The Confession of a Sufferer
1 I said, “I will be careful about what I do
and will not let my tongue make me sin;
I will not say anything
while evil people are near.”
2 I kept quiet, not saying a word,
not even about anything good!
But my suffering only grew worse,
3 and I was overcome with anxiety.
The more I thought, the more troubled I became;
I could not keep from asking:
4 “Lord, how long will I live?
When will I die?
Tell me how soon my life will end.”
5 How short you have made my life!
In your sight my lifetime seems nothing.
Indeed every living being is no more than a puff of wind,
6 no more than a shadow.
All we do is for nothing;
we gather wealth, but don't know who will get it.
7 What, then, can I hope for, Lord?
I put my hope in you.
8 Save me from all my sins,
and don't let fools make fun of me.
9 I will keep quiet, I will not say a word,
for you are the one who made me suffer like this.
10 Don't punish me any more!
I am about to die from your blows.
11 You punish our sins by your rebukes,
and like a moth you destroy what we love.
Indeed we are no more than a puff of wind!
12 Hear my prayer, Lord,
and listen to my cry;
come to my aid when I weep.
Like all my ancestors
I am only your guest for a little while.
13 Leave me alone so that I may have some happiness
before I go away and am no more.
Hadamadiŋo mu luntaŋ tambilaa le ti duniyaa
Meŋ be suukuulaa ñaatonkayaa la: Yedutuni tooyaa la, Dawuda la Jabuuroo le mu.
1 N ko m faŋ ye ko,
“M be n hakilitu la n kekuwolu to le,
ŋa n neŋo muta,
a kana n duŋ junube kuwo to.
M be n daa mara la niŋ karafewo le la,
niŋ moo kuruŋolu be n daala.”
2 N tarata deyiriŋ ne tek,
m maŋ tuus fo,
bari n na niitooroo lafaakuuta le.
3 N jusoo kono ka munta le ko, dimbaa le be jee.
N na miiroolu ye n konotoo kandindi le wit.
Bituŋ n diyaamuta, n ko:
4 “Hee Yaawe*, n labaŋo yitandi n na,
aniŋ m baluu tiloolu yaatewo.
A yitandi n na
n na baluwo loo be sutiyaariŋ ñaameŋ.
5 I ye n na baluu tiloolu ke le ko sibira kiliŋ,
aduŋ n na baluwo loo la jamfoo
maŋ ke i ñaa koto feŋ ti.
A be koyiriŋ ne ko,
moo-wo-moo la baluwo la sutiyaa be le ko,
niiseloo niŋ niijiyo teema.
S6 Hadamadiŋo buka mee baluuriŋ,
a be le ko niiniyo,
a la matimatoo mu kenseŋ ne ti.
Moo ka naafuloo kafu ñoo ma le,
bari a buka a loŋ meŋ taa be ke la a ti.
7 “Wo to saayiŋ, Maariyo nte be jiki la muŋ ne la?
Ŋa n jikoo loo ite le kaŋ.
8 N na junuboolu bee dunoo bondi n kaŋ.
Kana soŋ ŋa ke moo kuntaŋolu ye jelefeŋo ti.
9 “Ŋa n deyi le, n daa te kuma fo la,
kaatu ite le ye a ke.
10 I la busaroo daŋ n ye.
I buloo laata n kaŋ ne fo n korita.
11 I ka moolu jalayi le, ka ì kuluu,
ì la junuboolu kamma la,
i ye ì la sotofeŋolu kasaara, ì ye mennu kanu,
komeŋ niŋ tumboolu dunta feŋo la.
A be koyiriŋ ne ko,
moo-wo-moo la baluwo la sutiyaa be le ko,
niiseloo niŋ niijiyo teema.
S12 “Hee Yaawe, n na duwaa moyi,
i ye i lamoyi n na kumboo la,
kana i ñaa kaasi n na ñaajii boŋo la,
kaatu nte be i ye baluwo to le ko tumarankewo,
m mu luntaŋ tambilaa le ti ko m mumuñolu.
13 N juubee doroŋ, i ye n tu jee,
fo n si seewoo tukuŋ,
janniŋ m be taa,
n te tara la keriŋ kotenke.”
