| |
| REMEMBRE, 1 Lorde, what hath betyde | |
| To vs; beholde and see | |
| Our opprobryes, and what they are, | |
| And eeke are lyke to be. | |
| |
| Our heritaunce is cut of quyte, | 5 |
| And turnde to folke prophaine; | |
| Our houses by the aliauntes, | |
| The barberouse, is tayne. | |
| |
| Our mothers, sillie as they be, | |
| Like wydowes sytt alone: | 10 |
| Orphanes are we, pore orphanes we, | |
| And father haue we none. | |
| |
| We boughte the water whiche we druncke; | |
| For wood our coyne we payde; | |
| Our neckes were hamperde vnder yoke, | 15 |
| Restlesse, fainte, and ill stayde. | |
| |
| To Egipte and Assiria | |
| Our hande of league we lente; | |
| That we might haue a smal of bread, | |
| Our carcas to contente. | 20 |
| |
| Our parentes, they transgreste thy law, | |
| And now they are no more; | |
| And we their burthynouse offence | |
| And masse of trespasse bore. | |
| |
| Slaues ruled vs, and none woulde ryd | 25 |
| Vs from their handes and gyues: | |
| We earnde our bread with extreme toyle, | |
| And hasarde of our liues. | |
| |
| Because of wastefull sworde, that from | |
| The deserte did issue, | 30 |
| Our skinne is blacke through pauling pyne, | |
| And like to soote in hue. | |
| |
| The wedded wyfes in Tsion towne | |
| Were wickedlie defeilde; | |
| And Juda’s virgins were deflourde,— | 35 |
| All chastitie exilde. | |
| |
| The princes and the potentates | |
| Are hanged by the handes; | |
| No man in feare or reuerence | |
| Of elder’s vysage standes. | 40 |
| |
| Our yonge men, lyke to vylaine thrawles, | |
| In drudgerie did grinde; | |
| Our children, babes infortunate, | |
| To gallowes were assignde. | |
| |
| The elders rauishte from the gates, | 45 |
| The yonge men from their songes; | |
| Our ioyful harte is gone, our daunce | |
| Is whyninge at our wronges. | |
| |
| Our glittringe crowne, our temple braue, | |
| The Lorde did quyte fordoe: | 50 |
| Woe, euer woe! and out, alas! | |
| That we haue sinned so. | |
| |
| Our hearte with sadnesse is surchargde, | |
| Our eyes can see no whit; | |
| Because Mounte Tzion is forsakte, | 55 |
| And foxes run on it. | |
| |
| But thou, O Lorde, for euer standes; | |
| Aye duringe is thy throne: | |
| Why doste thou stil forsake vs, Lorde, | |
| Still leauinge vs alone? | 60 |
| |
| Turne, O Lorde, turne thee vnto vs, | |
| That we maye turne to thee; | |
| And may our dayes, as at the firste, | |
| From sinne and mischiefes free. | |
| |
| But thou haste clearely caste vs of, | 65 |
| And mells with vs no more: | |
| Thou arte, no doubte, Lorde, throughlie chafte, | |
| And angerde verye sore. | |
