Verse 1: “Umuntu akasempini yini emhlabeni, imihla yakhe ayinjengemihla yomqashwa na?
Verse 2: Njengenceku ekhefuzelela ithunzi, nanjengomqashwa obheka umvuzo wakhe,
Verse 3: kanjalo ngithole ifa lezinyanga zokubi; ngimiselwe ubusuku bezinhlupheko.
Verse 4: Lapho ngilala phansi, ngisho ngithi: ‘Ngingavuka nini,’ ngokuba ubusuku bude; ngigcwele ukubinyabinyeka kuze kuse.
Verse 5: Inyama yami yembesiwe izimpethu namagade othuli; isikhumba sami siyaphola, sibuye sibhicike.
Verse 6: “Imihla yami iyashesha kunesaluko, iphela ingenathemba.
Verse 7: Khumbula ukuthi ukuphila kwami kungumoya; iso lami aliyikubuye libone okuhle.
Verse 8: Iso longibonayo alisayikungibuka; amehlo akho esekimi, angisekho.
Verse 9: Ifu liphela lihamba; kanjalo owehlele endaweni yabafileyo akasayikukhuphuka.
Verse 10: Kasayikubuyela endlini yakhe; indawo yakhe ayisayikumazi.
Verse 11: “Ngalokho nami angiyikubamba umlomo wami; ngiyakukhuluma osizini lomoya wami, ngikhale ngomunyu womphefumulo wami.
Verse 12: Ngilulwandle yini, ngingumkhomo yini, ukuze ungibekele abalindi?
Verse 13: Lapho ngithi umbhede wami uyakungiduduza, ukhukho lwami lungithwalise ukukhala kwami,
Verse 14: uyangesabisa ngamaphupho, ungethusa ngemibono,
Verse 15: ukuze umphefumulo wami ukhethe ukuklinywa nokufa kunalawa mathambo ami.
Verse 16: Ngiyanengwa yiwo; mangingahlali njalo; ngiyeke, ngokuba imihla yami iyize.
Verse 17: Uyini umuntu ukuba umkhulise, nokuba ubeke inhliziyo yakho kuye,
Verse 18: nokuba umhambele ekuseni njalo, umhlole njalonjalo, na?
Verse 19: Koze kube nini uyeka ukungibheka na? Ngiyeke, ngize ngiminze amathe ami.
Verse 20: Noma ngonile, ngenzeni kuwe mlindi wabantu na? Ungimiseleni ngibe yisigcibisholo sakho, ngize ngibe ngumthwalo nakimi, na?
Verse 21: Awuthetheleli ngani isiphambeko sami, ususe isono sami, na? Ngokuba manje ngiyakulala phansi othulini; uyakungifunisisa, kepha angiyikubakho.”