Psaumes 137
1 Au bord des fleuves de Babylone nous étions assis et nous pleurions, en nous souvenant de Sion.
When we [had been taken to] Babylonia, [far from Jerusalem], we sat down by the rivers there, and we cried when we thought about [the temple on] Zion [Hill in Jerusalem].
2 Aux saules de ses vallées nous avions suspendu nos harpes.
On the willow trees [alongside the rivers] we hung our harps [because we did not want to play them any more because we were very sad].
3 Car là, ceux qui nous tenaient captifs nous demandaient des hymnes et des cantiques, nos oppresseurs, des chants joyeux: « Chantez-nous un cantique de Sion! »
The [soldiers] who had captured us [and taken us to Babylonia] told us to sing [for them]; they told us to (entertain them/make them happy), saying, “Sing for us one of the songs [that you previously sang in] Jerusalem!”
4 Comment chanterions-nous le cantique de Yahweh, sur la terre de l’étranger?
But [we thought], “We [are sad because we have been punished by Yahweh and brought to this] foreign land, so we cannot [RHQ] sing songs about Yahweh while we are here!”
5 Si jamais je t’oublie, Jérusalem, que ma droite oublie de se mouvoir!…
If I forget about Jerusalem [APO], Iet my right hand wither [with the result that I will be unable to play my harp]
6 Que ma langue s’attache à mon palais, si je cesse de penser à toi, si je ne mets pas Jérusalem au premier rang de mes joies!
Do not allow me to sing again [MTY], if I forget about Jerusalem, if I do not consider that Jerusalem causes me to be more joyful than anything else does.
7 Souviens-toi, Yahweh, des enfants d’Edom, quand au jour de Jérusalem, ils disaient: « Détruisez, détruisez-la, jusqu’en ses fondements! »
Yahweh, [punish] the people of the Edom people-group for what they did on the day that the army of Babylon captured Jerusalem. Do not forget that they said, “Tear down all the buildings! Destroy them completely! Leave only the foundations!”
8 Fille de Babylone, vouée à la ruine, heureux celui qui te rendra le mal que tu nous as fait!
And you people of Babylon, you will certainly be destroyed! Those who punish you in return for what you did to us will be happy;
9 Heureux celui qui saisira et brisera tes petits enfants contre la pierre!
they will take your babies and completely smash them on the rocks.
