1
ܗܐ ܙܒܢܐ ܗܘ ܠܐܢܫܐ ܥܠ ܐܪܥܐ ܘܐܝܟ ܝܘܡ̈ܝ ܐܓܝܪܐ ܐܢܘܢ ܝܘܡ̈ܘܗܝ
h' zbn' hw l'nsh' el 're' w'yk ywmy 'gyr' 'nwn ywmwhy
“Isn’t a man forced to labor on earth? Aren’t his days like the days of a hired hand?
2
ܘܐܝܟ ܥܒܕܐ ܕܡܣܟܐ ܠܛܠܠܐ ܘܐܝܟ ܐܓܝܪܐ ܕܡܣܟܐ ܠܡܫܠܡܘ ܦܥܠܗ
w'yk ebd' dmsk' lTll' w'yk 'gyr' dmsk' lmshlmw pelh
As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow, as a hireling who looks for his wages,
3
ܗܟܢܐ ܝܪܬܬ ܠܝ ܝܪ̈ܚܐ ܣܪ̈ܝܩܐ ܘܠܝܠܘܬ̈ܐ ܕܥܡܠܐ ܠܐ ܐܬܡܢܝܘ ܠܝ
hkn' yrthth ly yrkh' sryq' wlylwth' deml' l' 'thmnyw ly
so I am made to possess months of misery, wearisome nights are appointed to me.
4
ܐܢ ܫܟܒܬ ܘܐܡܪܬ ܐܡܬܝ ܐܩܘܡ ܘܡ̇ܫܚ ܐܢܐ ܠܪܡܫܐ ܘܫ̇ܟܒ ܐܢܐ ܘܢ̇ܐܕ ܐܢܐ ܠܫܦܪܐ
'n shkbth w'mrth 'mthy 'qwm wmshkh 'n' lrmsh' wshkb 'n' wn'd 'n' lshpr'
When I lie down, I say, ‘When will I arise, and the night be gone?’ I toss and turn until the dawning of the day.
5
ܠܒܫ ܒܣܪܝ ܪܡܬܐ ܘܓܘܫܡܝ ܥܦܪܐ ܡܫܟܝ ܩܦܘܕ ܘܐܬܡܣܝ
lbsh bsry rmth' wgwshmy epr' mshky qpwd w'thmsy
My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust. My skin closes up, and breaks out afresh.
6
ܝܘܡ̈ܝ ܩܠܘ ܡܢ ܓܕܕ ܩ̈ܘܝܢ ܘܣܦܘ ܒܕܠܝܬ ܣܒܪܐ
ywmy qlw mn gdd qwyn wspw bdlyth sbr'
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.
7
ܐܬܕܟܪ ܕܪܘܚܐ ܚܝܐ ܗܝ ܘܬܗܦܘܟ ܥܝܢܝ ܠܡܚܙܐ ܛܒܬܐ
'thdkr drwkh' khy' hy wthhpwk eyny lmkhz' Tbth'
Oh remember that my life is a breath. My eye will no more see good.
8
ܠܐ ܬܚܕܐ ܠܝ ܥܝܢܐ ܕܚܙܝܐ ܠܝ ܘܥܝܢ̈ܝܟ ܒܝ ܘܠܝܬܝ
l' thkhd' ly eyn' dkhzy' ly weynyk by wlythy
The eye of him who sees me will see me no more. Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be.
9
ܐܝܟ ܕܣ̇ܝܦܐ ܥܢܢܐ ܘܐ̇ܙܠܐ ܗܟܢܐ ܡ̇ܢ ܕܢ̇ܚܬ ܠܫܝܘܠ ܠܐ ܣ̇ܠܩ
'yk dsyp' enn' w'zl' hkn' mn dnkhth lshywl l' slq
As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol will come up no more.
10
ܘܠܐ ܗ̇ܦܟ ܬܘܒ ܠܒܝܬܗ ܘܠܐ ܡܫܬܘܕܥ ܬܘܒ ܠܐܬܪܗ
wl' hpk thwb lbythh wl' mshthwde thwb l'thrh
He will return no more to his house, neither will his place know him any more.
11
ܐܦ ܐܢܐ ܠܐ ܐܚܣܘܟ ܦܘܡܝ ܐܡܠܠ ܒܥܩܬ ܪܘܚܝ ܘܐܬܢܐ ܒܡܪܪܐ ܕܢܦܫܝ
'p 'n' l' 'khswk pwmy 'mll beqth rwkhy w'thn' bmrr' dnpshy
“Therefore I will not keep silent. I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12
ܝܡܐ ܐܢܐ ܐܘ ܬܢܝܢܐ ܕܡܩܝܡ ܐܢܬ ܥܠܝ ܢܛܘܪ̈ܐ
ym' 'n' 'w thnyn' dmqym 'nth ely nTwr'
Am I a sea, or a sea monster, that you put a guard over me?
13
ܡܛܠ ܕܐܡܪܬ ܕܬܒܝܐܢܝ ܘܐܬܠܒܒ ܡܢ ܛܘܪܦܐ ܕܡܫܟܒܝ
mTl d'mrth dthby'ny w'thlbb mn Twrp' dmshkby
When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me. My couch will ease my complaint,’
14
ܘܗܐ ܐܙܝܥܬܢܝ ܒܚ̈ܠܡܝܢ ܘܒܚ̈ܙܘܢܝܢ ܐܒܥܬܬܢܝ
wh' 'zyethny bkhlmyn wbkhzwnyn 'beththny
then you scare me with dreams and terrify me through visions,
15
ܘܒܚܪܬ ܢܦܫܝ ܡܢ ܐܒܕܢܐ ܘܓܪ̈ܡܝ ܡܢ ܡܘܬܐ
wbkhrth npshy mn 'bdn' wgrmy mn mwth'
so that my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my bones.
16
ܩܛܥܬ ܠܝ ܘܠܐ ܗܘܐ ܠܥܠܡ ܚܝ ܐܢܐ ܦܪܘܩ ܡܢܝ ܡܛܠ ܕܗܒܠܐ ܐܢܘܢ ܝܘܡ̈ܝ
qTeth ly wl' hw' lelm khy 'n' prwq mny mTl dhbl' 'nwn ywmy
I loathe my life. I don’t want to live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.
17
ܡܢܘ ܐܢܫܐ ܕܬܘܒܕܝܘܗܝ ܘܬܣܝܡ ܥܠܘܗܝ ܠܒܟ
mnw 'nsh' dthwbdywhy wthsym elwhy lbk
What is man, that you should magnify him, that you should set your mind on him,
18
ܘܬܦܩܘܕ ܒܨܦܪܐ ܘܒܙܒܢܐ ܬܒܚܪܝܘܗܝ
wthpqwd btspr' wbzbn' thbkhrywhy
that you should visit him every morning, and test him every moment?
19
ܘܥܕܡܐ ܗܘ ܠܐܡܬܝ ܠܐ ܫ̇ܒܩ ܐܢܬ ܠܝ ܠܐ ܬܪܦܝܢܝ ܥܕܡܐ ܕܐܒܠܥ ܪܘܩܝ
wedm' hw l'mthy l' shbq 'nth ly l' thrpyny edm' d'ble rwqy
How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone until I swallow down my spittle?
20
ܐܢ ܚܛܝܬ ܡܢܐ ܐܥܒܕ ܠܟ ܥܒܘܕܗ ܕܐܢܫܐ ܠܡܢܐ ܣܡܬܢܝ ܕܐܦܓܥ ܒܟ ܘܗܘܝܬ ܥܠܝ ܛܥܢܐ
'n khTyth mn' 'ebd lk ebwdh d'nsh' lmn' smthny d'pge bk whwyth ely Ten'
If I have sinned, what do I do to you, you watcher of men? Why have you set me as a mark for you, so that I am a burden to myself?
21
ܘܥܕ ܟܡܐ ܠܐ ܬܫܒܘܩ ܠܚ̈ܘܒܝ ܘܬܥܒܪ ܚ̈ܛܗܝ ܕܗܫܐ ܥܠ ܥܦܪܐ ܐܫܟܒ ܘܬܒܥܝܢܝ ܘܠܝܬ ܐܢܐ
wed km' l' thshbwq lkhwby wthebr khThy dhsh' el epr' 'shkb wthbeyny wlyth 'n'
Why do you not pardon my disobedience, and take away my iniquity? For now will I lie down in the dust. You will seek me diligently, but I will not be.”