1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying , Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
4 How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a strange land?
5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning .
6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.
7 Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it , rase it, even to the foundation thereof.
8 O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be , that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
9 Happy shall he be , that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.
Niikuyaa suukuwo
1 Babiloni baa jenjeŋolu la,
ǹ siita duuma jee le ka kumboo,
biriŋ ǹ hakiloo taata Siyoni* kaŋ.
2 Yirisuŋ biireeriŋolu mennu tarata jee,
ǹ ka ǹ na kontiŋolu deŋ wolu le santo.
3 M̀ mutalaalu ko ntolu ye suukuwo laa ì ye jee,
n toorandilaalu ko ŋà maadiyaa ke ì ye.
Ì ko, “Ali Siyoni suukuwo laa ǹ ye.”
4 Muna, ntolu si suukuwo laa noo Yaawe* ye
wandi banku kaŋ baŋ?
5 Hee Yerusalaamu, niŋ n ñinata i la,
Allamaa m bulubaa buloo ye faa.
6 Allamaa n neŋo ye kara n naaliŋo bala,
niŋ n hakiloo buka bula i la,
niŋ ite Yerusalaamu la kuwo seewoo le maŋ tambi n ye
seewoo bee la.
7 Hee Yaawe, i miira Edomunkoolu ye meŋ ke,
luŋo meŋ na ǹ jawoolu ye Yerusalaamu saatewo muta.
Ì tarata a fo kaŋ ne ko, “Ali a tumbuŋ de!
Ali a tumbuŋ de, fo a fondamaŋolu to!”
8 Ite Babiloni kasaaratoo diŋ,
seewoo be moo le ye
meŋ be i joo la kuwo la i ye meŋ ke ntolu la.
9 Seewoo be moo le ye
meŋ be i la dindiŋ mereŋolu taa la
a ye ì busa beroo bala.