THE LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMY, FOR MOST PART ACCORDING TO TREMELIUS: 5 by JOHN DONNE

1 Remember, O Lord, what is fallen on us;
See, and marke how we are reproached thus,
2 For unto strangers our possession
Is turn'd, our houses unto Aliens gone,

3 Our mothers are become as widowes, wee
As Orphans all, and without father be;
4 Waters which are our owne, wee drunke, and pay,
And upon our owne wood a price they lay.

5 Our persecutors on our necks do sit,
They make us travaile, and not intermit,
6 We stretch our hands unto th'@3Egyptians@1
To get us bread; and to the @3Assyrians.@1

7 Our Fathers did these sinnes, and are no more,
But wee do beare the sinnes they did before.
8 They are but servants, which do rule us thus,
Yet from their hands none would deliver us.

9 With danger of our life our bread wee gat;
For in the wildernesse, the sword did wait.
10 The tempests of this famine wee liv'd in,
Black as an Oven colour'd had our skinne:

11 In @3Judaes@1 cities they the maids abus'd
By force, and so women in @3Sion@1 us'd.
12 The Princes with their hands they hung; no grace
Nor honour gave they to the Elders face.

13 Unto the mill our yong men carried are,
And children fell under the wood they bare.
14 Elders, the gates; youth did their songs forbeare,
15 Gone was our joy; our dancings, mournings were.

16 Now is the crowne falne from our head; and woe
Be unto us, because we'have sinned so.
17 For this our hearts do languish, and for this
Over our eyes a cloudy dimnesse is.

18 Because mount @3Sion@1 desolate doth lye,
And foxes there do goe at libertie:
19 But thou O Lord art ever, and thy throne
From generation, to generation.

20 Why should'st thou forget us eternally?
Or leave us thus long in this misery?
21 Restore us Lord to thee, that so we may
Returne, and as of old, renew our day.

22 For oughtest thou, O Lord, despise us thus,
And to be utterly enrag'd at us?

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