1 و َقالَ لِيَ اللهُ: «أمّا أنتَ، فَأنشِدْ نَشِيدَ حُزنٍ عَلَى قادَةِ إسْرائِيلَ وَقُلْ:

And thou, lift up a lamentation unto princes of Israel,

2 « ‹أُمُّكِ لَبْوَةٌ تَربِضُ بَينَ الأُسُودِ، وَتُرَبِّي جِراءَها مَعَ الأشبالِ.

and thou hast said: What thy mother? -- a lioness, Among lions she hath crouched down, In the midst of young lions she hath multiplied her whelps.

3 ر َبَّتْ شِبلاً لِيَصِيرَ أسَداً قَوِيّاً. تَعَلَّمَ الِافتِراسَ، وَأكلَ النّاسَ.

And she bringeth up one of her whelps, A young lion it hath been, And it learneth to tear prey, man it hath devoured.

4 « ‹سَمِعَتهُ الأُمَمُ يُزَمجِرُ، فَأمسَكُوهُ بِفَخِّهِمْ. وَضَعُوا كَلالِيبَ فِي فَمِهِ، وَاقتادُوهُ إلَى مِصْرَ.

And hear of it do nations, In their pit it hath been caught, And they bring it in with chains unto the land of Egypt.

5 ف َلَمّا فَقَدَتْ كُلَّ رَجاءٍ فِي عَودَتِهِ. اختارَتْ واحِداً آخَرَ مِنْ جِرائِها وَجَعَلَتهُ أسَداً قَوِيّاً.

And she seeth, that stayed -- perished hath her hope, And she taketh one of her whelps, A young lion she hath made it.

6 ف َبَدَأ يَتَباهَى وَسَطَ الأُسُودِ، وَصارَ قَوِيّاً بَيْنَها. وَتَعَلَّمَ الِافتِراسَ، وَأكَلَ النّاسَ.

And it goeth up and down in the midst of lions, A young lion it hath been, And it learneth to tear prey, man it hath devoured.

7 ه اجَمَ حُصُونَهُمْ، وَدَمَّرَ مُدُنَهُمْ. فَاندَهَشَ كُلُّ سُكّانِ الأرْضِ مِنْ صَوتِ زَمجَرَتِهِ.

And it knoweth his forsaken habitations, And their cities it hath laid waste, And desolate is the land and its fulness, Because of the voice of his roaring.

8 ح ِينَئِذٍ، هاجَمَتهُ الشُّعُوبُ المُجاوِرَةُ، وَألقَوْا شَبَكَتَهُمْ عَلَيهِ، فَوَقَعَ فِي فَخِّهِمْ.

And set against it do nations Round about from the provinces. And they spread out for it their net, In their pit it hath been caught.

9 و َضَعُوا كلالِيبَ فِي فَمِهِ، وَوَضَعُوهُ فِي قَفَصٍ، وَاقتادُوهُ إلَى مَلِكِ بابِلَ، ثُمَّ ألقَوْهُ فِي الزِّنزانَةِ، كَي لا يَعُودَ صَوتُهُ يُسمَعُ عَلَى جِبالِ إسْرائِيلَ.» رَمزُ الكَرمَة

And they put it in prison -- in chains, And they bring it unto the king of Babylon, They bring it in unto bulwarks, So that its voice is not heard any more On mountains of Israel.

10 « ‹أُمُّكَ كَكَرمَةٍ مَلِيئَةٍ بِالثِّمارِ لأنَّها مَزرُوعَةٌ قُربَ قَنَواتِ الرَّيِّ. إنَّها مُثمِرَةٌ وَمُغَطّاةٌ بِأوراقٍ كَثِيرَةٍ بِسَبَبِ كَثرَةِ المِياهِ.

Thy mother as a vine in thy blood by waters planted, Fruitful and full of boughs it hath been, Because of many waters.

11 ص ارَتْ فُرُوعُها صُولَجاناتٍ للِحُكّامِ. وَارتَفَعَ أحَدُ فُرُوعِها حَتَّى وَسَطِ السَّحابِ، وَنَمَتْ أغصانُها الصَّغِيرَةُ بِشَكلٍ كامِلٍ.

And it hath strong rods for sceptres of rulers, And high is its stature above thick branches, And it appeareth in its height In the multitude of its thin shoots.

12 و َلَكِنَّها اقتُلِعَتْ بِغَضَبٍ وَأُلقِيَتْ عَلَى الأرْضِ، وَجَفَّفَتِ الرِّيحُ الشَّرقِيَّةُ ثِمارَها، وَسَقَطَتْ أغصانُها مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ فَيَبِسَتْ. أمّا أغْصانُها القَوِيَّةُ فَقَدِ احتَرَقَتْ بِالنّارِ.

And it is plucked up in fury, To the earth it hath been cast, And the east wind hath dried up its fruit, Broken and withered hath been the rod of its strength, Fire hath consumed it.

13 « ‹وَالآنَ هِيَ مَزرُوعَةٌ فِي الصَّحراءِ، فِي أرْضٍ يابِسَةٍ وَعَطشانَةٍ.

And now -- it is planted in a wilderness, In a land dry and thirsty.

14 ا متَدَّتِ النّارُ مِنْ أغْصانِها وَالتَهَمَتْ ثَمَرَها، وَلَمْ يَعُدْ هُناكَ فِرعٌ قَوِيٌّ يَصلُحُ صُولَجاناً لِحاكِمٍ.›» هَذِهِ قَصِيدَةُ رِثاءٍ حَزِينَةٌ.

And go forth doth fire from a rod of its boughs, Its fruit it hath devoured, And it hath no rod of strength -- a sceptre to rule, Lamentation it -- and it is for a lamentation!'