Lamentations · Chapter 4

[ edit] Aleph. Hou bicome derc is gold, chaungid is þe beſt colour? ſcatered ben þe ſtonus of þe ſeyntuarie in þe hed of alle ſtretus. Beþ. Þe ſonus of Sion glorious, and wrappid wiþ þe chef gold, in to erþene veſſeles, werk of þe hondis of a crockere. Gimel. But and þe cruel beeſtis clepid lamya, nakeden þer tetes, ȝeeuen þer whelpus ſouken; þe doȝter of my puple cruel, as an oſtrich in deſert. Deleþ. Cleuede to þe tonge of þe ſoukende to his palet in þriſt; þe litil childer aſkeden bred, and þer was not þat ſhulde breke to þem. He. Þat eeten voluptuouſly, dieden in weies; þat weren nurſhid in faire clois of ſaffroun, han clippid þoſtus. Vau.

And more mad is þe wickedneſſe of þe doȝter of my puple þan þe ſynne of Sodomys, þat is turned vp ſo doun in a moment, and toc not in to it hondus. Sai. Whittere is Nazareis þan ſnoȝ, ſhynendere þan mylc; reddere þan old yuer, þan ſafyr fairere. Heþ. Gretli blakid is aboue colis þe face of hem, and þei ben not knowen in ſtretus; cleuede to þe ſkyn to þe bonus of hem, it driede, and mad is as a tree. Teþ. Betere was to þe ſlayn men wiþ ſwerd, þan to þe ſlayn men wiþ hungir; for þei anoen ben dead, þeſe ful out faileden, ben towaſtid of þe bareyneſſe of þe erþe. Joþ. Þe hondus of merciful wymmen ſeþeden þer ſonus; mad þei ben þe metus of hem in þe contricioun of þe doȝter of my puple. Caf.

Þe Lord fulfilde his wodneſſe, helde out þe wraþe of his indignacioun; and þe Lord tende vp fyr in Sion, and deuourede his foundemens. Lameþ. Leeueden not þe kingis of þe lond, and alle þe dwelleris of þe world, þat gon in ſhulde þe ferr enemy and þe nyȝ enemy bi þe ȝatus of Jeruſalem. Men. For þe ſynnes of his profetus, and þe wickidneſſis of his preſtus, þat heeldeden out in his myddil þe blod of riȝtwis men. Nun. Erreden þe blinde in ſtretus, defoulid ben in blod; and whan þei myȝte not entre, þei heelden þer ſwolwis. Sameþ.

Goþ awei, ȝee defoulid, þei crieden to þem, departeþ awei, goþ awei, wileþ not touche; forſoþe þei iangleden, and ben to-ſtired; ſeiden among Jentiles, He ſhal no more lei to, þat he dwelle in hem. Ain. Þe face of þe Lord deuydede þem, he ſhal not adde, þat he beholde þem; þe faces of preſtus þei ſhameden not, ne of þe olde men þei reweden. Fee. Whan ȝit wee ſhulde ſtonden alyue, faileden oure eȝen to oure veyn help; whanne wee bihelden takende heed to þe folc of kinde, þat ſaue vs myȝte not. Sade. Þei maden ſlidery oure ſteppis in þe weie of oure ſtretes; neȝhede oure ende, fulfild ben oure daȝes, for comen is oure ende. Cof.

Swiftere weren oure purſueres þan egles of heuene vp on þe mounteinus; þei purſueden vs, in deſert þei ſetteden aſpies to vs. Res. Þe ſpirit of oure mouþ, Criſt Lord, taken is in oure ſynnes; to whom we ſeiden, In þi ſhadewe wee ſhul lyue in folkus of kinde. Syn. Ioȝe, and glade, þou doȝter of Edom, þat dwelliſt in þe lond of Hus; to þee alſo ſhal come þe chalis, þou ſhalt be drunke, and nakened. Tau. Fulfilde is þi wickeneſſe, þou doȝter of Sion; he ſhal no more adde, þat he ouerpaſſe þee; he ſhal viſite þi wickeneſſe, þou doȝter of Edom, diſcouere he ſhal þi ſynnes.