Lamentashons
Introdushon
Wen Babilon sojas win and seize Jerusalem kon karry all di pipol for di land go Babilon, dem live some pipol for Jerusalem town wey dem don skata finish. Jos to show how e dey pain dem rish sey dem don skata dia house, dem kon rite songs about how dem take distroy di town and about how dem dey sofa well-well. Dis Lamentashon wey mean komplain or kry, dem nor really tell us doz wey rite di songs, but many tradishon bilive sey na Jeremaya. For dis book, wi si as God pipol rite how dem dey struggol and to undastand why God allow enemies burn and skata di town wey dem love.
Each of di five songs wey dem rite for dis book get twenty-two verses. Di first four songs start with di twenty-two letas for Hibru alfabet just as dem follow each oda. For di third song, for each of di lines for di verses, dem dey repeat di letas. For inside di book, dem still give di pipol small hope and some important tok dey for inside too. Dis book dey remind us to tok about problem, pains and awa world wey don break and skata. All dis one na part of di drama for Bible.
1
Wahala For Jerusalem
א (Alef)
1 Jerusalem, where many pipol dey stay before,
don empty naw.
Di town wey great pass oda nashons before,
don bi like woman wey en husband die leave.
Na Jerusalem bi kween for di world before,
but naw, na slave e bi.
ב (Bet)
2 Jerusalem pipol dey kry well-well for nite.
Doz wey love am nor dey again to konfort am
and all en friends don lie for en head;
dem don turn en enemy.
ג (Gimel)
3 Dem karry Judah pipol go Babilon
as slave kon dey sofa dem.
Na anoda land dem dey stay
and dem nor get peace at-all.
Even with di pain wey dem dey pass thru,
evribody wey porshu dem,
katch and ponish dem.
ד (Dalet)
4 Jerusalem road dey mourn,
bikos nobody dey pass der go celebrate again.
Di town gate kwayet
and pain won kill di priests dem.
Di yong wimen dey kry,
bikos di trobol wey dem dey face, too mush!
ה (He)
5 Jerusalem enemies don turn dia oga naw
and dem dey prosper,
bikos God ponish Jerusalem pipol for di sins wey dem kommit.
Dem don katch and take dia shidren go far land.
ו (Vav)
6 All di glory wey Jerusalem get,
don vanish.
En prince bi like deer wey dey find grass to chop,
bikos e dey hongry.
Dem too dey weak to run from dia enemies
wey dey porshu dem.
ז (Zayin)
7 Even inside en pain, Jerusalem remember
wen e nor get money or house to stay.
E still remember all di propaty wey e bin get.
But naw, en enemies don attack am
and nobody gri kom help am.
Di way e take fall, dey make en enemies laf.
ח (Khet)
8 Bikos Jerusalem sin well-well,
God kon rijet dem like dirty rag.
All di pipol wey dey honor am before, don hate am naw,
bikos dem don si en nakednes and shame.
Di only tin wey e fit do naw,
na to dey kry with pain and hide en face with shame.
ט (Tet)
9 E nor keep ensef klean
or tink of wetin go happen to am.
Naw, e dey inside gutta
and nobody won bring am out.
So e kry kon sey, “Oga God,
make Yu si wetin dey happen to mi;
my enemies don win mi.”
י (Yod)
10 Dem don tif all wetin e get;
all en betta tins don vanish.
E dey look as strenjas dey use di holy temple anyhow;
di place wey God sey make dem nor enter.
כ (Kaf)
11 En pipol dey feel di pain
and dem dey find wetin dem go chop.
E sell en betta-betta tins make e
for si money take buy food chop,
so dat e nor go die.
So e kry, “My God,
make Yu look kon si as I dey sofa.”
ל (Lamed)
12 Una wey dey waka pass,
my sofa nor mean anytin to una?
Make una look round,
una si anybody wey dey sofa like mi?
But na God vexnashon dey kause
dis pain and sofa for mi.
מ (Mem)
13 E send fire kom from heaven
and e dey burn inside my bone.
E set trap for mi and I fall enter.
Naw E don forget mi and I dey sofa well-well.
נ (Nun)
14 E know all my sins; so E put dem togeda
kon hang and tie dem round my neck.
I weak well-well, bikos my sins too heavy.
God don make my enemies strong pass mi
and I nor fit do dem anytin.
ס (Samek)
15 God don turn all my strong sojas to fool.
As E kommand, many sojas kom distroy my sojas.
God mash and press my pipol,
just as dem dey press grape.
ע (Ayin)
16 Bikos of dis tins; I kry well-well,
but nobody dey to konfort or give mi hope.
My shidren nor get future,
bikos awa enemies don win us.
פ (Pe)
17 Jerusalem dey beg for help,
but nobody gri help am.
God don tok against Jakob sey,
“Doz nashons wey dey around yu, go bi yor enemies!
Dem go ponish and trowey Jerusalem like dirty rag!”
צ (Tsade)
18 Jerusalem sey, “God dey rite,
bikos I go against en kommand.
So pipol for evriwhere,
make una listin kon si as I dey sofa!
Dem don karry my shidren go Babilon as slave.
ק (Qof)
19 I koll all di pipol wey love mi make dem help mi,
but instead, dem kom deceive mi.
Na honga kill my priests and leaders for di town
wen dem dey find food wey dem go chop.
ר (Resh)
20 So my God, make Yu si as I dey sofa!
My heart dey kry,
bikos of my sins.
Dem dey kill pipol for di street
and even deat dey inside house too dey wait mi.
שׂ / שׁ (Sin/Shin)
21 Even doh dem hear sey I dey sofa,
nobody gri kom konfort mi.
My enemies know sey I dey trobol
and dem dey happy to si as God ponish mi.
Make di Judgement Day wey Yu promise kom,
so dat dem go sofa, just as I don sofa so.
ת (Tav)
22 My God, make yu si all di wiked tins wey dem dey do.
Make Yu ponish dem,
just as Yu ponish mi for all my sins.
My pains many and e dey make mi sick well-well.”