kalama nanpa tu wan
1
sewi lawa o! jan ike mi li mute a!
jan mute li utala tawa mi.
2
jan mute li toki e ni tawa mi:
tenpo kama la sewi lawa li weka e sina tan ike.
3
sewi lawa o! sina ijo selo lon poka mi.
sina toki e suli tawa mi li sewi e lawa mi.
Notes: 'ijo selo' is a 'shield'; 'utala selo', while appropriately military, seemed too aggressive on the part of the Psalmist (at least at this place in the psalm).
I have translated 'my glory' as 'you communicate greatness for me'. Clearly 'glory' is going to be a problem word.
4
mi toki wawa tawa sewi lawa.
ona li pana sona tawa mi tan ma sewi ona.
5
mi anpa li lape.
sewi lawa li awen e mi.
tan ni la mi pini lape.
Notes: Here the existence of one antecedent in Toki Pona forced me to reverse the order of 'I wake (again)' and 'the Lord sustains me'.
6
mi pilin pi wawa ala e jan mute.
jan mute li lon utala tawa mi tan ma ali.
7
sewi lawa o sewi!
sewi lawa mi o weka e mi tan ike.
sina utala e jan ike mi lon uta.
sina pakala e nena uta pi jan ike.
Notes: 'uta' for 'cheek' is a little vague, but the intent is sufficiently similar.
8
weka tan ike li ijo pi sewi lawa.
pana pona sina o tawa jan sina.
