Liyi Yisaraele ro Kamba'ba ro Vomidiro ya
1 Màrite vuru goloi Babelona ro kala ago mìliyite;
ondro ta Zaiona ro kotote ämädri owo.
2 Mòtoyi lekyembei amaro te
ice se loto lau kai drisi.
3 Ànya se kuruyi ama be ana atayite ämäri loŋgo oŋgone;
ama eza'bai atayite ämäri ànya iŋbine ekye:
“Mìŋgo loŋgo Zaiona ro aza ämäri.”
4 Màŋgona loŋgo OPI ro wari atrai roya eŋwanyeya?
5 Yerusalema, ondro ka'do mije ta miro te,
mi'ba drigo maro kije losi iro tana kpa;
6 Mi'ba ladra maro kelebe ŋgäru maro ya,
ondro ka'do mayi ta miro kote!
Ondro ka'do ma'ba ta Yerusalema ro kote riyä parandra maro ro owo!
7 Äye OPI, miyi tase Edoma'bai koyeyibe
Yerusalema uru tu si ana tana.
Tase ànya katayibe ekye:
“Nyèpere anya riya!
Nyèpere anya riyä vuru le gyini dri!”
8 Ami lidri Babelona ro, utufuna ami 'da
mano se kabe tavologo ämiri ta tase miyebe ämäri rota ni kado.
9 Nda se kabe ŋgwà luruŋwà amiro uruna
ago kabe ànya o'bi kuni lomvo 'do ni kado.
A Lament of Israelites in Exile
1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat down;
there we wept when we remembered Zion.
2 On the willows near by
we hung up our harps.
3 Those who captured us told us to sing;
they told us to entertain them:
“Sing us a song about Zion.”
4 How can we sing a song to the Lord
in a foreign land?
5 May I never be able to play the harp again
if I forget you, Jerusalem!
6 May I never be able to sing again
if I do not remember you,
if I do not think of you as my greatest joy!
7 Remember, Lord, what the Edomites did
the day Jerusalem was captured.
Remember how they kept saying,
“Tear it down to the ground!”
8 Babylon, you will be destroyed.
Happy are those who pay you back
for what you have done to us—
9 who take your babies
and smash them against a rock.