Following is a translation of Psalm 150 into dance and song in Kabiyè by Groupe Ɛsɔwazaa. The video is followed by an English back-translation as well as the original Kabiyè text and a French back-translations. The leader (call) part is in standard type, the ensemble (response) is italicized.
Uuuuyi, uuuyi, hiiiii [shouts of joy]
Praise the Eternal, eee.
In heaven in his house, eee.
Praise him in heaven, eee.
For his power, eee.
For his works, eee.
For his greatness, eee.
Which has no end, eee.
Eee which has no end, eee.
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (5 times)
Take the horn, eee.
Every stringed instrument, eee.
Drums and flutes, eee.
Bring them and let us praise him with them, eee.
With the cymbals, eee.
Big and small, eee.
On his throne, eee. (4 times)
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (5 times)
Are you alive? yes.
Come and let us praise God, eee. (3 times)
Everything that breathes, eee.
Eee Praises God, eee.
Eee Let us praise God, eee. (2 times)
Trees and birds, eee.
(They) praise God, eee.
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (5 times)
Praise the Eternal, eee. (2 times)
Eee Praise the Eternal, eee.
Praise the Eternal, eee.
He is so good, eee.
He is so big, eee.
He is so vast, eee.
Shout to praise him with shouts, eee.
Shout to praise him, eee.
Stoop down to praise him, eee. (4 times)
Rise up to praise him, eee. (2 fois)
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (5 times)
Dance to praise him, eee. (2 fois)
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (6 times)
Praise the Eternal, eee. (4 times)
He is so good, eee.
He is so just, eee.
He is so vast, eee.
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo.
Click or tap here to see the the text in French back-translation
Uuuuyi, uuuyi, hiiiii [cris d’allégresse]
Louez l’Eternel, eee.
Au ciel dans sa maison, eee.
Louez-le au ciel, eee.
Pour sa puissance, eee.
Pour ses oeuvres, eee.
Pour sa grandeur, eee.
Qui n’a pas de fin, eee.
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (5 fois)
Prenez la corne, eee.
Tout instrument à cordes, eee.
Tambours et flutes, eee.
Amenez et louons-le avec, eee.
Avec les cymbales, eee.
Grandes et petites, eee.
Sur son trône, eee. (4 fois)
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (6 fois)
Es-tu vivant ? oui.
Viens et louons Dieu, eee. (3 fois)
Tout ce qui respire, eee.
Eee Loue Dieu, eee.
Eee Louons Dieu, eee. (2 fois)
Arbres et oiseaux, eee.
Louent Dieu, eee.
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (4 fois)
Louez l’Eternel, eee. (2 fois)
Eee Louez l’Eternel, eee.
Louez l’Eternel, eee.
Il est tellement bon, eee.
Il est tellement grand, eee.
Il est tellement vaste, eee.
Acclamez pour louez-le avec, eee.
Acclamez pour le louer, eee.
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (4 fois)
Abaissez-vous pour le louer, eee. (4 fois)
Levez-vous pour le louer, eee. (2 fois)
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (4 fois)
Dansez pour le louer, eee. (4 fois)
Louez l’Eternel, eee. (4 fois)
Il est tellement bon, eee.
Il est tellement juste, eee.
Il est tellement vaste, eee.
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo.
Click or tap here to see the the text in Kabiyè
Uuuuyi, uuuyi, hiiiii
Ɛ́sa Mɛwɛtam, eee.
Ɛsɔdaa ɛ-ɖɩɣa taa, eee.
Ɛ́samɩ-ɩ ɛsɔdaa, eee.
E-ɖoŋ yɔɔ, eee.
Ɛ-tʋma yɔɔ, eee.
Ɛ-sɔsɔtʋ yɔɔ, eee.
Tɩfɛyɩ kamaɣ kaʋ, eee. (2 fois)
Eee tɩfɛyɩ kamaɣ kaʋ, eee.
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (5 fois)
Ɛ́kpaɣ nɔndɔŋ nee, eee.
Cɩmɩŋ tɩŋa payɩ, eee.
So nɛ hɩsɩ, eee.
Ɛ́kɔna nɛ ɛ́samɩ-ɩ, eee.
Nɛ cɩmɩŋ tɛlɛmnaa, eee.
Sɔsɔma nɛ Cikpema nee, eee.
E-kewiyaɣ kpelaɣ taa, eee. (4 fois)
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (6 fois)
Ŋwɛ wezuu yaa we? ɛɛɛ.
Kɔɔ nɛ ɖɩsa Ɛsɔ, eee. (3 fois)
Mbʋ payɩ pʋwɛ wezuu yɔ, eee.
Eee Pɩsa Ɛsɔ, eee.
Eee Ɖɩsa Ɛsɔ, eee. (2 fois)
Tɩŋ nɛ sumasɩ, eee.
Pɩsa Ɛsɔ, eee.
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (4 fois)
Ɛ́sa Mɛwɛtam, eee. (2 fois)
Eee Ɛ́sa Mɛwɛtam, eee.
Ɛ́sa Mɛwɛtam, eee.
Louez l’Eternel, eee.
Praise the Eternal, eee.
Ɛwɛ ɖeu pɩtɩɩfɛyɩ, eee.
Ɛkpaɣlaa pɩtɩɩfɛyɩ, eee.
Ɛwalaa pɩtɩɩfɛyɩ, eee.
Ɛ́kpalɩ nɛ ɛ́samna-ɩ, eee. (3 fois)
Ɛ́kpalɩ ɛ́samɩ-ɩ, eee. (2 fois)
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (4 fois)
Éluŋ nɛ ɛ́samɩ-ɩ, eee. (4 fois)
Ɛ́kʋyɩ nɛ ɛ́samɩ-ɩ, eee. (2 fois)
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (4 fois)
Ɛ́paa nɛ ɛ́samɩ-ɩ, eee. (4 fois)
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo. (6 fois)
Ɛ́sa Mɛwɛtam, eee. (4 fois)
Ɛwɛ ɖeu pɩtɩɩfɛyɩ, eee.
Ɛtʋʋzaa pɩtɩɩfɛyɩ, eee.
Ɛwalaa pɩtɩɩfɛyɩ, eee.
Eeeyiyaaa, eewooo.
Kabiye transcription and translation to French was completed by Mawèdong Amana, checking of Kabiye orthography and French translation was done by Kpatcha Hemou and Essokilina Tchamie, English translation by Sarah Jane Capper. Groupe Ɛsɔwazaa members: Pouwèdéou Noëline Mizou, Tchilalou Atakora, Poyodi Pounegue, Ezolina Françoise Tayele.
The artists in these videos composed these songs by studying Psalms 6, 150 and 118 as well as Kabiye music and dance styles. They participated in a two-week workshop organized by SIL Togo-Benin in Kara, Togo in partnership with the master’s thesis research of Sarah Jane Capper for Dallas International University; the Association pour la Promotion des Saintes-Écritures en Kabiye (APSEK); and Scriptura.
Songs © APSEK 2024. CC BY-NC-ND
See also Psalm 150 into Kabiyè (Ɛsɔwazaa).