en_tn/lam/02/18.md

# Their heart cried out to the Lord

Here the word "heart" represents the whole person emphasizing one's innermost being. Possible meanings of who cried out are 1) the people of Jerusalem. AT: "The people of Jerusalem shouted to the Lord from their innermost being" or 2) the walls are being personified. AT: "You walls, cry out to the Lord from your innermost being" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-personification]])

# walls of the daughter of Zion! Make your tears flow ... of every street

The writer speaks to the walls of Jerusalem. He wants the people of Jerusalem to do what he is telling the walls to do. Some translations take this whole section to be spoken to the "walls," though this can be written with the first phrase "walls of the daughter of Zion!" spoken to the "walls," and the rest of the section spoken directly to the people. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-apostrophe]])

# the daughter of Zion

This is a poetic name for Jerusalem, which is spoken of here as if it were a woman. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-personification]])

# Make your tears flow down like a river

This speaks of the people crying so much that their tears would flow like a river. AT: "Cry many, many tears" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# day and night

These two opposite times of day refer to all the time. AT: "all of the time" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-merism]])

# Give yourself no relief, your eyes no relief

"Do not allow yourself and your eyes to rest from crying"

# at the beginning of the night watches

"many times during the night." This refers to every time a watchman came on duty.

# Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord

The phrase "pour out your heart like water" is an idiom. Here the Lord is represented by his "face" to emphasize his presence. AT: "Tell the Lord how you feel in your inner being" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])

# Lift up your hands to him

This was an action often performed while praying. AT: "Lift up your hands to him in prayer" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction]])

# for the lives of your children

This means for them to request that the Lord save their children. AT: "to save the lives of your children" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])

# at the corner of every street

The word "every" here is an exaggeration for "many." AT: "where the streets come together" or "by the roads" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]])