Psaumes 137
1 Nous nous sommes assis auprès des fleuves de Babylone, et nous y avons pleuré, 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 Nous avons pendu nos harpes aux saules, au milieu d'elle.
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 Quand ceux qui nous avaient emmenés prisonniers, nous ont demandé des paroles de Cantique, et de les réjouir de nos harpes que nous avions pendues, [en nous disant]: Chantez-nous quelque chose des cantiques de Sion; [nous avons répondu]:
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 les Cantiques de l'Eternel dans une terre d’étrangèrs?
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 je t'oublie, Jérusalem, que ma droite s'oublie elle-même.
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 soit attachée à mon palais, si je ne me souviens de toi, [et] si je ne fais de Jérusalem le [principal] sujet de ma réjouissance.
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 Ô Eternel, souviens-toi des enfants d'Edom, qui en la journée de Jérusalem disaient: découvrez, découvrez jusqu’à 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, [qui va être] détruite, heureux celui qui te rendra la pareille [de ce] 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 tes petits enfants et qui les froissera contre les pierres!
they will take your babies and completely smash them on the rocks.
