Sweet mother I no go forget you 
for the suffer wey you suffer for me. 

When I dey cry, my mother go carry me--she go say, 
my pikin [1] wetin you dey cry ye, ye, 
stop stop, stop stop make you no cry again oh." 

When I won sleep, my mother go pet me, 
she go lie me well well for bed, 
she cover me cloth, sing me to sleep, 
"sleep sleep my pikin oh." 

When I dey hungry, my mother go run up and down. 
she go find me something when I go chop [2] oh. 

Sweet mother I no go forget you for the suffer wey you suffer for me 

When I dey sick, my mother go cry, cry, cry, 
she go say instead when I go die make she die. 

O, she go beg God, 
"God help me, God help, my pikin oh." 

If I no sleep, my mother no go sleep, 
if I no chop, my mother no go chop, she no dey tire oh. 

Sweet mother I no go forget you, 
for the suffer wey you suffer for me. 

You fit get another wife, you fit get another husband,
but you fit get another mother? No! 

And if I forget you, therefore I forget my life and the air I breathe. 

And then on to you men, forget, verily, forget your mother,
for if you forget your mother you've lost your life.