Ascendit qui dispergat coram te, qui custodiat obsidionem: contemplare viam, conforta lumbos, robora virtutem valde.

He is come up that shall destroy before thy face, that shall keep the siege: watch the way, fortify thy loins, strengthen thy power exceedingly.

Here is an enemy at thy gates that scatters all before him; here is close siege, no entry but must be guarded; gird thee well, summon up all thy strength!

Quia reddidit Dominus superbiam Jacob, sicut superbiam Israël; quia vastatores dissipaverunt eos, et propagines eorum corruperunt.

For the Lord hath rendered the pride of Jacob, as the pride of Israel: because the spoilers have laid them waste, and have marred their vine branches.

Honour of Juda the Lord retrieves now, and honour of Israel both, that have seen the spoiler ransack them, strip vineyard bare.

Clypeus fortium ejus ignitus, viri exercitus in coccineis; igneæ habenæ currus in die præparationis ejus, et agitatores consopiti sunt.

The shield of his mighty men is like fire, the men of the army are clad in scarlet, the reins of the chariot are flaming in the day of his preparation, and the drivers are stupefied.

Bright flash that enemy’s shields, warriors of his go clad in scarlet; dart like flame his chariots as he goes to the attack, dizzily sways charioteer.

In itineribus conturbati sunt; quadrigæ collisæ sunt in plateis: aspectus eorum quasi lampades, quasi fulgura discurrentia.

They are in confusion in the ways, the chariots jostle one against another in the streets: their looks are like torches, like lightning running to and fro.

How jostle they in the streets, those chariots, hurtle they in the open market-place; dazzle they like flame of torches, like the lightning that comes and goes!

Recordabitur fortium suorum; ruent in itineribus suis: velociter ascendent muros ejus, et præparabitur umbraculum.

He will muster up his valiant men, they shall stumble in their march: they shall quickly get upon the walls thereof: and a covering shall be prepared.

Alas, for the muster-roll of the king’s vassals, fallen as they went about their task! Swiftly they manned the walls, but the engines were in place already.

Portæ fluviorum apertæ sunt, et templum ad solum dirutum.

The gates of the rivers are opened, and the temple is thrown down to the ground.

Open, now, stands the water-gate, crumbles yonder temple into dust.

Et miles captivus abductus est, et ancillæ ejus minabantur gementes ut columbæ, murmurantes in cordibus suis.

And the soldier is led away captive: and her bondwomen were led away mourning as doves, murmuring in their hearts.

Alas, for warriors of Nineve gone into exile, for maids of hers led away, that sigh and moan like ring-doves in the bitterness of their heart!

Et Ninive quasi piscina aquarum aquæ ejus; ipsi vero fugerunt. State, state! et non est qui revertatur.

And as for Ninive, her waters are like a great pool, but the men flee away. They cry: Stand, stand, but there is none that will return back.

Nineve, welcome sight as pools of water to the fugitive; stay, stay! But never a one looks back.

Diripite argentum, diripite aurum: et non est finis divitiarum ex omnibus vasis desiderabilibus.

Take ye the spoil of the silver, take the spoil of the gold: for there is no end of the riches of all the precious furniture.

Out with silver, out with gold of hers; store is here of costly stuff beyond price or reckoning!

Dissipata est, et scissa, et dilacerata; et cor tabescens, et dissolutio geniculorum, et defectio in cunctis renibus, et facies omnium eorum sicut nigredo ollæ.

She is destroyed, and rent, and torn: the heart melteth, and the knees fail, and all the loins lose their strength: and the faces of them all are as the blackness of a kettle.

Roof to cellar rifled and ransacked! Sore hearts are here, and knees that knock together, loins that go labouring, and pale cheeks.

Ubi est habitaculum leonum, et pascua catulorum leonum, ad quam ivit leo ut ingrederetur illuc catulus leonis, et non est qui exterreat?

Where is now the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions, to which the lion went, to enter in thither, the young lion, and there was none to make them afraid?

Lair of lion, and nursery of his whelps, what trace is left of thee, once so secure a retreat, his haunt and theirs?

Leo cepit sufficienter catulis suis, et necavit leænis suis, et implevit præda speluncas suas, et cubile suum rapina.

The lion caught enough for his whelps, and killed for his lionesses: and he filled his holes with prey, and his denwith rapine.

Cub nor lioness should want, so preyed he, so mauled he, so filled with plunder of his forays the den where he lay.

Ecce ego ad te, dicit Dominus exercituum, et succendam usque ad fumum quadrigas tuas, et leunculos tuos comedet gladius, et exterminabo de terra prædam tuam, et non audietur ultra vox nuntiorum tuorum.

Behold I come against thee, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will burn thy chariots even to smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey out of the land, and the voice of thy messengers shall be heard no more.

Have at thee! says the Lord of hosts; yonder chariots shall be burnt to ashes; whelps of thine shall die at the sword’s point, plunder of thine be swept off the face of earth; and for thy heralds, their voices shall be heard no more.