Lyrics
Verse 1
Eeh Bwana, ukae nami, ukae nami milele
Sema milele (milele)
Ukae nami milele (Repeat)
Verse 2
Bwana ni mlinzi wangu
Uvuli wa mkono wa kuume
Jua halitanipiga mchana
Wala mwezi wakati wa usiku
Verse 3
Utanilinda na mabaya yote
Utanilinda nitokapo na niingiapo
Sasa na milele
English Translation
Oh Lord, stay with me and stay with me forever (Repeat)
The Lord is my protector
The shadow of the right hand
The sun will not beat me during the day
Nor the moon at night
You will protect me from all evil
You will protect me when I leave and when I come in
Now and forever
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
"Ukae Nami" ("Stay With Me") opens with a direct, repeated request for God's permanent presence, asking him to remain forever rather than only during a specific difficulty. That simple, sustained plea sets the tone for the entire song, treating ongoing presence as the singer's primary desire above any specific request.
Its verses draw closely on Psalm 121, describing God as protector and shade at the right hand, one under whom the sun will not strike by day nor the moon by night. That imagery, applied to both daily exposure and hidden danger, frames God's protection as covering every hour rather than only visible threats.
The song closes by widening that protection to ordinary movement, going out and coming in, extending divine care into daily life rather than reserving it for moments of crisis. Rooted in Swahili worship music's use of the Psalms, the song functions as a sung prayer of dependence, its title request answered throughout by the psalm's own description of God's constant, protective presence.
Related Scripture
- Psalm 121:5-6 Describes the Lord as shade at one's right hand, with the sun not striking by day nor the moon by night, directly echoed throughout the song.
- Psalm 121:8 Describes the Lord watching over one's going out and coming in, both now and forevermore, echoed in the song's closing lines.