A Lament

How is she that was wholly beautiful disguised to the eyes of all flesh—
Her sun gone down while yet it is day, the desire of her eyes removed
Her Lord hath rebuked her and set her in bonds,
Without king and without prince.
Hotly have foes pursued her, have wakened against her with hatred.
Have sunk her feet in the mire: she hath lain down in sorrow.
And the lauded city is left waste like the wilderness,
Without sacrifice and without pillar.
Branches of the terrible ones are gathered to sweep her away;
Her seasons change, her sorrows are changeless.
Lions have torn her, her griefs are laid bare,
Without Ephod and Teraphim.
Thou, only One, give rest to her, that a remnant may be left in her,
For children are come to the birth, but there is no strength to bring forth.
Be a shield about them in thy mercy, Almighty Ruler!
Shielding, He will deliver: passing over, He will rescue.
Who hath given Jacob for a spoil at the ends of the world,
Forsaken like a ship in the heart of the sea— lost without a pilot?
We lament in our exile with covered head and mourning,
By the rivers of Babylon.
By the rivers of Babylon our eyes are consumed with tears.
We have taken account of thee, Oholibah; we have remembered Oholah.
We have silenced the loud sounding cymbals, we have hung up our harps:
There we sat down, yea, we wept.
We have called to the wailing until even owls have no semblance to us;
So many are our sighs for the burning of the Shrine of the Most High.
Wide grew our breach, we were all but a ruin—
When we remembered Zion.
Let our right hand forget, if we forget thee,
O Jerusalem!
The days of thy majesty and the goal of thy release we have hoped from heaven.
We cast ourselves down before God, and our eyelids run down with water—
After two days He will revive us.