Peter Tosh here
cleverly adapts the words of Psalm 24, to encourage Black
people to have self-respect. Compare the very similar
lyric of Arise Blackman. Psalm
24 is one of the most frequently
used quotations from the Psalms in reggae song
lyrics. |
Peter Tosh - Black Dignity
(Tosh)
Song
Lyrics
|
Biblical
Reference
|
lagidamawi
rasfetari
medhani alem
tenayistilgn
Igziabhier amlak
qedamawi tekoro
medhani alem
negus nagast
izi Itiopia |
|
Lift up thine
head, O ye Black Dignity
And be ye lifted up, ye ever-loving Black Dignity
And let the King of kings enter thine heart |
Psalm
24:7-9 - Lift up your heads, O
ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting
doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who
is this King of glory? The LORD strong and
mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your
heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye
everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall
come in.
1 Timothy 6:15
- Which in his times he shall shew, who is the
blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings,
and Lord of lords;
Revelation 17:14
- These shall make war with the Lamb, and the
Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of
lords, and King of kings: and they that are with
him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Revelation 19:16 -
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a
name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. |
For in a little
while, and the wicked shall not be
They shall be cut off like the grass
And wither like the green herb |
Psalm
37:2 - For they shall soon be
cut down like the grass, and wither as the green
herb. |
So trust in the
LORD and do good
And wait patiently for him
And verily thou shalt prevail. Selah |
Psalm
37:3 - Trust in the LORD, and
do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and
verily thou shalt be fed.
Psalm 37:7 -
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him:
fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in
his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked
devices to pass. |
I branches
shall not wither
And whatsoever I do shall prosper
I shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers
That bringeth forth fruit in season. Selah |
Psalm
1:3 - And he shall be like a
tree planted by the rivers of water, that
bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf
also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth
shall prosper. |
So lift up
thine head, O ye Black People
And be ye lifted up, ye ever-loving Black People
And the King of Kings shall come in. Selah |
|
| Wake up thine
slumbering mentality |
Ephesians
5:14 - Wherefore he saith,
Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the
dead, and Christ shall give thee light. |
Come closer to
reality
Recognise thy dignity, thy integrity, thy quality |
|
Fret not
because of one who prospereth in his way
For in a little while
The evil-doers shall be killed, crum(?),
paralysed |
Psalm
37:7 - Rest in the LORD, and
wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because
of him who prospereth in his way, because of the
man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. |
Love him and
live!
Hate him and die!
Lift up thine head, ye ever-loving Black People
And be ye lifted up, ye ever-living Black People
And the LORD God shall come into thine heart |
|
Seek him and ye
shall find him
'Cause he can be found |
Jeremiah
29:13 - And ye shall seek me,
and find me, when ye shall search for me with all
your heart.
Matthew 7:7-8
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye
shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto
you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he
that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it
shall be opened. |
Wake up thine
slumbering mentality
And live up to reality
Live Black, love Black, think Black
Our God is Black
qedamawi ras fetari
medhani alem
Igziabhier amlak
tenayistilgn
tokoro chilola
neguse nagast
Itiopia |
|
Note: This song includes phrases sung in Amharic, a
language of Ethiopia. Please see the Amharic
Section for translations and
background information.
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