1 But now those who are younger than I make sport of me; those whose fathers I would not have put with the dogs of my flocks.2 Of what use is the strength of their hands to me? all force is gone from them.3 They are wasted for need of food, biting the dry earth; their only hope of life is in the waste land.4 They are pulling off the salt leaves from the brushwood, and making a meal of roots.5 They are sent out from among their townsmen, men are crying after them as thieves6 They have to get a resting-place in the hollows of the valleys, in holes of the earth and rocks.7 They make noises like asses among the brushwood; they get together under the thorns.8 They are sons of shame, and of men without a name, who have been forced out of the land.9 And now I have become their song, and I am a word of shame to them.10 I am disgusting to them; they keep away from me, and put marks of shame on me.11 For he has made loose the cord of my bow, and put me to shame; he has sent down my flag to the earth before me.12 The lines of his men of war put themselves in order, and make high their ways of destruction against me:13 They have made waste my roads, with a view to my destruction; his bowmen come round about me;14 As through a wide broken place in the wall they come on, I am overturned by the shock of their attack.15 Fears have come on me; my hope is gone like the wind, and my well-being like a cloud.16 But now my soul is turned to water in me, days of trouble overtake me:17 The flesh is gone from my bones, and they give me no rest; there is no end to my pains.18 With great force he takes a grip of my clothing, pulling me by the neck of my coat.19 Truly God has made me low, even to the earth, and I have become like dust.20 You give no answer to my cry, and take no note of my prayer.21 You have become cruel to me; the strength of your hand is hard on me.22 Lifting me up, you make me go on the wings of the wind; I am broken up by the storm.23 For I am certain that you will send me back to death, and to the meeting-place ordered for all living.24 Has not my hand been stretched out in help to the poor? have I not been a saviour to him in his trouble?25 Have I not been weeping for the crushed? and was not my soul sad for him who was in need?26 For I was looking for good, and evil came; I was waiting for light, and it became dark.27 My feelings are strongly moved, and give me no rest; days of trouble have overtaken me.28 I go about in dark clothing, uncomforted; I get up in the public place, crying out for help.29 I have become a brother to the jackals, and go about in the company of ostriches.30 My skin is black and dropping off me; and my bones are burning with the heat of my disease.31 And my music has been turned to sorrow, and the sound of my pipe into the noise of weeping.

1 [Nunc autem derident me juniores tempore,quorum non dignabar patres ponere cum canibus gregis mei :2 quorum virtus manuum mihi erat pro nihilo,et vita ipsa putabantur indigni :3 egestate et fame steriles, qui rodebant in solitudine,squallentes calamitate et miseria.4 Et mandebant herbas, et arborum cortices,et radix juniperorum erat cibus eorum :5 qui de convallibus ista rapientes,cum singula reperissent, ad ea cum clamore currebant.6 In desertis habitabant torrentium,et in cavernis terr, vel super glaream :7 qui inter hujuscemodi ltabantur,et esse sub sentibus delicias computabant :8 filii stultorum et ignobilium,et in terra penitus non parentes.9 Nunc in eorum canticum versus sum,et factus sum eis in proverbium.10 Abominantur me, et longe fugiunt a me,et faciem meam conspuere non verentur.11 Pharetram enim suam aperuit, et afflixit me,et frenum posuit in os meum.12 Ad dexteram orientis calamitates me illico surrexerunt :pedes meos subverterunt,et oppresserunt quasi fluctibus semitis suis.13 Dissipaverunt itinera mea ;insidiati sunt mihi, et prvaluerunt :et non fuit qui ferret auxilium.14 Quasi rupto muro, et aperta janua, irruerunt super me,et ad meas miserias devoluti sunt.15 Redactus sum in nihilum :abstulisti quasi ventus desiderium meum,et velut nubes pertransiit salus mea.16 Nunc autem in memetipso marcescit anima mea,et possident me dies afflictionis.17 Nocte os meum perforatur doloribus,et qui me comedunt, non dormiunt.18 In multitudine eorum consumitur vestimentum meum,et quasi capito tunic succinxerunt me.19 Comparatus sum luto,et assimilatus sum favill et cineri.20 Clamo ad te, et non exaudis me :sto, et non respicis me.21 Mutatus es mihi in crudelem,et in duritia manus tu adversaris mihi.22 Elevasti me, et quasi super ventum ponens ;elisisti me valide.23 Scio quia morti trades me,ubi constituta est domus omni viventi.24 Verumtamen non ad consumptionem eorum emittis manum tuam :et si corruerint, ipse salvabis.25 Flebam quondam super eo qui afflictus erat,et compatiebatur anima mea pauperi.26 Expectabam bona, et venerunt mihi mala :prstolabar lucem, et eruperunt tenebr.27 Interiora mea efferbuerunt absque ulla requie :prvenerunt me dies afflictionis.28 Mrens incedebam sine furore ;consurgens, in turba clamabam.29 Frater fui draconum,et socius struthionum.30 Cutis mea denigrata est super me,et ossa mea aruerunt pr caumate.31 Versa est in luctum cithara mea,et organum meum in vocem flentium.]