Oratio pauperis, cum anxius fuerit, et in conspectu Domini effuderit precem suam.

The prayer of the poor man, when he was anxious, and poured out his supplication before the Lord.

(A prayer for the friendless man, when he is troubled, and is pouring out his griefs before the Lord.)

Domine, exaudi orationem meam, et clamor meus ad te veniat.

Hear, O Lord, my prayer: and let my cry come to thee.

O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come unto thee.

Non avertas faciem tuam a me: in quacumque die tribulor, inclina ad me aurem tuam; in quacumque die invocavero te, velociter exaudi me.

Turn not away thy face from me: in the day when I am in trouble, incline thy ear to me. In what day soever I shall call upon thee, hear me speedily.

Do not turn thy face away from me, but lend me thy ear in time of affliction; give me swift audience whenever I call upon thee.

Quia defecerunt sicut fumus dies mei, et ossa mea sicut cremium aruerunt.

For my days are vanished like smoke: and my bones are grown dry like fuel for the fire.

See how this life of mine passes away like smoke, how this frame wastes like a tinder!

Percussus sum ut fœnum, et aruit cor meum, quia oblitus sum comedere panem meum.

I am smitten as grass, and my heart is withered: because I forgot to eat my bread.

Drained of strength, like grass the sun scorches, I leave my food untasted, forgotten;

A voce gemitus mei adhæsit os meum carni meæ.

Through the voice of my groaning, my bone hath cleaved to my flesh.

I am spent with sighing, till my skin clings to my bones.

Similis factus sum pellicano solitudinis; factus sum sicut nycticorax in domicilio.

I am become like to a pelican of the wilderness: I am like a night raven in the house.

I am no better than a pelican out in the desert, an owl on some ruined dwelling;

Vigilavi, et factus sum sicut passer solitarius in tecto.

I have watched, and am become as a sparrow all alone on the housetop.

I keep mournful watch, lonely as a single sparrow on the house top.

Tota die exprobrabant mihi inimici mei, et qui laudabant me adversum me jurabant:

All the day long my enemies reproached me: and they that praised me did swear against me.

Still my enemies taunt me, in their mad rage make a by-word of me.

quia cinerem tamquam panem manducabam, et potum meum cum fletu miscebam,

For I did eat ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping.

Ashes are all my food, I drink nothing but what comes to me mingled with my tears;

a facie iræ et indignationis tuæ: quia elevans allisisti me.

Because of thy anger and indignation: for having lifted me up thou hast thrown me down.

I shrink before thy vengeful anger, so low thou hast brought me, who didst once lift me so high.

Dies mei sicut umbra declinaverunt, et ego sicut fœnum arui.

My days have declined like a shadow, and I am withered like grass.

Like a tapering shadow my days dwindle, wasting away, like grass in the sun!

Tu autem, Domine, in æternum permanes, et memoriale tuum in generationem et generationem.

But thou, O Lord, endurest for ever: and thy memorial to all generations.

Lord, thou endurest for ever, thy name, age after age, is not forgotten;

Tu exsurgens misereberis Sion, quia tempus miserendi ejus, quia venit tempus:

Thou shalt arise and have mercy on Sion: for it is time to have mercy on it, for the time is come.

surely thou wilt bestir thyself, and give Sion redress! It is time, now, to take pity on her, the hour has come.

quoniam placuerunt servis tuis lapides ejus, et terræ ejus miserebuntur.

For the stones thereof have pleased thy servants: and they shall have pity on the earth thereof.

See how thy servants love her even in ruin, how they water her dust with their tears!

Et timebunt gentes nomen tuum, Domine, et omnes reges terræ gloriam tuam:

All the Gentiles shall fear thy name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.

Will not the heathen learn reverence, Lord, for thy glorious name, all those monarchs of the earth,

quia ædificavit Dominus Sion, et videbitur in gloria sua.

For the Lord hath built up Sion: and he shall be seen in his glory.

when they hear that the Lord has built Sion anew; that he has revealed himself there in glory,

Respexit in orationem humilium et non sprevit precem eorum.

He hath had regard to the prayer of the humble: and he hath not despised their petition.

has given heed to the prayer of the afflicted, neglects their appeal no more?

Scribantur hæc in generatione altera, et populus qui creabitur laudabit Dominum.

Let these things be written unto another generation: and the people that shall be created shall praise the Lord:

Such legend inscribe we for a later age to read it; a new people will arise, to praise the Lord;

Quia prospexit de excelso sancto suo; Dominus de cælo in terram aspexit:

Because he hath looked forth from his high sanctuary: from heaven the Lord hath looked upon the earth.

the Lord, who looks down from his sanctuary on high, viewing earth from heaven,

ut audiret gemitus compeditorum; ut solveret filios interemptorum:

That he might hear the groans of them that are in fetters: that he might release the children of the slain:

who has listened to the groans of the prisoners, delivered a race that was doomed to die.

ut annuntient in Sion nomen Domini, et laudem ejus in Jerusalem:

That they may declare the name of the Lord in Sion: and his praise in Jerusalem;

There will be talk of the Lord’s name in Sion, of his praise in Jerusalem,

in conveniendo populos in unum, et reges, ut serviant Domino.

When the people assemble together, and kings, to serve the Lord.

when peoples and kings meet there to pay him their homage.

Respondit ei in via virtutis suæ: Paucitatem dierum meorum nuntia mihi:

He answered him in the way of his strength: Declare unto me the fewness of my days.

Here, on my journey, he has brought my strength to an end, cut short my days.

ne revoces me in dimidio dierum meorum, in generationem et generationem anni tui.

Call me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are unto generation and generation.

What, my God, wilt thou snatch me away, my life half done? Age after age thy years endure;

Initio tu, Domine, terram fundasti, et opera manuum tuarum sunt cæli.

In the beginning, O Lord, thou foundedst the earth: and the heavens are the works of thy hands.

it was thou, Lord, that didst lay the foundations of earth when time began, it was thy hand that built the heavens.

Ipsi peribunt, tu autem permanes; et omnes sicut vestimentum veterascent. Et sicut opertorium mutabis eos, et mutabuntur;

They shall perish but thou remainest: and all of them shall grow old like a garment: And as a vesture thou shalt change them, and they shall be changed.

They will perish, but thou wilt remain; they will all be like a cloak that grows threadbare, and thou wilt lay them aside like a garment, and exchange them for new;

tu autem idem ipse es, et anni tui non deficient.

But thou art always the selfsame, and thy years shall not fail.

thou art unchanging, thy years can never fail.

Filii servorum tuorum habitabunt, et semen eorum in sæculum dirigetur.

The children of thy servants shall continue and their seed shall be directed for ever.

The posterity of thy servants shall yet hold their lands in peace, their race shall live on in thy keeping.