Kwadwom 5
1 Awurade, kae nea aba yɛn so; hwɛ, na hu yɛn animguase.
Keep in mind, O Lord, what has come to us: take note and see our shame.
2 Wɔadan yɛn agyapade ama ahɔho, wɔde yɛn afi ama ananafo.
Our heritage is given up to men of strange lands, our houses to those who are not our countrymen.
3 Yɛayɛ nyisaa na yenni agyanom, yɛn nanom yɛ akunafo.
We are children without fathers, our mothers are like widows.
4 Ɛsɛ sɛ yɛtɔ nsu a yɛnom; yebenya nnyina a, gye sɛ yɛtɔ.
We give money for a drink of water, we get our wood for a price.
5 Wɔn a wɔtaa yɛn no abɛn yɛn pɛɛ; Yɛabrɛ na yennya ahomegye.
Our attackers are on our necks: overcome with weariness, we have no rest.
6 Yɛde yɛn ho maa Misraim ne Asiria sɛnea yebenya aduan a ɛbɛso yɛn.
We have given our hands to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians so that we might have enough bread.
7 Yɛn agyanom yɛɛ bɔne, na wonni hɔ bio, na yɛn na wɔn asotwe abɛda yɛn so.
Our fathers were sinners and are dead; and the weight of their evil-doing is on us.
8 Nkoa di yɛn so, na obiara nni hɔ a obegye yɛn afi wɔn nsam.
Servants are ruling over us, and there is no one to make us free from their hands.
9 Yɛde yɛn nkwa bɔ afɔre de pɛ yɛn anoduan, afoa a ɛwɔ sare so no nti.
We put our lives in danger to get our bread, because of the sword of the waste land.
10 Yɛn honam adɔ sɛ fononoo. Ɔkɔm ama atiridii abɔ yɛn.
Our skin is heated like an oven because of our burning heat from need of food.
11 Wɔato mmea mmonnaa wɔ Sion, ne mmabun a wɔwɔ Yuda nkurow so.
They took by force the women in Zion, the virgins in the towns of Judah.
12 Wɔkyekyere mmapɔmma nsa na wɔasɛn wɔn; wɔmmfa nidi mma mpanyimfo.
Their hands put princes to death by hanging: the faces of old men were not honoured.
13 Mmerante yɛ adwumaden wɔ awiyammo so; na mmerantewa nan toto wɔ nnyina duruduru ase.
The young men were crushing the grain, and the boys were falling under the wood.
14 Mpanyimfo ntena kuropɔn apon ano bio; mmerante agyae wɔn nnwonto.
The old men are no longer seated in the doorway, and the music of the young men has come to an end.
15 Ahosɛpɛw afi yɛn koma mu; yɛn asaw adan agyaadwotwa.
The joy of our hearts is ended; our dancing is changed into sorrow.
16 Ahenkyɛw afi yɛn ti so. Yɛn ara, yennue sɛ yɛayɛ bɔne!
The crown has been taken from our head: sorrow is ours, for we are sinners.
17 Eyi nti yɛn koma atɔ beraw, eyinom nti yɛn ani so ayɛ kusuu
Because of this our hearts are feeble; for these things our eyes are dark;
18 wɔ Sion bepɔw a ada mpan na sakraman nenam so no nti.
Because of the mountain of Zion which is a waste; jackals go over it.
19 Wo, Awurade, di hene afebɔɔ; wʼahengua fi awo ntoatoaso kosi awo ntoatoaso.
You, O Lord, are seated as King for ever; the seat of your power is eternal.
20 Adɛn nti na wo werɛ fi yɛn daa yi? Adɛn nti na wagyaw yɛn, mmere tenten mu yi?
Why have we gone from your memory for ever? why have you been turned away from us for so long?
21 Ka yɛn bata wo ho bio, Awurade, na yɛatumi asan aba wo nkyɛn; yɛ yɛn nna foforo sɛ tete no
Make us come back to you, O Lord, and let us be turned; make our days new again as in the past.
22 gye sɛ woapo yɛn koraa anaasɛ wo bo afuw yɛn mmoroso.
But you have quite given us up; you are full of wrath against us.
