< Lododowo 27 >

1 Mègaƒo adegbe le etsɔ si gbɔna ŋu o elabena mènya nu si ŋkeke la ahe vɛ o.
Boast not thyself of to-morrow, For thou knowest not what a day bringeth forth.
2 Na ame bubu nakafu wò, ke menye wò ŋutɔ wò nu o, ame bubu newɔe, menye wò ŋutɔ wò nuyiwo o.
Let another praise thee, and not thine own mouth, A stranger, and not thine own lips.
3 Kpe nye nu kpekpe eye ke nye agba kpekpe gake bometsila ƒe dzikudoname kpena wu wo ame evea.
A stone [is] heavy, and the sand [is] heavy, And the anger of a fool Is heavier than they both.
4 Dziku la ŋutasẽlae eye dɔmedzoe la agbodzelae, ke ame ka ate ŋu anɔ te ɖe ŋuʋaʋã nu?
Fury [is] fierce, and anger [is] overflowing, And who standeth before jealousy?
5 Mokaname le ame dome nyo wu lɔlɔ̃ si woɣla.
Better [is] open reproof than hidden love.
6 Àte ŋu aka ɖe xɔlɔ̃ ƒe abideameŋu dzi gake ketɔ ƒe nugbugbɔ dzina ɖe edzi.
Faithful are the wounds of a lover, And abundant the kisses of an enemy.
7 Ƒoɖila doa vlo anyitsi, ke hena dɔwuitɔ la, nu veve gɔ̃ hã vivina nɛ.
A satiated soul treadeth down a honeycomb, And [to] a hungry soul every bitter thing [is] sweet.
8 Ame si tra tso eƒe aƒe me la le abe xevi si bu eƒe atɔmemɔ ene.
As a bird wandering from her nest, So [is] a man wandering from his place.
9 Ami ʋeʋĩ kple dzudzɔdonu ʋeʋĩ doa dzidzɔ na dzi, xɔlɔ̃ ƒe nunyoamenu tsoa eƒe aɖaŋuɖoɖo vavãwo me.
Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart, And the sweetness of one's friend — from counsel of the soul.
10 Mègagblẽ xɔ̃wò alo fofowò xɔlɔ̃ ɖi o, eye mègayi nɔviwò ƒe aƒe me ne dzɔgbevɔ̃e ƒo go wò o, anyo na wò be nàyi hawòvi si tsɔ ɖe gbɔwò la gbɔ wu nɔviwò si le adzɔge.
Thine own friend, and the friend of thy father, forsake not, And the house of thy brother enter not In a day of thy calamity, Better [is] a near neighbour than a brother afar off.
11 Vinye, dze nunya eye nàhe dzidzɔ vɛ na nye dzi; ekema mate ŋu aɖo nya ŋu na ame si ado vlom.
Be wise, my son, and rejoice my heart. And I return my reproacher a word.
12 Nunyala kpɔ dzɔgbevɔ̃e gbɔna eye wòɣla eɖokui gake bometsila le yiyim eye wòkpe fu ɖe eta.
The prudent hath seen the evil, he is hidden, The simple have passed on, they are punished.
13 Xɔ avɔ le ame si da megbe na amedzro la si, tsɔe de awɔba me, ne eda megbe na nyɔnu ahasitɔ.
Take his garment, when a stranger hath been surety, And for a strange woman pledge it.
14 Ne ŋutsu aɖe le eƒe aƒelika yram kple ɣli le ŋdi kanya la, woatsɔe abe ɖiŋudodo ene.
Whoso is saluting his friend with a loud voice, In the morning rising early, A light thing it is reckoned to him.
15 Srɔ̃nyɔnu dzrewɔla le abe tsitrɔnu si le ɖuɖum madzudzɔmadzudzɔe le tsidzagbe ene.
A continual dropping in a day of rain, And a woman of contentions are alike,
16 Asiɖoɖo edzi le abe asiɖoɖo ya dzi ene alo asitsɔtsɔ ku ami ene.
Whoso is hiding her hath hidden the wind, And the ointment of his right hand calleth out.
17 Abe ale si ga nyrea ga ene la, nenema kee ame nyrea amee.
Iron by iron is sharpened, And a man sharpens the face of his friend.
18 Ame si lé be na eƒe gboti nyuie la aɖu eƒe tsetsea eye woade bubu ame si kpɔ eƒe aƒetɔ dzi la ŋu.
The keeper of a fig-tree eateth its fruit, And the preserver of his master is honoured.
19 Abe ale si ame ƒe mo dzena le tsi dzii ene la, nenema ame ƒe dzi ɖea eƒe nɔnɔme fianae.
As [in] water the face [is] to face, So the heart of man to man.
20 Ku kple tsiẽƒe meɖia ƒo gbeɖe o nenema kee nye ame ƒe ŋku. (Sheol h7585)
Sheol and destruction are not satisfied, And the eyes of man are not satisfied. (Sheol h7585)
21 Sonu li na klosalo, eye dzokpo li na sika, gake wodoa ame kpɔ to kafukafu si wotsɔ nɛ la dzi.
A refining pot [is] for silver, and a furnace for gold, And a man according to his praise.
22 Togbɔ be èto bometsila le to me, ètoe kple tati abe bli ene hã la, màte ŋu aɖe eƒe bometsitsi ɖa le eŋu o.
If thou dost beat the foolish in a mortar, Among washed things — with a pestle, His folly turneth not aside from off him.
23 Ka ɖe edzi be wò alẽhawo ƒe nɔnɔme le nyanya na wò eye wò ŋku le wò lãhawo ŋu ɖaa;
Know well the face of thy flock, Set thy heart to the droves,
24 elabena kesinɔnuwo menɔa anyi ɖikaa o eye fiakuku hã menɔa anyi hena dzidzimewo katã o.
For riches [are] not to the age, Nor a crown to generation and generation.
25 Ne woƒo gbe eye gbe mumu mie ɖe eteƒe, ne wolã gbe siwo le togbɛwo dzi ƒo ƒui la,
Revealed was the hay, and seen the tender grass, And gathered the herbs of mountains.
26 ekema alẽviawo ana avɔ wò eye gbɔ̃wo anye ga si nàtsɔ aƒle agblee.
Lambs [are] for thy clothing, And the price of the field [are] he-goats,
27 Gbɔ̃notsi anɔ asiwò fũu be wò kple wò aƒemetɔwo miano eye wòanye nunyiame na wò dɔlanyɔnuwo.
And a sufficiency of goats' milk [is] for thy bread, For bread to thy house, and life to thy damsels!

< Lododowo 27 >