast covered in thy wrath, and hast struck us: thou hast killed and hast not spared.

Samech Operuisti in furore, et percussisti nos; occidisti, nec pepercisti.

Oh, barrier of cloud, our prayers had no strength to pierce!

Samech. Thou hast set a cloud before thee, that our prayer may not pass through.

Samech Opposuisti nubem tibi, ne transeat oratio.

Offscouring and refuse of mankind thou hast made us,

Samech. Thou hast made me as an outcast, and refuse in the midst of the people.

Samech Eradicationem et abjectionem posuisti me in medio populorum.

Put to shame by the mocking grimaces of our enemies.

Phe. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.

Phe Aperuerunt super nos os suum omnes inimici.

Prophets we had, but their word was peril and pitfall, and ruin at the last.

Phe. Prophecy is become to us a fear, and a snare, and destruction.

Phe Formido et laqueus facta est nobis vaticinatio, et contritio.

Poor Sion, for thy calamity these cheeks are furrowed with tears;

Phe. My eye hath run down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

Phe Divisiones aquarum deduxit oculus meus, in contritione filiæ populi mei.

Quell if thou wouldst the restless fever of my weeping,

Ain. My eye is afflicted, and hath not been quiet, because there was no rest:

Ain Oculus meus afflictus est, nec tacuit, eo quod non esset requies.

Quickly, Lord, look down from heaven and pay heed to us,

Ain. Till the Lord regarded and looked down from the heavens.

Ain Donec respiceret et videret Dominus de cælis.

Quite forspent, eye and soul, with grief Jerusalem’s daughters bear.

Ain. My eye hath wasted my soul because of all the daughters of my city.

Ain Oculus meus deprædatus est animam meam in cunctis filiabus urbis meæ.

Relentless as hawk in air they pursued me, enemies unprovoked,

Sade. My enemies have chased me and caught me like a bird, without cause.

Sade Venatione ceperunt me quasi avem inimici mei gratis.

Reft me of life itself, sealed with a stone my prison door.

Sade. My life is fallen into the pit, and they have laid a stone over me.

Sade Lapsa est in lacum vita mea, et posuerunt lapidem super me.

Round my head the waters closed, and I had given myself up for lost,

Sade. Waters have flowed over my head: I said: I am cut off.

Sade Inundaverunt aquæ super caput meum; dixi: Perii.

Save for one hope; to thee, Lord, I cried from the pit’s depth,

Coph. I have called upon thy name, O Lord, from the lowest pit.

Coph Invocavi nomen tuum, Domine, de lacu novissimo.

Sure of thy audience; wouldst thou turn a deaf ear to sighs of complaint?

Coph. Thou hast heard my voice: turn not away thy ear from my sighs, and cries.

Coph Vocem meam audisti; ne avertas aurem tuam a singultu meo et clamoribus.

Summoned, thou didst come to my side, whispering, Do not be afraid.

Coph. Thou drewest near in the day, when I called upon thee, thou saidst: Fear not.

Coph Appropinquasti in die quando invocavi te; dixisti: Ne timeas.

Thine, Lord, to take my part; thine to rescue me from death;

Res. Thou hast judged, O Lord, the cause of my soul, thou the Redeemer of my life.

Res Judicasti, Domine, causam animæ meæ, redemptor vitæ meæ.

The malice of my enemies to discover, my wrongs to redress.

Res. Thou hast seen, O Lord, their iniquity against me: judge thou my judgment.

Res Vidisti, Domine, iniquitatem illorum adversum me: judica judicium meum.

Thrust away from thy sight, the grudge they bear me, the ill they purpose,

Res. Thou hast seen all their fury, and all their thoughts against me.

Res Vidisti omnem furorem, universas cogitationes eorum adversum me.

Unheard by thee their taunts, their whispered plottings?

Sin. Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, all their imaginations against me.

Sin Audisti opprobrium eorum, Domine, omnes cogitationes eorum adversum me.

Uttered aloud or in secret, their malice assails me from morn till night;

Sin. The lips of them that rise up against me: and their devices against me all the day.

Sin Labia insurgentium mihi, et meditationes eorum adversum me tota die.

Up in arms, or met in secret conclave, ever against me they raise the battle-song.

Sin. Behold their sitting down, and their rising up, I am their song.

Sin Sessionem eorum et resurrectionem eorum vide; ego sum psalmus eorum.

Visit them with the punishment their ill deeds have earned;

Thau. Thou shalt render them a recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.

Thau Redes eis vicem, Domine, juxta opera manuum suarum.

Veiled be those blind hearts with fresh blindness of thy own making;

Thau. Thou shalt give them a buckler of heart, thy labour.

Thau Dabis eis scutum cordis, laborem tuum.

Vanish from the earth their whole brood, ere thy vengeance leaves off pursuing them!

Thau. Thou shalt persecute them in anger, and shalt destroy them from under the heavens, O Lord.

Thau Persequeris in furore, et conteres eos sub cælis, Domine.