Chapter 30. But now they mock at me Men younger than I whose fathers I Disdained to put with the dogs of my Flock Indeed what profit is the strength of Their hands to me Their Vigor has perished They are gaunt from want and famine Fleeing late to the Wilderness desolate And waste who pluck mallow by the bushes And broom tree roots for their food They were driven out from among men they Shouted at them as at a thief They had to live in the clefts of The Valleys in caves of the earth and the Rocks Among the bushes they braid Under the Nettles they nestled They were sons of fools yes sons of vile Men They were scourged from the land And now I am their taunting song Yes I am there by word They appall me they keep far from me They do not hesitate to spit in my face Because he has loosed my bowstring and Afflicted me they have cast off Restraint before me At my right hand the rabble arises They push away my feet and they raise Against me their ways of Destruction They break up my path They promote my calamity
They have no helper They come as broad Breakers under the Ruinous storm They Roll Along Terrors Are turned upon me They pursue my honor as the wind and my Prosperity has passed like a cloud And now my soul is poured out because of My plight The days of Affliction take hold of me My bones are pierced in me at night And my annoying pains take no rest By great force my garment is disfigured It binds me about as the collar of my Coat He has cast me into the Maya and I have Become like dust and Ashes I cry out to you But you do not answer me I stand up and you regard me But you have become cruel to me With the strength of your hand you Oppose me You lift me up to the wind and cause me To ride on it You spoil my success For I know that you will bring me to Death And to the house appointed for all Living Surely he would not stretch out his hand Against a heap of ruins if they cry out When he destroys it Have I not wept for him who was in Trouble
Has not my soul grieved for the poor But when I looked for good Evil came to me And when I waited for light Then came Darkness My heart is in turmoil and cannot rest Days of Affliction confront me I go about mourning but not in the Sun I stand up in the assembly and cry out For help I am a brother of jackals and a Companion of ostriches My skin grows black and falls from me My bones burn with fever My harp is turned to Mourning and my Flute to the voice of those who weep