A Prayer for Help
1 Listen to me, Lord, and answer me,
for I am helpless and weak.
2 Save me from death, because I am loyal to you;
save me, for I am your servant and I trust in you.
3 You are my God, so be merciful to me;
I pray to you all day long.
4 Make your servant glad, O Lord,
because my prayers go up to you.
5 You are good to us and forgiving,
full of constant love for all who pray to you.
6 Listen, Lord, to my prayer;
hear my cries for help.
7 I call to you in times of trouble,
because you answer my prayers.
8 There is no god like you, O Lord,
not one has done what you have done.
9 All the nations that you have created
will come and bow down to you;
they will praise your greatness.
10 You are mighty and do wonderful things;
you alone are God.
11 Teach me, Lord, what you want me to do,
and I will obey you faithfully;
teach me to serve you with complete devotion.
12 I will praise you with all my heart, O Lord my God;
I will proclaim your greatness forever.
13 How great is your constant love for me!
You have saved me from the grave itself.
14 Proud people are coming against me, O God;
a cruel gang is trying to kill me—
people who pay no attention to you.
15 But you, O Lord, are a merciful and loving God,
always patient, always kind and faithful.
16 Turn to me and have mercy on me;
strengthen me and save me,
because I serve you just as my mother did.
17 Show me proof of your goodness, Lord;
those who hate me will be ashamed
when they see that you have given me comfort and help.
Maakoyiroo duwaaraŋo
Dawuda la duwaa.
1 Hee Yaawe*, i lamoyi n na, i ye n danku,
kaatu nte mu fentaŋo le ti, aniŋ moo koririŋo.
2 N niyo tankandi kaatu nte foroyaata le.
Ite le mu n na Alla ti.
N tankandi, nte mu i la dookuulaa le ti,
aduŋ ŋa n jikoo loo ite le kaŋ.
3 Maariyo, balafaa n ye.
N ka tu woosii la i ye le tiloo bee.
4 N niyo seewondi, nte mu i la dookuulaa le ti.
Hee Maariyo, ŋa n sondomoo loo ite le kaŋ.
5 Maariyo, ite beteyaata le, aduŋ i ka yamfa,
i ka tu kanu bambaloo le yitandi la moolu la
mennu ka i daani.
6 Yaawe, i lamoyi n na duwaa la,
n kumboo kaŋo moyi,
m be maakoyiri ñiniŋo le la.
7 Niŋ m be mantooroo kono n ka ite le kumandi,
kaatu i ka n danku le.
8 Kooni Maariyo, ñoŋ te ite la,
alla te jee meŋ be ko ite.
I ye kuwolu mennu ke,
kiliŋ te jee meŋ ye wolu ke.
9 Maariyo, ite le ye duniyaa moolu bee daa.
Ì be naa le, ì ye sujudi i ye,
aduŋ ì be i too horoma la le,
10 kaatu ite warata le,
aduŋ i ka kaawakuwolu le ke.
Ite doroŋ ne mu Alla ti.
11 Yaawe, n karandi ka taama i la siloo la,
fo n si soŋ i ma i la tooñaa kaŋ,
i ye n sondomoo ke kiliŋ ti
ka i too kuliyaa.
12 M Maarii Alla,
m be i tentu la niŋ n sondomoo bee le la,
aduŋ m be i too horoma la le fo fawu.
13 Kaatu i ye i la kanu bambaloo yitandi nte la baake le.
I ye n niyo tankandi le,
n sutiyaata saayaa la ñaa-wo-ñaa.
14 Hee Alla, faŋ wara moolu le wulita nte kamma.
Fitina moolu la kafoo le lafita ka n niyo taa,
wolu mennu daa te ite la kuu to.
15 Bari Maariyo, ite mu Alla le ti meŋ balafaa warata,
aduŋ i hiinanteeyaata, i buka kamfaa juuna,
i la kanu bambaloo niŋ i la tiliŋo
maŋ dandulaa soto.
16 I ñaa tiliŋ n na, i ye balafaa n ye.
M bambandi, i ye n tankandi,
nte mu i la dookuulaa musoo diŋo le ti,
aduŋ m mu i la dookuulaa doroŋ ne ti.
17 Yaawe, i la konotodiyaa taamanseeroo yitandi n na,
fo mennu ye n koŋ ì si malu, niŋ ì ye wo je,
i la m maakoyoo niŋ n jusulandoo kamma la.
