Nyagblɔla 12
1 Ɖo ŋku wò Wɔla dzi le wò ɖekakpuiŋkekewo me, hafi ŋkeke vɔ̃wo nava eye ƒe siwo me màgakpɔ dzidzɔ le agbeɖuɖu ŋu le o la nagogo.
While you are still young, keep thinking about [God], who created you. Do that before [you are old] and you experience many troubles, during the years when you say “I no [longer] enjoy being alive.”
2 Ɖo ŋku wò Wɔla dzi hafi ɣe, kekeli, ɣleti kple ɣletiviwo nado viviti, eye lilikpowo natrɔ agbɔ le tsidzadza megbe,
[When you become old], the light from the sun and moon and stars will [seem] dim [to you], and [it will seem that the rain] clouds [always] return [quickly] after it rains.
3 elabena ɣeyiɣi aɖe gbɔna esime tsitsi ana wò afɔwo kple abɔwo nadzo nyanyanya, wò ata sesẽwo nagbɔdzɔ, wò aɖuwo dometɔ geɖewo natu eye wò ŋkuwo hã natsi
Then your [arms that you use to protect] [MET] your bodies will shake/tremble, and your [legs that support] [MET] your bodies will become weak. Many of your [teeth that you use to] grind/chew [your food] will fall out, and your [eyes that you use to] look out of windows will not see clearly.
4 ekema nàna wò nuyiwo namia tititi ne èle nu ɖum esi wò aɖuwo tu vɔ la ta! Àfɔ le fɔŋli, ne xeviwo de asi hadzidzi me, ke màgase nu o eye wò gbe anɔ ƒoƒom, màgate ŋu adzi ha o.
Your [ears] [MET] will not hear the noise in the streets, and you will not be able to hear clearly the sound of people grinding grain with millstones. You will be awakened in the morning by hearing the birds singing/chirping, [but] you will not be able to hear well the songs that (the birds/people) sing.
5 Àvɔ̃ na dzidede kple gege, eye nàzu amegãɖeɖi si anɔ zɔzɔm ɖɔɖɔɖɔ, ame si nyɔnugbɔdɔdɔ magadzro o, ame si atsi tsitre ɖe ku ƒe agbo nu, eye wòagogo eƒe aƒe mavɔ esime konyifalawo nɔa ablɔ dzi zɔm.
You will be afraid to be in high places and afraid of dangers on the roads that you walk on. [Your hair] will become [white like] [MET] the flowers of almond trees. [When you try to walk], you will drag yourself along like [MET] grasshoppers, and you will no longer desire [to have sex]. Then you will [die and] go to your eternal home, and people who will mourn for you will be in the streets.
6 Ɛ̃, ɖo ŋku wò Wɔla dzi le wò ɖekakpuiŋkekewo me, hafi agbe ƒe klosaloka natso, sikagba nagbã, tɔmedeze nagbã le tsi dzidzi to, tsidumɔ ƒe troƒe nafli ɖa,
[Think much about God now, because] soon our lives will end, [like] [MET] silver chains or golden bowls that break easily, or like pitchers/jugs that are broken at the water fountain, or like broken pulleys at a well.
7 nàgatrɔ azu anyi si nènye tsã eye gbɔgbɔ la natrɔ ayi Mawu, ame si tsɔe na wò la gbɔ.
Then our corpses will [decay and] become dirt again, and our spirits will return to God, the one who gave us our spirits.
8 Nyagblɔla be nuwo katã nye tofloko ko.
[So] I say [again] that it is difficult to understand why everything happens; everything is mysterious.
9 Ke esi Nyagblɔla nye nunyala ta la, eyi nu siwo katã wònya la fiafia amewo dzi. Hekpe ɖe esia ŋu la, eƒo ƒu lododowo, eye wòma wo ɖe tanya vovovowo te,
I was considered to be a very wise man, and I taught the people many things. I assembled/collected and wrote down many proverbs, and I carefully thought about and studied them.
10 elabena Nyagblɔla menye nunyala ɖeɖe ko o, ke boŋ enye nufiala nyui aɖe hã. Menye ɖe wòfia nu si wònya la ko wo o, ke boŋ efianɛ to mɔ si do dzidzɔ na wo la dzi.
I searched for the right words, and what I have written is reliable and true.
11 Nunyala ƒe nyawo le abe nutɔame siwo tɔa ame, dea lãme na ame hena nuwɔwɔ eye woƒoa nyateƒe veviwo ɖe to la ene. Sukuvi siwo sea nu siwo woƒe nufialawo gblɔna na wo la, zua nunyalawo.
The things that [I and other] wise people say [teach people what they should do]; they are like [SIM] (goads/sharp sticks that people use to strike animals to direct where they should go). They are like [SIM] nails that stick out of pieces of wood. They are given to us by [God, who is like] [MET] our shepherd.
12 Ke vinye, na woaxlɔ̃ nu wò. Seɖoƒe aɖeke meli na agbalẽ geɖe ŋɔŋlɔ o eye nusɔsrɔ̃ tea ɖeɖi ame ƒe ŋutilã ŋu.
[So], my son, pay careful attention to what I have written, and choose carefully what you read that others have written, [because] writing proverbs/books is endless, and [trying to] study them all will cause you to become exhausted.
13 Nya blibo la ƒe taƒonyae nye: Vɔ̃ Mawu, eye nàwɔ eƒe sewo dzi, elabena esia koe nye amegbetɔwo ƒe dɔdeasiwo katã ƒe ƒuƒoƒo
[Now] you have heard all [that I have told you], and here is the conclusion: Revere God, and obey his commandments, because those commandments summarize everything that people should do.
14 elabena Mawu adrɔ̃ ʋɔnu mí le nu siwo katã míewɔ le adzame kple gaglãgbe siaa, eɖanye nyui alo vɔ̃.
And do not forget that God will judge everything that we do, good things and bad things, [even] things that we do secretly.
