Lamentations 4
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Lamentations 4
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| How dark has the gold become! how changed the best gold! the stones of the holy place are dropping out at the top of every street. | Eh quoi! l`or a perdu son éclat! L`or pur est altéré! Les pierres du sanctuaire sont dispersées Aux coins de toutes les rues! |
| The valued sons of Zion, whose price was the best gold, are looked on as vessels of earth, the work of the hands of the potter! | Les nobles fils de Sion, Estimés à l`égal de l`or pur, Sont regardés, hélas! comme des vases de terre, Ouvrage des mains du potier! |
| Even the beasts of the waste land have full breasts, they give milk to their young ones: the daughter of my people has become cruel like the ostriches in the waste land. | Les chacals mêmes présentent la mamelle, Et allaitent leurs petits; Mais la fille de mon peuple est devenue cruelle Comme les autruches du désert. |
| The tongue of the child at the breast is fixed to the roof of his mouth for need of drink: the young children are crying out for bread, and no man gives it to them. | La langue du nourrisson s`attache à son palais, Desséchée par la soif; Les enfants demandent du pain, Et personne ne leur en donne. |
| Those who were used to feasting on delicate food are wasted in the streets: those who as children were dressed in purple are stretched out on the dust. | Ceux qui se nourrissaient de mets délicats Périssent dans les rues; Ceux qui étaient élevés dans la pourpre Embrassent les fumiers. |
| For the punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overturned suddenly without any hand falling on her. | Le châtiment de la fille de mon peuple est plus grand Que celui de Sodome, Détruite en un instant, Sans que personne ait porté la main sur elle. |
| Her holy ones were cleaner than snow, they were whiter than milk, their bodies were redder than corals, their form was as the sapphire: | Ses princes étaient plus éclatants que la neige, Plus blancs que le lait; Ils avaient le teint plus vermeil que le corail; Leur figure était comme le saphir. |
| Their face is blacker than night; in the streets no one has knowledge of them: their skin is hanging on their bones, they are dry, they have become like wood. | Leur aspect est plus sombre que le noir; On ne les reconnaît pas dans les rues; Ils ont la peau collée sur les os, Sèche comme du bois. |
| Those who have been put to the sword are better off than those whose death is caused by need of food; for these come to death slowly, burned up like the fruit of the field. | Ceux qui périssent par l`épée sont plus heureux Que ceux qui périssent par la faim, Qui tombent exténués, Privés du fruit des champs. |
| The hands of kind-hearted women have been boiling their children; they were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people. | Les femmes, malgré leur tendresse, Font cuire leurs enfants; Ils leur servent de nourriture, Au milieu du désastre de la fille de mon peuple. |
| The Lord has given full effect to his passion, he has let loose his burning wrath; he has made a fire in Zion, causing the destruction of its bases. | L`Éternel a épuisé sa fureur, Il a répandu son ardente colère; Il a allumé dans Sion un feu Qui en dévore les fondements. |
| To the kings of the earth and to all the people of the world it did not seem possible that the attackers and the haters would go into the doors of Jerusalem. | Les rois de la terre n`auraient pas cru, Aucun des habitants du monde n`aurait cru Que l`adversaire, que l`ennemi entrerait Dans les portes de Jérusalem. |
| It is because of the sins of her prophets and the evil-doing of her priests, by whom the blood of the upright has been drained out in her. | Voilà le fruit des péchés de ses prophètes, Des iniquités de ses sacrificateurs, Qui ont répandu dans son sein Le sang des justes! |
| They are wandering like blind men in the streets, they are made unclean with blood, so that their robes may not be touched by men. | Ils erraient en aveugles dans les rues, Souillés de sang; On ne pouvait Toucher leurs vêtements. |
| Away! unclean! they were crying out to them, Away! away! let there be no touching: when they went away in flight and wandering, men said among the nations, There is no further resting-place for them. | Éloignez-vous, impurs! leur criait-on, Éloignez-vous, éloignez-vous, ne nous touchez pas! Ils sont en fuite, ils errent çà et là; On dit parmi les nations: Ils n`auront plus leur demeure! |
| The face of the Lord has sent them in all directions; he will no longer take care of them: they had no respect for the priests, they gave no honour to the old men. | L`Éternel les a dispersés dans sa colère, Il ne tourne plus les regards vers eux; On n`a eu ni respect pour les sacrificateurs, Ni pitié pour les vieillards. |
| Our eyes are still wasting away in looking for our false help: we have been watching for a nation unable to give salvation. | Nos yeux se consumaient encore, Et nous attendions vainement du secours; Nos regards se portaient avec espérance Vers une nation qui ne nous a pas délivrés. |
| They go after our steps so that we may not go in our streets: our end is near, our days are numbered; for our end has come. | On épiait nos pas, Pour nous empêcher d`aller sur nos places; Notre fin s`approchait, nos jours étaient accomplis... Notre fin est arrivée! |
| Those who went after us were quicker than the eagles of the heaven, driving us before them on the mountains, waiting secretly for us in the waste land. | Nos persécuteurs étaient plus légers Que les aigles du ciel; Ils nous ont poursuivis sur les montagnes, Ils nous ont dressé des embûches dans le désert. |
| Our breath of life, he on whom the holy oil was put, was taken in their holes; of whom we said, Under his shade we will be living among the nations. | Celui qui nous faisait respirer, l`oint de l`Éternel, A été pris dans leurs fosses, Lui de qui nous disions: Nous vivrons sous son ombre parmi les nations. |
| Have joy and be glad, O daughter of Edom, living in the land of Uz: the cup will be given to you in your turn, and you will be overcome with wine and your shame will be seen. | Réjouis-toi, tressaille d`allégresse, fille d`Édom, Habitante du pays d`Uts! Vers toi aussi passera la coupe; Tu t`enivreras, et tu seras mise à nu. |
| The punishment of your evil-doing is complete, O daughter of Zion; never again will he take you away as a prisoner: he will give you the reward of your evil-doing, O daughter of Edom; he will let your sin be uncovered. | Fille de Sion, ton iniquité est expiée; Il ne t`enverra plus en captivité. Fille d`Édom, il châtiera ton iniquité, Il mettra tes péchés à découvert. |
