1 We are all born weak and helpless.
All lead the same short, troubled life.
2 We grow and wither as quickly as flowers;
we disappear like shadows.
3 Will you even look at me, God,
or put me on trial and judge me?
4 Nothing clean can ever come
from anything as unclean as human beings.
5 The length of our lives is decided beforehand—
the number of months we will live.
You have settled it, and it can't be changed.
6 Look away from us and leave us alone;
let us enjoy our hard life—if we can.
7 There is hope for a tree that has been cut down;
it can come back to life and sprout.
8 Even though its roots grow old,
and its stump dies in the ground,
9 with water it will sprout like a young plant.
10 But we die, and that is the end of us;
we die, and where are we then?
11 Like rivers that stop running,
and lakes that go dry,
12 people die, never to rise.
They will never wake up while the sky endures;
they will never stir from their sleep.
13 I wish you would hide me in the world of the dead;
let me be hidden until your anger is over,
and then set a time to remember me.
14 If a man dies, can he come back to life?
But I will wait for better times,
wait till this time of trouble is ended.
15 Then you will call, and I will answer,
and you will be pleased with me, your creature.
16 Then you will watch every step I take,
but you will not keep track of my sins.
17 You will forgive them and put them away;
you will wipe out all the wrongs I have done.
18 There comes a time when mountains fall
and solid cliffs are moved away.
19 Water will wear down rocks,
and heavy rain will wash away the soil;
so you destroy our hope for life.
20 You overpower us and send us away forever;
our faces are twisted in death.
21 Our children win honor, but we never know it,
nor are we told when they are disgraced.
22 We feel only the pain of our own bodies
and the grief of our own minds.
Eyobo Ka a'do Tusu ro Lidri ro Tana Ata
1 Lidri gyi utina 'ditoko si ono,
äti te mbaraako ago ŋgaopa aza ako;
orina toto fere ago twi rriti amba be.
2 Nda ka omba ago lunyi ndriŋwa oso foce ronye;
Nda ka ruona oso lindri ronye ago rikote 'du alona;
3 Lu, inye'do mindrena vo gindi nda dri,
ago nyezina nda gindi vure ya ya?
4 A'di unina ni ŋga wäṛiro aza lofone ni ŋgase undiro yasi ya?
'Diaza i'dwo alona.
5 Tu ori ndaro ro ara tana te ṛo kyeno,
mini oti imba ndaro orizana rote.
Nyaka'da tu ndaro oriro rote se ndana unina ko lävune.
6 Nyana mi miro ni nda drisi ago nye'be nda iṛe;
mi'ba nda koye riyä ori ndaro ro oso 'dise kabe losi
oye päläti dri 'do ronye.
7 Mio'ba orivoya ce ri;
ondro ka'do agate vuru,
ogo adrina kpa to'di ago ogo orona ndi.
8 Pajina ka'do ca te ukuro,
ago lupa na gyini ya 'do kodra ca,
9 oko ondro gyi kocite kigye ogo orona 'da
ago orana gwoṛi ndi
oso ce se ikyi'dibe to'diro ronye.
10 Oko lidri kodrate, 'do teni ädu ndaro owo;
nda drate, oko nda te gaŋwaroya?
11 Oso gyi kabe oseose ni fofo ya 'do ronye,
ago golo se kabe ose gbe 'do ronye,
12 lidri kodrate, ŋga kote alona.
Nda unina ko mi upine alona, ondro ka'do, vukuru ka'do gyi orine inye owo;
ca ni kote oŋgane ni u'duvoyasi alona.
13 Male maro aba miri ma da'done 'bädri avo roya;
nyada'do ma madale kyila miro kokye lutu,
'dooko migo mira tu ta maro oyizana.
14 Ondro lidri kodra te oko, nda unina gi'da adrine kpa to'di ya?
Oko tu rriti maro ro ono si marina gyi tu kado kotene,
madale ŋgaopa maro esana gwo.
15 'Dooko mizina läzi 'da, ago mazana tadrina 'da,
ago milena ma se miro mi'ba o'ba ono 'da.
16 'Dooko mindrena aba se cini mabe abana ndi,
oko nyolobena pavo takozi maro ro ko.
17 Nyembena kala takozi maro ro 'da, ago minana ànya 'da lozo,
ago nyatakona drî taenji maro ro 'da.
18 Tu kate ikyi 'bereŋwai ri o'dezana ago lifuzana
ago anana luutui 'da ni vo ànyaro yasi.
19 Gyi onyana kuniŋwà 'da,
ago u'di amba 'bu ro ojana gyini kado 'da,
nya mio'ba lidri ro perena oso inye.
20 Mipe lidri ṛe ago nya nda o'ba odrane;
nya militi ndaro topina to odra ya.
21 Ŋgwàagoro ndaro ka'do ca orooro ro, caoko nda ni tana kote alona,
ago ànya ka'do ca oroako nda usu vona kote.
22 Nda ka toto lomvoluwu modo ndaro ro usuna ayani,
ago ka toto andivo iro liyina ayani.