Nyagblɔla 10
1 Nudzodzoe kukuwo ana amiʋeʋĩ si ʋẽna lĩlĩlĩ la ƒe atukpa blibo ɖeka gɔ̃ hã naʋẽ kũu! Ɛ̃, vodada sue aɖe ate ŋu agblẽ nunya geɖe kple bubu gã me.
Dead flies can make perfumed oil smell bad. Likewise a little foolishness outweighs great wisdom and honor.
2 Nunyala ƒe dzi nana wòwɔa nyui ke bometsila ƒe dzi nana wòwɔa nu vɔ̃.
The mind of the wise person chooses the right side, but the mind of the fool goes left!
3 Àte ŋu adze si bometsila le ale si wòle zɔzɔm le ablɔ dzi la me!
Just the way that fools walk down the road shows they have no sense, making clear to everyone their stupidity.
4 Ne wò amegã do dɔmedzoe ɖe ŋuwò la, mègadzo le egbɔ o, elabena blewu tsia dɔmedzoe helĩhelĩ nu.
If your superior gets angry with you, don't give up and leave. If you stay calm even bad mistakes can be resolved.
5 Megade dzesi nu vɔ̃ɖi aɖe tso fiawo kple dziɖulawo ŋu esi melé ŋku ɖe nuwo ƒe yiyi me le xexea me ŋu.
I also realized there's another evil here on earth: rulers make a big mistake
6 Mekpɔe be wona ŋusẽ gã bometsilawo hetsɔ wo ɖo amewo nu eye wometsɔ bubuteƒe na kesinɔtɔwo abe ale si dze ene o.
when they put fools in high positions, while those who are richly qualified are put in low positions.
7 Gawu la, mekpɔ subɔlawo wonɔ sɔ dom le esime fiaviŋutsuwo nɔ afɔ zɔm abe subɔlawo ene!
I've seen slaves riding on horseback, while princes walk on the ground like slaves.
8 Ame si ɖea vudo la, eyae gena ɖe eme. Ame si gbãa gli toa eme la, eyae da ɖuna.
If you dig a pit, you could fall in. If you knock down a wall, you could be bitten by a snake.
9 Ame si gbãa kpe la, eyae kpe wɔa nuvevii! Ame si dzea nake la, eyae fia sina!
If you quarry stone, you could be injured. If you split logs, you could be hurt.
10 Ame si le fia maɖamaɖa ŋu dɔ wɔm la, wɔa eƒe ŋusẽ geɖe ŋu dɔ. Dze nunya eye nànyre fia la nyuie.
If your ax is blunt and you don't sharpen it, you have to use a lot more force. Conclusion: being wise brings good results.
11 Ne da ɖu ame hafi wosa gbe de daa la, ekema gbesala mewɔ dɔ nyui aɖeke o.
If the snake bites the snake charmer before it's charmed, there's no benefit to the snake charmer!
12 Nya si tso nunyala ƒe nu me nyea amenuvenya, ke bometsila ƒe nuyiwo gblẽa nu le eya ŋutɔ ŋu.
Wise words are beneficial, but fools destroy themselves by what they say.
13 Eƒe nyawo ƒe gɔmedzedze nyea numanyamanya eye eƒe nyawo ƒe nuwuwu nyea tsukuku vɔ̃ɖi.
Fools begin by saying foolish things, and end up talking evil nonsense.
14 Bometsila nyaa nu sia nu tso etsɔ si gbɔna la ŋu eye wòƒoa nu tso nu si wònya la ŋu tsitotsito! Ke ame ka tututu ate ŋu anya nu si le dzɔdzɔ ge?
Fools talk on and on, however no one knows what's going to happen, so who can say what the future holds?
15 Dɔ sue aɖe ko wɔwɔ nana ɖeɖi tea eŋu ale gbegbe be ŋusẽ meganɔa eŋu hena dua me yiyi o.
Work makes fools so worn out they can't achieve anything.
16 Babaa na dukɔ si ƒe fia nye ɖevi eye eƒe kplɔlawo mua aha ŋdi kanya gbe sia gbe.
You're in trouble if the king of your country is young, and if your leaders are busy feasting from early morning.
17 Woayra dukɔ si ƒe fia nye bubume, eƒe kplɔlawo wɔa dɔ sesĩe hafi ɖua nu eye wonoa nu bena woatsɔ ado ŋusẽ wo ɖokuiwo hena dɔ si le wo ŋgɔ la wɔwɔ.
You're fortunate if your king comes from a noble family, and your leaders feast at the proper time to give themselves energy, and not to get drunk.
18 Kuviawɔwɔ nana xɔ ƒe daɖedziwo nyena ɖe eme, eye alɔgblɔlɔwɔwɔ nana xɔ ɖuɖuna.
Lazy people let their roofs collapse; idle people don't repair their leaky houses.
19 Nuɖuɖu hea nukoko vanɛ, wain hea dzidzɔ vanɛ, eye gae dia nu sia nu kpɔna.
A good meal brings pleasure; wine makes life pleasant; money provides for all needs.
20 Mègado ɖiŋu na fia la le wò susu me ke gɔ̃ hã o; mègaƒo fi de kesinɔtɔ le wò xɔ gã me ke gɔ̃ hã o, elabena xevi sue aɖe agblɔ nu si nègblɔ tso wo ŋu la na wo.
Don't talk badly about the king, not even in your thoughts. Don't talk badly about leaders, even in the privacy of your bedroom. A bird may hear what you say and fly away to tell them.
