| 15 ἐπιστρέφονται δέ μου αἱ ὀδύναι ᾤχετό μου ἡ ἐλπὶς ὥσπερ πνεῦμα καὶ ὥσπερ νέφος ἡ σωτηρία μου 16 καὶ νῦν ἐ{P'} ἐμὲ ἐκχυθήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου ἔχουσιν δέ με ἡμέραι ὀδυνῶν 17 νυκτὶ δέ μου τὰ ὀστᾶ συγκέκαυται τὰ δὲ νεῦρά μου διαλέλυται 18 ἐν πολλῇ ἰσχύι ἐπελάβετό μου τῆς στολῆς ὥσπερ τὸ περιστόμιον τοῦ χιτῶνός μου περιέσχεν με 19 ἥγησαι δέ με ἴσα πηλῷ ἐν γῇ καὶ σποδῷ μου ἡ μερίς 20 κέκραγα δὲ πρὸς σὲ καὶ οὐκ εἰσακούεις μου ἔστησαν καὶ κατενόησάν με 21 ἐπέβης δέ μοι ἀνελεημόνως χειρὶ κραταιᾷ με ἐμαστίγωσας 22 ἔταξας δέ με ἐν ὀδύναις καὶ ἀπέρριψάς με ἀπὸ σωτηρίας 23 οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι θάνατός με ἐκτρίψει οἰκία γὰρ παντὶ θνητῷ γῆ 24 εἰ γὰρ ὄφελον δυναίμην ἐμαυτὸν χειρώσασθαι ἢ δεηθείς γε ἑτέρου καὶ ποιήσει μοι τοῦτο 25 ἐγὼ δὲ ἐπὶ παντὶ ἀδυνάτῳ ἔκλαυσα ἐστέναξα δὲ ἰδὼν ἄνδρα ἐν ἀνάγκαις 26 ἐγὼ δὲ ἐπέχων ἀγαθοῖς ἰδοὺ συνήντησάν μοι μᾶλλον ἡμέραι κακῶν 27 ἡ κοιλία μου ἐξέζεσεν καὶ οὐ σιωπήσεται προέφθασάν με ἡμέραι πτωχείας 28 στένων πεπόρευμαι ἄνευ φιμοῦ ἕστηκα δὲ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ κεκραγώς 29 ἀδελφὸς γέγονα σειρήνων ἑταῖρος δὲ στρουθῶν 30 τὸ δὲ δέρμα μου ἐσκότωται μεγάλως τὰ δὲ ὀστᾶ μου ἀπὸ καύματος 31 ἀπέβη δὲ εἰς πάθος μου ἡ κιθάρα ὁ δὲ ψαλμός μου εἰς κλαυθμὸν ἐμοί |
15 All that I was, is gone, the ambition, the happiness that was mine swept away like clouds before the storm; 16 my heart is dead within me, a prey to long despairs. 17 By night, anguish racks my frame; sleepless the cares that consume me, 18 their poison[3] seems to eat away the very garments I wear, clings fast about me like the collar of my coat. 19 No better I than mud in the streets, little thought of as dust or ashes; 20 unheard I cry to thee, unregarded I stand in thy presence; 21 so hardened is thy heart, so pitilessly thy blows fall upon me. 22 Didst thou exalt me, lift me so high in air, only to hurl me down in ruin? 23 I know well enough that thou wilt bring me to the grave at last; it is the home thou hast appointed for all living men; 24 but surely thou dost not exert thy power only to destroy, surely thou hast mercy on the fallen? 25 I myself know what it is to pity the afflicted, to shed tears over human need! 26 But no, hope I for better things, I hope in vain; ever deeper the darkness shews to eyes straining for the light. 27 Still my heart is in turmoil, greeted still by fresh despairs; 28 I go mourning, my face blacker than ever the sun’s heat made it, rise up in public, and claim audience for my wrongs; 29 crying so dismally as if I had jackals[4] for my brothers, ostriches for my company. 30 And all the while, fever to discolour this flesh, to shrivel this frame! 31 What wonder if all, with me, is mourning and lament, if the music of harp and flute is heard no more? |
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 tunicæ succinxerunt me. 19
Comparatus sum luto,
et assimilatus sum favillæ 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 tuæ 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:
præstolabar lucem, et eruperunt tenebræ. 27
Interiora mea efferbuerunt absque ulla requie:
prævenerunt me dies afflictionis. 28
Mœrens 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 præ caumate. 31
Versa est in luctum cithara mea,
et organum meum in vocem flentium. |