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| [1]But now yongere men in tyme scornen me, whos fadris Y deynede not to sette with the doggis of my flok. |
[1]But nowe they that are younger then I haue me in derision: yea euen they whose fathers I would haue thought scorne to haue set with the dogges of my cattell |
| [2]Of whiche men the vertu of hondis was for nouyt to me, and thei weren gessid vnworthi to that lijf. |
[2]For wherto might the strength of their handes haue serued me? for the time was but lost among them |
| [3]Thei weren bareyn for nedynesse and hungur; that gnawiden in wildirnesse, and weren pale for pouert and wretchidnesse; |
[3]For very miserie and hunger they fled into the wildernesse, a darke place, horrible and waste |
| [4]and eeten eerbis, aud the ryndis of trees; and the roote of iunyperis was her mete. |
[4]Plucking vp nettles among the busshes, and the iuniper rootes for their meate |
| [5]Whiche men rauyschiden these thingis fro grete valeis; and whanne thei hadden foundun ony of alle, thei runnen with cry to tho. |
[5]And when they were dryuen foorth, men cryed after them as it had ben afafter a thiefe |
| [6]Thei dwelliden in deseertis of strondis, and in caues of erthe, ethir on grauel, `ethir on cley. |
[6]Their dwelling was in the cleftes of brookes, yea in the caues and dennes of the earth |
| [7]Whiche weren glad among siche thingis, and arettiden delices to be vndur buschis. |
[7]Among the busshes went they about crying, and vnder the thornes they gathered them selues together |
| [8]The sones of foolis and of vnnoble men, and outirli apperynge not in erthe. |
[8]They were the children of fooles and vyllaynes, which are more vile then the earth |
| [9]But now Y am turned in to the song of hem, and Y am maad a prouerbe to hem. |
[9]Now am I their song, & am become their yesting stocke |
| [10]Thei holden me abhomynable, and fleen fer fro me, and dreden not to spete on my face. |
[10]They abhorre me and flee farre from me, and stayne my face with spittle |
| [11]For God hath openyd his arowe caas, and hath turmentid me, and hath set a bridil in to my mouth. |
[11]Because God hath loosed my corde and humbled me, they haue loosed the bridle before me |
| [12]At the riytside of the eest my wretchidnessis risiden anoon; thei turneden vpsedoun my feet, and oppressiden with her pathis as with floodis. |
[12]Upon my right hande ryse the young men against me, they haue hurt my feete, treading vpon me as vpon the wayes of their destruction |
| [13]Thei destrieden my weies; thei settiden tresoun to me, and hadden the maistri; and `noon was that helpide. |
[13]My pathes haue they cleane marred, it was so easye for them to do me harme, that they needed no man to help them |
| [14]Thei felden in on me as bi a brokun wal, and bi yate openyd, and weren stretchid forth to my wretchidnessis. |
[14]They fell vpon me, as it had ben the breaking in of waters, and came in by heapes to destroy me |
| [15]Y am dryuun in to nouyt; he took awei my desir as wynd, and myn helpe passide awei as a cloude. |
[15]Feare is turned vpon me, and they pursue my soule as the wind, and my health passeth away as a cloude |
| [16]But now my soule fadith in my silf, and daies of turment holden me stidfastly. |
[16]Therfore is my soule now powred out vpon me, and the dayes of my trouble haue taken hold vpon me |
| [17]In nyyt my boon is persid with sorewis; and thei, that eten me, slepen not. |
[17]My bones are pearsed through in the night season, and my sinewes take no rest |
| [18]In the multitude of tho my cloth is wastid, and thei han gird me as with coler of a coote. |
[18]For the vehemencie of sorowe is my garment chaunged, whiche compasseth me about as the coller of my coote |
| [19]Y am comparisound to cley, and Y am maad lijk to a deed sparcle and aisch. |
[19]He hath cast me into the myre, and I am become like asshes and dust |
| [20]Y schal cry to thee, and thou schalt not here me; Y stonde, and thou biholdist not me. |
[20]When I crie vnto thee, thou doest not heare me: and though I stande before thee, yet thou regardest me not |
| [21]Thou art chaungid in to cruel to me, and in the hardnesse of thin hond thou art aduersarie to me. |
[21]Thou art become myne enemie, and with thy violent hande thou takest part against me |
| [22]Thou hast reisid me, and hast set as on wynd; and hast hurtlid me doun strongli. |
[22][In times past] thou diddest set me vp on hye, to be caried as it were aboue the wynde, [but nowe] hast thou geuen me a very sore fall |
| [23]Y woot, that thow schalt bitake me to deeth, where an hows is ordeyned to ech lyuynge man. |
[23]Sure I am that thou wilt bryng me vnto death, euen to the lodging that is due vnto all men liuing |
| [24]Netheles thou sendist not out thin hond to the wastyng of hem; and if thei fallen doun, thou schalt saue. |
[24]Notwithstanding, thou wilt not stretch out thyne hand against him that is in the graue: shal men crie out against him that is in destruction |
| [25]Y wepte sum tyme on him, that was turmentid, and my soule hadde compassioun on a pore man. |
[25]Dyd not I weepe with hym that was in trouble? Had not my soule compassion vpon the poore |
| [26]Y abood goodis, and yuelis ben comun to me; Y abood liyt, and derknessis braken out. |
[26]Yet neuerthelesse, where as I loked for good, euyll came vnto me: & where I wayted for light, there came darkenesse |
| [27]Myn ynnere thingis buyliden out with outen my reste; daies of turment camen bifor me. |
[27]My bowels seethe in me without rest, for the dayes of my trouble are come vpon me |
| [28]Y yede morenynge, and Y roos with out woodnesse in the cumpenye, and criede. |
[28]I went mourning without heate, I stoode vp in the congregation, & communed with them |
| [29]Y was the brother of dragouns, and the felow of ostrigis. |
[29]But nowe I am a brother of dragons, and a felowe of Estriches |
| [30]My skyn was maad blak on me, and my boonys drieden for heete. |
[30]My skinne vpon me is [turned] to blacke, and my bones are brent with heate |
| [31]Myn harpe is turned in to morenyng, and myn orgun in to the vois of weperis. |
[31]My harpe is turned to mourning, and my organs into the voyce of them that weepe |