Nnwom 137

1 Babilonia nsubɔntene ho, ɛhɔ na yɛtena suiɛ ɛberɛ a yɛkaee Sion no.

By the rivers of Babylon we sat down and wept when we thought about Zion.

2 Ɛhɔ nsukakye nnua so na yɛde yɛn asankuo sensɛneeɛ,

On the poplars there we hung our harps.

3 ɛhɔ na yɛn nnommumfafoɔ bisaa yɛn nnwom, yɛn ahohiahiafoɔ pɛɛ yɛn hɔ ahurisie nnwom; wɔkaa sɛ, “Monto Sion nnwom baako mma yɛn!”

There our captors required songs from us, and those who mocked us required us to be happy, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”

4 Ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na yɛatumi ato Awurade nnwom ɛberɛ a yɛwɔ ananafoɔ asase so?

How could we sing a song about Yahweh in a foreign land?

5 Ao Yerusalem, sɛ mewerɛ firi wo a ma me nsa nifa werɛ mfiri sankubɔ.

If I ignore the memory of you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her skill.

6 Sɛ mankae wo sɛ mʼanigyedeɛ kɛseɛ pa ara a, ma me tɛkrɛma nka mfam mʼanomu.

Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I think about you no more, if I do not prefer Jerusalem more than my greatest delights.

7 Ao Awurade, kae deɛ Edomfoɔ yɛeɛ wɔ ɛda a Yerusalem hwee ase no. Wɔteam sɛ, “Monnwiri, monnwiri ngu fam nkɔka nʼafapem!”

Call to mind, Yahweh, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. They said, “Tear it down, tear it down to its foundations.”

8 Ao Babilonia babaa a wɔahyɛ sɛ wɔbɛsɛe wo, nhyira nka deɛ ɔtua wo ka wɔ deɛ wode ayɛ yɛn so.

Daughter of Babylon, soon to be destroyed— may the person be blessed, whoever pays you back for what you have done to us.

9 Nhyira nka deɛ ɔkyekyee wo nkokoaa de wɔn bobɔɔ abotan so.

May the person be blessed, whoever takes and dashes your little ones against a rock.