¹“Isn’t a man forced to labor on earth? Aren’t his days like the days of a hired hand?

¹ Boro sinda tamtaray alwaati no ndunnya? A jirbey mo, Manti i ga hima sufuray goy-izey jirbey cine bo?

²As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow, as a hireling who looks for his wages,

² Sanda bannya kaŋ ga yalla-yalla nda tuuri bi, Wala mo goy-ize kaŋ goono ga laakal dake nga banando gaa.

³so am I made to possess months of misery, wearisome nights are appointed to me.

³ Yaadin cine no ay mo, I naŋ ay ma handu yaamoyaŋ ŋwa, Jirbiyaŋ kaŋ sinda fulanzamay no i waadu ay se.

⁴When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise, and the night be gone?’ I toss and turn until the dawning of the day.

⁴ D'ay kani, ay ga ne: ‹Waati fo no ay ga tun, Waati fo no cino ga bisa?› Hala mo ma bo ay goono ga tangam nda bimbilkoyaŋey.

⁵My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust. My skin closes up, and breaks out afresh.

⁵ Nooney da laabu gudey n'ay gaahamo daabu. Ay kuuro bagu-bagu, ka hari fumbo kaa taray,

⁶My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.

⁶ Ay jirbey waasu nda baa cakay gombo candiyaŋ, I go ga ban, beeje si no.

⁷Oh remember that my life is a breath. My eye shall no more see good.

⁷ Ma fongu kaŋ ay fundo wo funsar no, Ay moy si ye ka di gomni koyne.

⁸The eye of him who sees me shall see me no more. Your eyes shall be on me, but I shall not be.

⁸ Boro kaŋ goono ga di ay, A mwa si ye k'ay guna koyne. Ni goono g'ay guna no, ay ga daray,

⁹As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. shall come up no more.

⁹ Sanda mate kaŋ cine beene hirriyaŋ ga say ka daray. Yaadin cine mo no boro kaŋ ga zumbu ka koy Alaahara, A koy si ye ka kaa koyne.

¹⁰He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.

¹⁰ A si ye ka kaa nga windi koyne, A nangoray zeena mo si ye k'a bay koyne.

¹¹“Therefore I will not keep silent. I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

¹¹ Woodin sabbay se no ay si ye k'ay meyo gaay, Ay ga salaŋ no nda fundi doori. Ay biya forto ra no ay ga soobay ka salaŋ.

¹²Am I a sea, or a sea monster, that you put a guard over me?

¹² Ay wo teeku no, wala? Wala ay ya teeku ham beeri no, Kaŋ ni na batuko daŋ ay se?

¹³When I say, ‘My bed shall comfort me. My couch shall ease my complaint;’

¹³ D'ay ne: ‹Ay dima g'ay kunfa, Ay daarijo mo g'ay dooro dogonandi ay se,›

¹⁴then you scare me with dreams, and terrify me through visions:

¹⁴ Kala ni m'ay gartandi nda hindiriyaŋ, Ni g'ay humburandi nda bangayyaŋ.

¹⁵so that my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my bones.

¹⁵ Hal ay fundo ga ne dambe day i m'ay koote, Dambe ya bu, a ga bisa ay go biriyey wo ra.

¹⁶I loathe my life. I don’t want to live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

¹⁶ Ay g'ay fundo fanta. Ay si funa hal abada. Kala ni ma fay d'ay, Zama ay jirbey ga hima funsar candiyaŋ folloŋ.

¹⁷What is man, that you should magnify him, that you should set your mind on him,

¹⁷ Ifo ga ti boro, sanku fa ni m'a beerandi, Wala ni ma ni laakal dake a gaa mo?

¹⁸that you should visit him every morning, and test him every moment?

¹⁸ Ifo se no ni g'a kunfa susubay kulu? Ni g'a neesi alwaati kulu?

¹⁹How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone until I swallow down my spittle?

¹⁹ Ni si fay d'ay gunayaŋ hal abada bo? Ni s'ay muray mo hal ay ma du k'ay yolla gon?

²⁰If I have sinned, what do I do to you, you watcher of men? Why have you set me as a mark for you, so that I am a burden to myself?

²⁰ Ya nin, borey haggoykwa, Baa ay na zunubi te, ifo no ay sara ni gaa? Ifo se no ni n'ay ciya gooyaŋ hari ni do, Hal ay ciya jaraw ay boŋ se?

²¹Why do you not pardon my disobedience, and take away my iniquity? For now shall I lie down in the dust. You will seek me diligently, but I shall not be.”

²¹ Ifo se no ni man'ay taaley yaafa, Ni man'ay laala mo ganandi? Zama doŋ sohõ ay ga kani bulungo ra. Ni g'ay ceeci nda himma, amma ay si bara.»