Mə̀ mbiŋə mbwo Nywe Ətaa, ma a dzwi nә mә̀tenә mәtsèmә̀. Ma a ghərə nəkaŋə bwo nshye, Nә Moo Ngonә yì wi mò’o M̀fò Yesu Kristò, ma bә tu’unə yi mbə’ə Azhwè zə Nwa’anǝ̀Mariyà a jwe yi. A zə ngə’ə zhi nshye wi mbwo Bonto Blato, Bә bu’utә̀ yi nә àbàŋnә̀, a kwo bə twiŋə yε. A tso nghə ndzwi ala’a bə̀ ba kwonǝ̌, njwe tarə a bə̀ŋnə̀ nəwwo. A ko’o nghə̀ nəkàŋə̀ nnunə abwo mà’à Ətàa ma à dzwi nә̀ mә̀tenә̀ mә̀tsә̀mә̀. A lyə bu yii məsa’anə̀ bə bə̀tsə̀mə̀ fəfə nshye. Bà dzwinə nǝ bà kwonə̌. Mә̀ mbiŋә mbwo Àzhwè zә̌ Nwa’anə. Nə ǹkùŋsə̀ ndya Nywè Katorә; Nə ǹkùŋsə̀ Bә̀ bâ Nwa’anә, nə mә na’anә̀ mә әbwu, nə mə̀zwiŋnə̀, mə m̀bə̀ŋə̀ ǹnu, nə̀ mə̀dzwinə̀ ma mə lyə kə myè. Adzwilìi
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
Lord Jesus, by your cross and resurrection you set us free, you are the Savior of the world. As we profess our faith in you by reciting the Apostle’s Creed, help redeem the world from the corona virus. Thank you Lord Jesus.
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, Hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope.To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.Turn then, most gracious Advocate, Thine eyes of mercy toward us,And after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus,O Clement O Loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.That we may become worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray
O God whose only begotten Son Has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life. Grant that we beseech Thee, while meditating upon these mysteries In the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary We may both imitate what they contain and obtain What they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
In Nkwen Language
Tsὲ’εtε Mya M̀fò Nwà’ànǝ̌ (Hail Holy Queen)
Tsὲ’ὲtε Mya M̀fò Nwà’ànǝ̌, Mya ǹtsă mә̀liŋәnә̀. Linә medzwinә̀ mi nә ə̀bòŋə̀ wii, nә awiˀitə̀ zii. Bìi kìi ambwo wwò, Bìi boŋә Ifà. Bìi kə̀sə̀ bə̀tswὲrə̀ nə mə̀loŋnə̀ mii fə mәmә nә̀bә̀mә̀ nә nkyi mmi zìi, o àkù-ntuŋə Nywe, kasə la mmi məlìŋnə mwo nnu bìi. Na’a ngә’ә zi zìi lyǝ mye, dəsə Yesù moo-ngonə Nwàˀànə̀ wwò ambwo bìi. O nwàˀànə̀, o ǹkoŋә wii, o ə̀lə̀mtə məngònә̀ Màriyà. Àdzwilǐ.
Shwenǝ ambwo bìi Nwà’ànǝ Mya Nywè (Pray for us o Holy Mother of God)
Ngǝ boŋǝ bìi dzwi nǝ ǝ̀dzuŋǝ dzwu ma Nywè a ka’anǝ wìi wu lǝ. ( That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ)
A binǝ̀ shwenǝ, (Let us pray)
O Nywè-ngòŋǝ̀, mbǝ’ǝ mǝdzwinǝ̀ mǝ moo wwò wi mo’o nǝ nǝ̀wwo zhi nǝ mǝ̀bǝ̀ŋnǝnǝ̀ myi fǝ nǝwwo, o zuu mǝ̀dzwinǝ̀ ma mǝ lyǝ kǝ̌ mye ambwo bìi, bìi ti’i nlontǝ ngǝ ma bìi shwenǝ mǝmǝ ǝ̀dì’ì Rosarǝyà Mariyà nwa’anǝ dzwi li, a bìi ghǝrǝ anyù zu ma ǝ swiŋǝ nkǝ dzwi nǝ ǝ̀kà’anǝ dzwu ma ǝ̀ dzwi wu mǝmǝ. Bìi lontǝ lǐ nǝ ǝ̀lwenǝ moo wwò Yesu Kristò, Adzwilǐ.
The Nkwen Language makes a distinction of three main tenses, the Present the Past and the Future Tenses. The past and the future tenses are subdivided into three forms each. The differences between these tenses in some cases are shown by different tense markers which come before the verb or simply tone melody on verbs and nouns.
This tense marks actions or situations which took place earlier than the moment of speaking and may be translated into English as the Present Perfect Tense. There are two tense markers, (tɛ̌ and ghǝ̌) that stress the time of action. In some cases there are tonal differences on verbs and nouns (without any marker), with the low tone dominating. E.g.
‘Talà kwùrә ǹnà.
Talà eaten meat (word for word translation)
Talahas eaten meat. (free translation)
2. Ngәlà cù’u àkù’u
Ngәla pounded achu.
Ngǝla has pounded achu.
NB: There is no tense marker in the above examples but low tone dominating)
The yesterday past tense is sequentially lexicalized by a marker ‘kә̀’. This tense marks actions which took place not only yesterday but as far back as last year. E.g.
This tense marks events which took place in the distant past or at a period when the definiteness of the time is not of great consequence at the moment of speaking. It is lexicalized by a marker ‘lyә’ or only by a tone melody. E.g.
Tala lyә kwurә nnà ŋgù’u tsә.
Talà p3 ate meat year certain.
Tala ate meat a certain year.
Or
Talǎ kwurә ǹnǎ ŋgù’u tsә̌.
Tala ate meat year certain. Talaate meat a certain year.
