Kwadwom 5
1 Awurade, kae nea aba yɛn so; hwɛ, na hu yɛn animguase.
Remember, YHWH, what has come on us. Look, and see our disgrace.
2 Wɔadan yɛn agyapade ama ahɔho, wɔde yɛn afi ama ananafo.
Our inheritance is turned over to strangers, our houses to foreigners.
3 Yɛayɛ nyisaa na yenni agyanom, yɛn nanom yɛ akunafo.
We are orphans and fatherless. Our mothers are like widows.
4 Ɛsɛ sɛ yɛtɔ nsu a yɛnom; yebenya nnyina a, gye sɛ yɛtɔ.
We have to pay for a drink of water; our wood is sold to us.
5 Wɔn a wɔtaa yɛn no abɛn yɛn pɛɛ; Yɛabrɛ na yennya ahomegye.
Our pursuers are on our necks; we are weary, and have no rest.
6 Yɛde yɛn ho maa Misraim ne Asiria sɛnea yebenya aduan a ɛbɛso yɛn.
We have submitted to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians, to get enough bread.
7 Yɛn agyanom yɛɛ bɔne, na wonni hɔ bio, na yɛn na wɔn asotwe abɛda yɛn so.
Our fathers sinned, and are no more; but we have borne their iniquities.
8 Nkoa di yɛn so, na obiara nni hɔ a obegye yɛn afi wɔn nsam.
Servants rule over us: There is none to deliver us out of their hand.
9 Yɛde yɛn nkwa bɔ afɔre de pɛ yɛn anoduan, afoa a ɛwɔ sare so no nti.
We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness.
10 Yɛn honam adɔ sɛ fononoo. Ɔkɔm ama atiridii abɔ yɛn.
Our skin is hot like an oven, because of the burning heat of famine.
11 Wɔato mmea mmonnaa wɔ Sion, ne mmabun a wɔwɔ Yuda nkurow so.
They raped the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah.
12 Wɔkyekyere mmapɔmma nsa na wɔasɛn wɔn; wɔmmfa nidi mma mpanyimfo.
Princes were hung by their hands; elders were shown no respect.
13 Mmerante yɛ adwumaden wɔ awiyammo so; na mmerantewa nan toto wɔ nnyina duruduru ase.
The young men grind at the mill; the boys stagger under loads of wood.
14 Mpanyimfo ntena kuropɔn apon ano bio; mmerante agyae wɔn nnwonto.
The elders have gone from the gate, the young men from their music.
15 Ahosɛpɛw afi yɛn koma mu; yɛn asaw adan agyaadwotwa.
The joy of our heart has ceased; our dancing is turned into mourning.
16 Ahenkyɛw afi yɛn ti so. Yɛn ara, yennue sɛ yɛayɛ bɔne!
The crown is fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned.
17 Eyi nti yɛn koma atɔ beraw, eyinom nti yɛn ani so ayɛ kusuu
For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes grow dim.
18 wɔ Sion bepɔw a ada mpan na sakraman nenam so no nti.
For the mountain of Zion, which is desolate; the foxes walk on it.
19 Wo, Awurade, di hene afebɔɔ; wʼahengua fi awo ntoatoaso kosi awo ntoatoaso.
But you, YHWH, abide forever; your throne is from generation to generation.
20 Adɛn nti na wo werɛ fi yɛn daa yi? Adɛn nti na wagyaw yɛn, mmere tenten mu yi?
Why do you keep on forgetting us? Why do you forsake us so long?
21 Ka yɛn bata wo ho bio, Awurade, na yɛatumi asan aba wo nkyɛn; yɛ yɛn nna foforo sɛ tete no
Restore us to you, YHWH, and we shall be restored; renew our days as in former times,
22 gye sɛ woapo yɛn koraa anaasɛ wo bo afuw yɛn mmoroso.
unless you have completely rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.
