The first verse reads as follows, in the Vulgate and Authorised (King James) versions :
| Quomodo sedat sola civitas | How doth the city city sit solitary, | |
| plena populo! | that was full of people! | |
| Facta est quasi vidua | how she is become as a great widow! | |
| domina gentium; | she that was great among the nations, | |
| princeps provinciarum | and princess among the provinces, | |
| facta est sub tributo. | how is she become tributary! |
I have decided to include also a performance of the first three verses of the Lesson.
| incipit lamentatio Ieremiae Prophetae | Here beginneth the Lamentation of Jeremiah the Prophet: | ||
| ALEPH | quomodo sedit sola civitas | A | How doth the city sit solitary, |
| facta est quasi vidua | how is she become as a widow! | ||
| domina gentium | she that was great among the nations, | ||
| princeps provinciarum | and princess among the provinces, | ||
| facta est sub tributo | how is she become tributary! | ||
| BETH | plorans ploravit in nocte | B | She weepeth sore in the night, |
| et lacrime eius in maxillis eius | and her tears are on her cheeks: | ||
| non est qui consoletur eam | she hath none to comfort her | ||
| ex omnibus caris eius | among all her lovers; | ||
| omnes amici eius spreverunt eam | all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, | ||
| et facti sunt ei inimici | they are become her enemies. | ||
| GIMEL | migravit Iuda propter adflictionem | C | Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, |
| et multiudinem servitutis | and because of great servitude: | ||
| habitavit inter gentes nec invenit requiem | she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: | ||
| omnes persecutores eius adprehenderunt eam | all her persecutors overtook her | ||
| inter angustias | between the straits. | ||
| Ierusalem Ierusalem convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum | Jersualem, Jerusalem, turn back to the Lord your God. |
Note : The singer in this recording is German and uses the German form of Church Latin pronunciation.
[Ed. Note: This page is an abridged version of the one found on Cliffe's website. He did not credit the recording he used: it is a snippet from "Incipit lamentatio Jeremiae Prophetae (Lectio I, Feria V)," which comes from the album Gregorian Chant: Paschale Mysterium by Konrad Ruhland and the Capella Antiqua München]