And it came to pass, after Israel was carried into captivity, and Jerusalem was desolate, that Jeremias the prophet sat weeping, and mourned with this lamentation over Jerusalem, and with a sorrowful mind, sighing and moaning, he said:

 1 Aleph. How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people! how is the mistress of the Gentiles become as a widow: the princes of provinces made tributary!
ALEPH. Quomodo sedet sola civitas plena populo! Facta est quasi vidua domina gentium; princeps provinciarum facta est sub tributo.

 2 Beth. Weeping she hath wept in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: there is none to comfort her among all them that were dear to her: all her friends have despised her, and are become her enemies.
BETH. Plorans ploravit in nocte, et lacrimae ejus in maxillis ejus : non est qui consoletur eam, et omnibus caris ejus; omnes amici ejus spreverunt eam, et facti sunt ei inimici.

 3 Ghimel. Juda hath removed her dwelling place because of her affliction, and the greatness of her bondage: she hath dwelt among the nations, and she hath found no rest: all her persecutors have taken her in the midst of straits.
GHIMEL. Migravit Judas propter afflictionem, et multitudinem servitutis; habitavit inter gentes, nec invenit requiem : omnes persecutores ejus apprehenderunt eam inter angustias.

 4 Daleth. The ways of Sion mourn, because there are none that come to the solemn feast: all her gates are broken down: her priests sigh: her virgins are in affliction, and she is oppressed with bitterness.
DALETH. Viae Sion lugent, eo quod non sint qui veniant ad solemnitatem : omnes portae ejus destructae, sacerdotes ejus gementes; virgines ejus squalidae, et ipsa oppressa amaritudine.

 5 He. Her adversaries are become her lords, her enemies are enriched: because the Lord hath spoken against her for the multitude of her iniquities: her children are led into captivity: before the face of the oppressor.
HE. Facti sunt hostes ejus in capite; inimici ejus locupletati sunt : quia Dominus locutus est super eam propter multitudinem iniquitatum ejus. Parvuli ejus ducti sunt in captivitatem ante faciem tribulantis.

 6 Vau. And from the daughter of Sion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like rams that find no pastures: and they are gone away without strength before the face of the pursuer.
VAU. Et egressus est a filia Sion omnis decor ejus; facti sunt principes ejus velut arietes non invenientes pascua, et abierunt absque fortitudine ante faciem subsequentis.

 7 Zain. Jerusalem hath remembered the days of her affliction, and prevarication of all her desirable things which she had from the days of old, when her people fell in the enemy's hand, and there was no helper: the enemies have seen her, and have mocked at her sabbaths.
ZAIN. Recordata est Jerusalem dierum afflictionis suae, et praevaricationis, omnium desiderabilium suorum, quae habuerat a diebus antiquis, cum caderet populus ejus in manu hostili, et non esset auxiliator : viderunt eam hostes, et deriserunt sabbata ejus.

 8 Heth. Jerusalem hath grievously sinned, therefore is she become unstable: all that honoured her have despised her, because they have seen her shame: but she sighed and turned backward.
HETH. Peccatum peccavit Jerusalem, propterea instabilis facta est; omnes qui glorificabant eam spreverunt illam, quia viderunt ignominiam ejus : ipsa autem gemens conversa est retrorsum.

 9 Teth. Her filthiness is on her feet, and she hath not remembered her end: she is wonderfully cast down, not having a comforter: behold, O Lord, my affliction, because the enemy is lifted up.
TETH. Sordes ejus in pedibus ejus, nec recordata est finis sui; deposita est vehementer, non habens consolatorem. Vide, Domine, afflictionem meam, quoniam erectus est inimicus.

 10 Jod. The enemy hath put out his hand to all her desirable things: for she hath seen the Gentiles enter into her sanctuary, of whom thou gavest commandment that they should not enter into thy church.
JOD. Manum suam misit hostis ad omnia desiderabilia ejus, quia vidit gentes ingressas sanctuarium suum, de quibus praeceperas ne intrarent in ecclesiam tuam.

 11 Caph. All her people sigh, they seek bread: they have given all their precious things for food to relieve the soul: see, O Lord, and consider, for I am become vile.
CAPH. Omnis populus ejus gemens, et quaerens panem; dederunt pretiosa quaeque pro cibo ad refocillandam animam. Vide, Domine, et considera quoniam facta sum vilis!

 12 Lamed. O all ye that pass by the way, attend, and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow: for he hath made a vintage of me, as the Lord spoke in the day of his fierce anger.
LAMED. O vos omnes qui transitis per viam, attendite, et videte si est dolor sicut dolor meus! quoniam vindemiavit me, ut locutus est Dominus, in die irae furoris sui.

 13 Mem. From above he hath sent fire into my bones, and hath chastised me: he hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back: he hath made me desolate, wasted with sorrow all the day long.
MEM. De excelso misit ignem in ossibus meis, et erudivit me : expandit rete pedibus meis, convertit me retrorsum; posuit me desolatam, tota die moerore confectam.

 14 Nun. The yoke of my iniquities hath watched: they are folded together in his hand, and put upon my neck: my strength is weakened: the Lord hath delivered me into a hand out of which I am not able to rise.
NUN. Vigilavit jugum iniquitatum mearum; in manu ejus convolutae sunt, et impositae collo meo. Infirmata est virtus mea : dedit me Dominus in manu de qua non potero surgere.

 15 Samech. The Lord hath taken away all my mighty men out of the midst of me: he hath called against me the time, to destroy my chosen men: the Lord hath trodden the winepress for the virgin daughter of Juda.
SAMECH. Abstulit omnes magnificos meos Dominus de medio mei; vocavit adversum me tempus ut contereret electos meos. Torcular calcavit Dominus virgini filiae Juda.

 16 Ain. Therefore do I weep, and my eyes run down with water: because the comforter, the relief of my soul, is far from me: my children are desolate because the enemy hath prevailed.
AIN. Idcirco ego plorans, et oculus meus deducens aquas, quia longe factus est a me consolator, convertens animam meam. Facti sunt filii mei perditi, quoniam invaluit inimicus.

 17 Phe. Sion hath spread forth her hands, there is none to comfort her: the Lord hath commanded against Jacob, his enemies are round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them.
PHE. Expandit Sion manus suas; non est qui consoletur eam. Mandavit Dominus adversum Jacob in circuitu ejus hostes ejus; facta est Jerusalem quasi polluta menstruis inter eos.

 18 Sade. The Lord is just, for I have provoked his mouth to wrath: hear, I pray you, all ye people, and see my sorrow: my virgins, and my young men are gone into captivity.
SADE. Justus est Dominus, quia os ejus ad iracundiam provocavi. Audite, obsecro, universi populi, et videte dolorem meum : virgines meae et juvenes mei abierunt in captivitatem.

 19 Coph. I called for my friends, but they deceived me: my priests and my ancients pined away in the city: while they sought their food, to relieve their souls.
COPH. Vocavi amicos meos, et ipsi deceperunt me; sacerdotes mei et senes mei in urbe consumpti sunt, quia quaesierunt cibum sibi ut refocillarent animam suam.

 20 Res. Behold, O Lord, for I am in distress, my bowels are troubled: my heart is turned within me, for I am full of bitterness: abroad the sword destroyeth, and at home there is death alike.
RES. Vide, Domine, quoniam tribulor : conturbatus est venter meus, subversum est cor meum in memetipsa, quoniam amaritudine plena sum. Foris interfecit gladius, et domi mors similis est.

 21 Sin. They have heard that I sigh, and there is none to comfort me: all my enemies have heard of my evil, they have rejoiced that thou hast done it: thou hast brought a day of consolation, and they shall be like unto me.
SIN. Audierunt quia ingemisco ego, et non est qui consoletur me; omnes inimici mei audierunt malum meum, laetati sunt quoniam tu fecisti : adduxisti diem consolationis, et fient similes mei.

 22 Thau. Let all their evil be present before thee: and make vintage of them, as thou hast made vintage of me for all my iniquities: for my sighs are many, and my heart is sorrowful.
THAU. Ingrediatur omne malum eorum coram te : et vindemia eos, sicut vindemiasti me propter omnes iniquitates meas : multi enim gemitus mei, et cor meum moerens.