Lododowo 7
1 Vinye, lé nye nyawo me ɖe asi eye nàdzra nye sededewo ɖo ɖe mewò.
My son, keep my sayings, and let my rules be stored up with you.
2 Lé nye sededewo me ɖe asi ekema ànɔ agbe eye dzɔ nye nufiamewo ŋuti abe wò gadaglamakui ene.
Keep my rules and you will have life; let my teaching be to you as the light of your eyes;
3 Bla wo ɖe wò asibidɛwo ŋu eye nàŋlɔ wo ɖe wò dzi ƒe nuŋlɔkpe dzi.
Let them be fixed to your fingers, and recorded in your heart.
4 Gblɔ na nunya be, “Nɔvinye nyɔnu nènye.” Eye nàyɔ ƒometɔ na gɔmesese,
Say to wisdom, You are my sister; let knowledge be named your special friend:
5 woana nyɔnu ahasitɔ la nanɔ adzɔge na wò, eye woaɖe wò le srɔ̃nyɔnu dzego la ƒe amenublenyawo ƒe asi me.
So that they may keep you from the strange woman, even from her whose words are smooth.
6 Mele nye xɔ ƒe fesrẽ nu, hekpɔ nu to fesrẽnuvɔ la me.
Looking out from my house, and watching through the window,
7 Mekpɔ ame aɖe le bebewuwo dome, mekpɔ ɖekakpui si tsi bome la le sɔhɛwo dome.
I saw among the young men one without sense,
8 Ele zɔzɔm le kpɔdome, ɖo ta dzogoe si me nyɔnu la le la me; ezɔ ɖo ta afi si nyɔnu la ƒe aƒe le,
Walking in the street near the turn of her road, going on the way to her house,
9 le fiẽ me, esime anyigba nɔ tsyɔtsyɔm, eye zã do blukɔ.
At nightfall, in the evening of the day, in the black dark of the night.
10 Tete nyɔnu aɖe do go va kpee, edo awu abe gbolo ene eye ayedzedze le mo nɛ.
And the woman came out to him, in the dress of a loose woman, with a designing heart;
11 Eƒe gbe le dzi dem, metsɔ ɖeke le eme na ame aɖeke o eye eƒe afɔwo gbe tɔtɔ ɖe aƒe me,
She is full of noise and uncontrolled; her feet keep not in her house.
12 ele kpɔdome fifia, kasia egado ɖe ablɔme xoxo eye wòdea xa ɖe dzogoe ɖe sia ɖe dzi.
Now she is in the street, now in the open spaces, waiting at every turning of the road.
13 Elé ɖekakpui la hegbugbɔ nu nɛ ŋɔnɔe eye wòɖo mo kplalaa gblɔ nɛ be,
So she took him by his hand, kissing him, and without a sign of shame she said to him:
14 “Ŋutifafavɔsa le aƒenye me, egbe mexe nye adzɔgbeɖefewo o,
I have a feast of peace-offerings, for today my oaths have been effected.
15 eya ta medo be mava do go wò, medi wò eye meke ɖe ŋuwò!
So I came out in the hope of meeting you, looking for you with care, and now I have you.
16 Meɖo aklala biɖibiɖi ƒe abadzivɔ si wode amadede vovovowoe, esi wowɔ le Egipte la ɖe nye aba dzi.
My bed is covered with cushions of needlework, with coloured cloths of the cotton thread of Egypt;
17 Mewu lifi, anowɔtre kple ami ʋeʋĩ vovovowo ɖe nye aba dzi,
I have made my bed sweet with perfumes and spices.
18 eya ta va, míano lɔlɔ̃ wòasu mí va se ɖe ŋdi, na míatsɔ lɔlɔ̃ ado vivi ɖe mía ɖokuiwo ŋu!
Come, let us take our pleasure in love till the morning, having joy in love's delights.
19 Nye aƒetɔ mele aƒe o, ezɔ mɔ didi aɖe.
For the master of the house is away on a long journey:
20 Etsɔ eƒe gakotoku si ga yɔ fũu la dzoe eye ne dzinu sɔ tegblẽ hafi wòagbɔ.”
He has taken a bag of money with him; he is coming back at the full moon.
21 Etsɔ amenublenya siawo blee eye wòtsɔ eƒe aɖe ŋanɛ la kplɔe trae.
With her fair words she overcame him, forcing him with her smooth lips.
22 Etso zia enumake hekplɔe ɖo abe nyitsu wokplɔ yina wuwu ge alo abe zi si ɖo afɔ mɔ me ene.
The simple man goes after her, like an ox going to its death, like a roe pulled by a cord;
23 Va se ɖe esime aŋutrɔ naƒo ɖe eƒe aklã, abe xevie dzo ɖe kamɔ dzi eye menyae be yeƒe ku le afi ma o la ene
Like a bird falling into a net; with no thought that his life is in danger, till an arrow goes into his side.
24 eya ta azɔ la, vinyewo, miɖo tom eye miƒu to anyi ɖe nu si megblɔ la ŋu.
So now, my sons, give ear to me; give attention to the sayings of my mouth;
25 Migana miaƒe dzi natrɔ ɖe eƒe mɔwo ŋu loo, alo miatra age ɖe eƒe toƒewo o.
Let not your heart be turned to her ways, do not go wandering in her footsteps.
26 Elabena ame siwo tsi esi me la sɔ gbɔ, eye ame siwo wòwu la de ha.
For those wounded and made low by her are great in number; and all those who have come to their death through her are a great army.
