Jerusalem after Its Fall
1 Our glittering gold has grown dull;
the stones of the Temple lie scattered in the streets.
2 Zion's young people were as precious to us as gold,
but now they are treated like common clay pots.
3 Even a mother wolf will nurse her cubs,
but my people are like ostriches, cruel to their young.
4 They let their babies die of hunger and thirst;
children are begging for food that no one will give them.
5 People who once ate the finest foods die starving in the streets;
those raised in luxury are pawing through garbage for food.
6 My people have been punished even more than the inhabitants of Sodom,
which met a sudden downfall at the hands of God.
7 Our princes were undefiled and pure as snow,
vigorous and strong, glowing with health.
8 Now they lie unknown in the streets, their faces blackened in death;
their skin, dry as wood, has shriveled on their bones.
9 Those who died in the war were better off than those who died later,
who starved slowly to death, with no food to keep them alive.
10 The disaster that came to my people brought horror;
loving mothers boiled their own children for food.
11 The Lord turned loose the full force of his fury;
he lit a fire in Zion that burned it to the ground.
12 No one anywhere, not even rulers of foreign nations,
believed that any invader could enter Jerusalem's gates.
13 But it happened, because her prophets sinned and her priests were guilty
of causing the death of innocent people.
14 Her leaders wandered through the streets as though blind,
so stained with blood that no one would touch them.
15 “Get away!” people shouted. “You're defiled! Don't touch me!”
So they wandered from nation to nation, welcomed by no one.
16 The Lord had no more concern for them; he scattered them himself.
He showed no regard for our priests and leaders.
17 For help that never came, we looked until we could look no longer.
We kept waiting for help from a nation that had none to give.
18 The enemy was watching for us; we could not even walk in the streets.
Our days were over; the end had come.
19 Swifter than eagles swooping from the sky, they chased us down.
They tracked us down in the hills; they took us by surprise in the desert.
20 They captured the source of our life, the king the Lord had chosen,
the one we had trusted to protect us from every invader.
21 Laugh on, people of Edom and Uz; be glad while you can.
Your disaster is coming too; you too will stagger naked in shame.
22 Zion has paid for her sin; the Lord will not keep us in exile any longer.
But Edom, the Lord will punish you; he will expose your guilty acts.
Yerusalaamu boyiriŋ koolaa
1 Alikoo, ñiŋ sanoo le keta nee fiŋo ti teŋ,
saniforoo le yelemata teŋ!
Bere jankuriŋolu be janjandiŋ duuma
mbeedi kuŋolu to taariŋ.
2 Siyoni* diŋ kende-kendoolu,
ì niŋ saniforoo le be temberiŋ,
ì ye wolu le muta potoo daandiŋo ti teŋ,
boodaalaa buloo ka meŋ daa!
3 Cafati, kunkuwuloo ka wuli le,
a ka sunjoo dii le ka a diŋolu suusundi,
bari n na saatee moolu jawuyaata le,
ì ka ì koo dii ì diŋolu la le,
ko keñewuloo* kono suruntukunoolu.
4 Deenaanoolu neŋo ka kara ì naaliŋo bala,
feŋ te fo mindoo.
Dindiŋolu ka tara domori daanoo la,
bari moo buka ì so hani feŋ na.
5 Ee! Mennu ka i baluu nuŋ mansakee domoroo la,
a fele saayiŋ, ì ka faa konkoo la mbeedoolu kaŋ.
Mennu kuluuta sitifeŋ ñiimaa duŋo la,
saayiŋ ì ka suntukuŋolu le kisikisi.
6 Hee, jaraboo meŋ laata n na saatee moolu kaŋ,
wo le tambita Sodomu taa la,
meŋ kasaarata kataba kiliŋ,
bulu maŋ maa a la.
7 Hee, Yerusalaamu maralilaalu la seneyaa
mulunta le ko perekaanoo,
ka tambi hani keekewo la,
ì jaatoolu be bambandiŋ ko beroo,
ì muluŋo be ñiiñaariŋ ko safiiri beroo.
8 Ì fele, ì naata fiŋ ko kemboo,
moo buka ì suutee mbeedoolu kaŋ,
ì balafatoo jaata ì kuloolu bala,
a jaata ko loo jaaroo.
9 Jee to, mennu faata niŋ hawusaroo* la,
wolu le fisiyaata
ka tambi mennu faata niŋ konkoo la,
konkoo ye ì muta ka ì faa domaŋ-domaŋ,
domori sotobaliyaa kamma la.
10 Kooni! Baamaalu niŋ ì la konotodiyaa bee,
ì ye ì wuluudiŋolu muta le ka ì tabi,
ka ì ke domoroo ti,
tuma meŋ ì jawoolu ye ì ŋayibe.
11 Maarii Yaawe* ye a la kamfaa fijoo bee le jii,
a ye a la jusukandoo kupi naŋ,
a ye dimbaa mala Siyoni kono,
a ye a jani fo a fondamaŋolu to.
12 Mansakewolu, duniyaa mansoolu maŋ laa,
waraŋ moo koteŋ duniyaa kono,
ko Yerusalaamu konnantee waraŋ a jawu
si a dundaŋ daalu salaŋ noo.
13 Ǹ na annabiyomoolu la junuboolu le mu,
aniŋ ǹ na piriisoolu la jenke kuwolu,
ì ye moolu yeloo boŋ jee,
mennu keta moo tilindiŋolu ti.
14 Annabiyomoolu niŋ piriisoolu finkinteemaalu le mu,
ì ka yaayi mbeedoolu kaŋ,
ì be kosoriŋ moolu yeloo la,
fo moo buka ì la duŋ feŋolu maa noo.
15 Ŋà a je moolu ka wuuri ì ma taariŋ ko,
“Acaa! Seneyaabalinnu!
Acaa! Acaa! Ali kana m̀ maa de!”
Bituŋ ì keta yaantaŋ yaayilaalu ti.
Banku koteŋ moolu ka a fo ì ye,
ì te sabati la ì kono.
16 Oyi! Moo buka piriisi horoma kotenke,
sako ka alifaa buuñaa.
Yaawe faŋo le ye ì janjandi,
a te ì hati la kotenke.
17 Woyi nte! Ǹ tuta maakoyiroo koto fele la le,
fo ǹ ñaalu korita.
Ŋà koto feleroo ke banku le la
meŋ maŋ ǹ tankandi noo.
18 Ruk-ruk, a duuta! Ǹ jawoolu ka ǹ wulu deema le,
ì ka m̀ bali finti la ǹ na mbeedoolu kaŋ.
Ǹ labaŋo siita le,
m̀ baluu tiloolu banta fereŋ-fereŋ.
19 Seeliŋo tiitoo,
m̀ bayindilaalu le tariyaata wo faŋo ti.
Ì ye m̀ bayindi konkoolu kaŋ,
ì bitita ǹ kamma keñewuloo kono.
20 Teŋ neŋ, ì ye ǹ na baluwo topatoolaa muta,
Yaawe la tomboŋ mansakewo,
ì la dinkoolu kono,
ǹ ka a fo meŋ ye nuŋ ko,
banku koteŋolu si a je,
a ye ke ǹ ye dubeŋo ti,
aniŋ ǹ tankadulaa.
21 Wayi! Alitolu Edomunkoolu,
mennu be siiriŋ Usi bankoo to,
ali si seewoo ka jusulaa.
Bari Alla la kamfaa mindaŋo be naa ali fanaa kaŋ ne,
ali ye siira fo ali ye i wura fefes.
22 Yoo, ite Siyoni, i jarabita i la junuboolu kaŋ ne,
Yaawe te i mendi la mutoo kono kotenke.
Bari ite Edomu, a be i jarabi la i la junuboolu la le,
a ye i la kuu kuruŋolu waañaari.
