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 cause a perfumer’s perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom—By reason of honor—a little folly!
2 Nunyala ƒe dzi nana wòwɔa nyui ke bometsila ƒe dzi nana wòwɔa nu vɔ̃.
The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
3 Àte ŋu adze si bometsila le ale si wòle zɔzɔm le ablɔ dzi la me!
And also, when he that is a fool Is walking in the way, his heart is lacking, And he has said to everyone, “He [is] a fool.”
4 Ne wò amegã do dɔmedzoe ɖe ŋuwò la, mègadzo le egbɔ o, elabena blewu tsia dɔmedzoe helĩhelĩ nu.
If the spirit of the ruler goes up against you, do not leave your place, For yielding quiets great sinners.
5 Megade dzesi nu vɔ̃ɖi aɖe tso fiawo kple dziɖulawo ŋu esi melé ŋku ɖe nuwo ƒe yiyi me le xexea me ŋu.
There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As ignorance that goes out from the ruler,
6 Mekpɔe be wona ŋusẽ gã bometsilawo hetsɔ wo ɖo amewo nu eye wometsɔ bubuteƒe na kesinɔtɔwo abe ale si dze ene o.
He has set the fool in many high places, And the rich sits in a low place.
7 Gawu la, mekpɔ subɔlawo wonɔ sɔ dom le esime fiaviŋutsuwo nɔ afɔ zɔm abe subɔlawo ene!
I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
8 Ame si ɖea vudo la, eyae gena ɖe eme. Ame si gbãa gli toa eme la, eyae da ɖuna.
Whoever is digging a pit falls into it, And whoever is breaking a hedge, a serpent bites him.
9 Ame si gbãa kpe la, eyae kpe wɔa nuvevii! Ame si dzea nake la, eyae fia sina!
Whoever is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoever is cleaving trees endangered by them.
10 Ame si le fia maɖamaɖa ŋu dɔ wɔm la, wɔa eƒe ŋusẽ geɖe ŋu dɔ. Dze nunya eye nànyre fia la nyuie.
If the iron has been blunt, And he has not sharpened the face, Then he increases strength, And wisdom [is] advantageous to make right.
11 Ne da ɖu ame hafi wosa gbe de daa la, ekema gbesala mewɔ dɔ nyui aɖeke o.
If the serpent bites without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
12 Nya si tso nunyala ƒe nu me nyea amenuvenya, ke bometsila ƒe nuyiwo gblẽa nu le eya ŋutɔ ŋu.
Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
13 Eƒe nyawo ƒe gɔmedzedze nyea numanyamanya eye eƒe nyawo ƒe nuwuwu nyea tsukuku vɔ̃ɖi.
The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.
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?
And the fool multiplies words: “Man does not know that which is—And that which is after him, who declares to him?”
15 Dɔ sue aɖe ko wɔwɔ nana ɖeɖi tea eŋu ale gbegbe be ŋusẽ meganɔa eŋu hena dua me yiyi o.
The labor of the foolish wearies him, In that he has not known to go to the city.
16 Babaa na dukɔ si ƒe fia nye ɖevi eye eƒe kplɔlawo mua aha ŋdi kanya gbe sia gbe.
Woe to you, O land, when your king [is] a youth, And your princes eat in the 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.
Blessed are you, O land, When your king [is] a son of nobles, And your princes eat in due season, For might, and not for drunkenness.
18 Kuviawɔwɔ nana xɔ ƒe daɖedziwo nyena ɖe eme, eye alɔgblɔlɔwɔwɔ nana xɔ ɖuɖuna.
By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands the house drops.
19 Nuɖuɖu hea nukoko vanɛ, wain hea dzidzɔ vanɛ, eye gae dia nu sia nu kpɔna.
For mirth they are making a feast, And wine makes life joyful, And the silver answers with all.
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.
Even in your mind do not revile a king, And in the inner parts of your bed-chamber do not revile the rich: For a bird of the heavens causes the voice to go, And a possessor of wings declares the word.
