1 « وَأمّا الآنَ، فَالَّذِينَ هُمْ دُونِي سِنّاً يَهزَأُونَ بِي. الَّذِينَ لَمْ أكُنْ أقبَلُ آباءَهُمْ مَعَ كِلابِ قَطِيعِي!

But now they who are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I disdained to set with the dogs of my flock.

2 و َقُوَّةُ أيدِيهِمْ لا تُفِيدُنِي شَيئاً، فَقَدْ فَقَدُوا قُوَّتَهُمْ.

Yes, how could the strength of their hands profit me? They were men whose ripe age and vigor had perished.

3 و َفِي الفَقرِ وَالجُوعِ الشَّدِيدِ، يَلعَقُونَ الغُبارَ فِي الصَّحراءِ؟

They are gaunt with want and famine; they gnaw the dry and barren ground or flee into the wilderness, into the gloom of wasteness and desolation.

4 ي َقلَعُونَ النَّباتاتِ المالِحَةِ وَسَطَ الشُّجَيْراتِ، وَجُذُورَ نَباتِ الرَّتَمِ، وَيأكُلُونَها.

They pluck saltwort or mallows among the bushes, and roots of the broom for their food or to warm them.

5 م ِنْ وَسَطِ النّاسِ يُطرَدُونَ، وَيَصرُخُ النّاسُ عَلَيهِمْ كَما لَوْ كانُوا لُصُوصاً.

They are driven from among men, who shout after them as after a thief.

6 ي َسكُنُونَ فِي الكُهُوفِ وَبَينَ الصُّخُورِ وَفِي شُقُوقِ الوِديانِ.

They must dwell in the clefts of frightful valleys (gullies made by torrents) and in holes of the earth and of the rocks.

7 ي َنْبَحُونَ بَينَ أعشابِ الصَّحراءِ، وَيَتَجَمَّعُونَ مَعاً تَحتَ الشُّجَيْراتِ الشّائِكَةِ.

Among the bushes they bray and howl; beneath the prickly scrub they fling themselves and huddle together.

8 ه ُمْ مُحتَقَرُونَ، طُرِدُوا مِنَ الأرْضِ بِالسِّياطِ. أُناسٌ لا وَزنَ أوْ قِيمَةَ لَهُمْ.

Sons of the worthless and nameless, they have been scourged and crushed out of the land.

9 « وَالآنَ أصبَحتُ أنا أُغنِيَتَهُمْ، وَصِرتُ لَهُمْ أُضْحُوكَةً.

And now I have become their song; yes, I am a byword to them.

10 ي َمقُتُونَنِي وَيَبْتَعِدُونَ عَنِّي، وَلا يَتَرَدَّدُونَ فِي البَصْقِ عَلَيَّ.

They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, and do not refrain from spitting in my face or at the sight of me.

11 ل ِأنَّ اللهَ أرخَى وَتَرَ قَوسِي وَأذَلَّنِي، يُهاجِمُونَنِي دُونَ ضابِطٍ.

For God has loosed my bowstring and afflicted and humbled me; they have cast off the bridle before me.

12 ي َقُومُ أصاغِرُهُمْ عَنْ يَمِينِي، لِيَجعَلُوا قَدَمَيَّ تَزِلّانِ، وَيُحاصِرُونَنِي لِتَدمِيرِي.

On my right hand rises the rabble brood; they jostle me and push away my feet, and they cast up against me their ways of destruction.

13 خ َرَّبُوا طَرِيقِي، وَنَجَحُوا فِي تَحطِيمِي، وَلَيسَ هُناكَ مَنْ يُعِينُنِي عَلَيهِمْ.

They break up and clutter my path; they urge on my calamity, even though they have no helper.

14 ي َدخُلُونَ إلَيَّ مِنْ ثَغرَةٍ واسِعَةٍ، وَيَتَدَحرَجُ عَلَيَّ الحُطامُ.

As through a wide breach they come in; amid the crash they roll themselves upon me.

15 غ َمَرَتْنِي المَصائِبُ، وَطارَدَتْ كَرامَتِي كَالرِّيحِ، وَمَضَى خَلاصِي كَغَيْمَةٍ.

Terrors are turned upon me; my honor and reputation they chase away like the wind, and my welfare has passed away as a cloud.

16 « وَالآنَ تَتَهاوَى حَياتِي، وَيُسَيطِرُ عَلَيَّ زَمَنُ البَلوَى.

And now my life is poured out within me; the days of affliction have gripped me.

17 ف ِي اللَّيلِ يَختَرِقُ الألَمُ عِظامِي داخِلِي، وَأوجاعِي لا تَنامُ.

My bones are pierced in the night season, and the pains that gnaw me take no rest.

18 ب ِقُوَّةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ يُمسِكُ مَلابِسِي، يُمسِكُنِي مِنْ ياقَةِ رِدائِي.

By the great force my garment is disguised and disfigured; it binds me about like the collar of my coat.

19 و َيَرمِينِي فِي الوَحلِ، فَأصِيرُ تُراباً وَرَماداً.

has cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes.

20 « أصرُخُ مُستَغِيثاً بِكَ يا اللهُ، لَكِنَّكَ لا تُجِيبُنِي. أقِفُ فَلا تَنتَبِهُ إلَيَّ.

I cry to You, and You do not answer me; I stand up, but You gaze at me.

21 ص ِرتَ قاسِياً عَلَيَّ، وَبِيَدِكَ القَوِيَّةِ صِرتَ تُقاوِمنِي.

You have become harsh and cruel to me; with the might of Your hand You persecute me.

22 ت َتْرُكُ الرِّيحَ تَحمِلُنِي وَتَرمِي بِي بَعِيداً، وَالعَواصِفَ الهادِرَةُ تَتَقاذَفُنِي.

You lift me up on the wind; You cause me to ride upon it, and You toss me about in the tempest.

23 أ نا أعْرِفُ أنَّكَ سَتُرجِعنِي إلَى المَوتِ، إلَى مِيعادِ الأحياءِ جَمِيعاً.

For I know that You will bring me to death and to the house appointed for all the living.

24 « لَكِنْ أيَضطَهِدُ أحَدٌ إنْساناً مُحَطَّماً خَرِباً، إنِ استَغاثَ لَحظَةَ الدَّمارِ؟

However, does not one falling in a heap of ruins stretch out his hand? Or in his calamity will he not therefore cry for help?

25 أ لَمْ أبْكِ مِنْ أجلِ الَّذِينَ عَانَوا مِنْ أيَّامٍ صَعْبَةٍ؟ ألَمْ أحْزَنْ عَلَى المَساكِينِ؟

Did not I weep for him who was in trouble? Was not my heart grieved for the poor and needy?

26 ت َوَقَّعتُ خَيراً فَجاءَ الشَّرُّ! انتَظَرْتُ النُّورَ، فَحَلَّتْ ظُلمَةٌ دامِسَةٌ.

But when I looked for good, then evil came to me; and when I waited for light, there came darkness.

27 ت َضطَرِبُ أحشائِي دُونَ تَوَقُّفٍ. اقتَرَبَتْ مِنِّي أيّامُ ألَمِي.

My heart is troubled and does not rest; days of affliction come to meet me.

28 ت َمَشَّيتُ مُسْوَدّاً لَكِنْ لَيسَ مِنَ الشَّمسِ. وَقَفتُ فِي الجَماعَةِ وَاستَغَثْتُ.

I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up in the congregation and cry for help.

29 ص ِرْتُ أخاً للِذِّئابِ، وَرَفِيقاً للِبُومِ.

I am a brother to jackals, and a companion to ostriches.

30 ا سوَدَّ جِلدِي مِنَ المَرَضِ، وَجَسَدِي مَحمُومٌ جِدّاً.

My skin falls from me in blackened flakes, and my bones are burned with heat.

31 ق ِيثارَتِي لا تَعزِفُ إلّا لِلحُزنِ، وَلا يُطلِقُ مِزمارِي إلّا ألحانَ الرِّثاءِ.

Therefore my lyre is turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of those who weep.