The goal was to create an English reading that can be sung to the traditional trōps that are used for the Hebrew, but which follows the Hebrew with its trōps as closely as possible.

If one examines the authoritative translations, it becomes clear that there are many passages in the text of whose meaning the experts are unsure. In those situations I attempted to choose a reading which scans well with the melody, and which agrees with some (or at least one) of the authoritative renderings.

The trōp melodies I used were taken from the book CHANTING THE HEBREW BIBLE by Joshua R. Jacobson. In order to adapt the trōp symbols to a left-to-right language like English, I reversed the direction of the following trōp symbols: mercha tip’cha munach tevir kadma/pashta geresh gershayim

However, I left these the way they are: telisha katana telisha gedola

I also indicate a mercha/tipcha pair or a kadma/geresh pair by “wrapping it around” the phrase which will have the combined melody, as in: Renew our days She weeps bitterly

I also frequently indicate an entire English phrase to be chanted to a single trōp melody, as in: clings to her skirts

Chapter 3 of Lamentations is sung by singing each set of three verses to three melodies, in turn. I grouped each set of three verses together, as in 1-3, 4-6, etc. The first two of the three melodies end their first half (the “half-cadence”) with a high note, and the third with a “falling tone”. I have marked the corresponding syllable with an arrow: ↗ for the high note or half-cadence of the first melody, ↑ for the high note of the second melody, and ↘ for the “falling tone” of the third melody.