Intro (Female solo — very soft, whispered; ad-libs/wails between lines)
Katika giza la usiku Congo, kileo kinapiga juu na chini,
Machozi yanalia kwenye makazi yaliyoteketea, mioyo yetu inakosa pumzi. (ad-lib: aaah... ah...)
Usikie, Bwana, sauti za wanyonge — tunakuleta mbele yako. (wail)
Verse 1 (Male solo — raw, earnest)
Nyumba zimeungua, mabwawa ya kuchomeka yamechoma ndoto,
Kuna vazi lililofungwa, kidole cha mtoto hakitakumbushwa tena.
Vifo vinatiririka kama mito — damu juu ya udongo, viatu vikibaki bila kazi,
Watoto wakiaga mama zao, watoto wakilia vumbi badala ya wimbo.
(Takes a breath, ad-lib: hallelujah... hallelujah...)
Chorus (Trio harmony — Woman, Man, Woman; close, plaintive; repeatable hook)
Kilio cha Congo, Bwana tusikie. (repeat)
Machozi yetu yamechanganywa na vumbi.
Afrika Mashariki tumeungana, tuliomba.
Rehema yako, Mbinguni, isikie kileo chetu.
(Choir holds last line, soft organ swell; female on top harmony, male middle)
Verse 2 (Female solo — wounded, pleading)
Wanakoroma wake wananyamaza, watoto wanapumzika pamoja na ndoto zao,
Mchoraji wa maisha ameondoka — wamebaki vitambaa vilivyofariki, vazi lililofungwa mbele ya vilingo.
Tumezama katika huzuni, mioyo yetu imechapwa kama upande wa kijito kilichokatika.
(Tender ad-lib: oh Bwana... tulia...)
Call & Response — East African Unity (Female solo lists; Choir responds)
(Female solo — mournful, clear)
Tukumbuke Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi,
Sudan Kusini, Ethiopia, Somalia — sote tunalia pamoja kwa Congo.
(Choir response — soft, sustained)
Sote tunalilia, sote tunakuja mbele ya Bwana kwa kileo cha Congo. (repeat response softly)
Bridge (Male & Female duet — building, layered harmonies; room for plaintive wails)
(Male) Hakuna uso wa upole usioona makovu ya vita,
Mikono imekatika, vijiwe vya nyumba vimeanguka, vyumba vya kilio vimejaa mapaja ya majonzi.
(Female) Lakini tunainua sauti — tunaleta taji la sala, tunaleta taa ya imani.
(Both) Tumejaa huzuni, lakini tumainama kwa mara moja — tukamgeukia Mungu wa rehema.
(Ad-libs: female top line may wail on held vowels; choir answer: haa-aaa...)
Final Chorus (Trio harmony — fuller, choir swells; repeat twice, last time with ad-libs)
Kilio cha Congo, Bwana tusikie. (lead twice, choir echo)
Machozi yetu yamechanganywa na vumbi.
Afrika Mashariki tumeungana, tuliomba.
Rehema yako, Mbinguni, isikie kileo chetu.
(Repeat chorus — add call-and-response tag)
Lead: Kilio cha Congo, Bwana tusikie.
Choir echo/response: Rehema, rehema, isikie. (wails and harmonized descant)
Outro (Female solo — very soft, fragile; whispered ad-lib)
Katika usiku huu wa majonzi, tunashika jina lako Bwana kwa midomo yetu iko kavu,
Tusaidie kuificha nafsi iliyovunjika, tulipe pumzi mpya ya tumaini.
(Kama meneo wa piano & organ fading)
Usinipuuze, Bwana, usinipuuze — (whispered, repeat into silence)
(ad-lib final: aaah... ah... amen.)
