By the rivers of Babylon
We sat down and we wept
In a land so far from home
Our hearts in sorrow kept
Hung our harps upon the trees
Left in silence and regret
Memories of Zion's breeze
In our minds they set
Oh Lord how can we sing
In a foreign land so strange
Oh Lord our hearts they cling
To the place where love remains
In the midst of distant walls
How can we forget the past
When Zion's glory calls
Will this heartache always last
If I forget you Jerusalem
Let my right hand lose its skill
If I fail to remember them
Empty songs my heart would fill
Blessed be the ones who cherish
Jerusalem in their hearts
In this foreign land we perish
But in your grace we start