Lododowo 7
1 Vinye, lé nye nyawo me ɖe asi eye nàdzra nye sededewo ɖo ɖe mewò.
My son, guard my words and conceal my precepts within you.
2 Lé nye sededewo me ɖe asi ekema ànɔ agbe eye dzɔ nye nufiamewo ŋuti abe wò gadaglamakui ene.
Son, preserve my commandments, and you shall live. And keep my law as the pupil of your eye.
3 Bla wo ɖe wò asibidɛwo ŋu eye nàŋlɔ wo ɖe wò dzi ƒe nuŋlɔkpe dzi.
Bind it with your fingers; write it on the tablets of your heart.
4 Gblɔ na nunya be, “Nɔvinye nyɔnu nènye.” Eye nàyɔ ƒometɔ na gɔmesese,
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call prudence your friend.
5 woana nyɔnu ahasitɔ la nanɔ adzɔge na wò, eye woaɖe wò le srɔ̃nyɔnu dzego la ƒe amenublenyawo ƒe asi me.
So may she guard you from the woman who is an outsider, and from the stranger who sweetens her words.
6 Mele nye xɔ ƒe fesrẽ nu, hekpɔ nu to fesrẽnuvɔ la me.
For I gaze from the window of my house, through the lattice,
7 Mekpɔ ame aɖe le bebewuwo dome, mekpɔ ɖekakpui si tsi bome la le sɔhɛwo dome.
and I see little ones. I consider a frenzied youth,
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,
who crosses the street at the corner and close to the way of that house.
9 le fiẽ me, esime anyigba nɔ tsyɔtsyɔm, eye zã do blukɔ.
He steps into shadows, as day becomes evening, into the darkness and gloom of the night.
10 Tete nyɔnu aɖe do go va kpee, edo awu abe gbolo ene eye ayedzedze le mo nɛ.
And behold, a woman meets him, dressed like a harlot, prepared to captivate souls: chattering and rambling,
11 Eƒe gbe le dzi dem, metsɔ ɖeke le eme na ame aɖeke o eye eƒe afɔwo gbe tɔtɔ ɖe aƒe me,
unwilling to bear silence, unable to keep her feet at home,
12 ele kpɔdome fifia, kasia egado ɖe ablɔme xoxo eye wòdea xa ɖe dzogoe ɖe sia ɖe dzi.
now outside, now in the streets, now lying in ambush near the corners.
13 Elé ɖekakpui la hegbugbɔ nu nɛ ŋɔnɔe eye wòɖo mo kplalaa gblɔ nɛ be,
And overtaking the youth, she kisses him, and with a provocative face, she flatters him, saying:
14 “Ŋutifafavɔsa le aƒenye me, egbe mexe nye adzɔgbeɖefewo o,
“I vowed sacrifices for well-being. Today I have repaid my vows.
15 eya ta medo be mava do go wò, medi wò eye meke ɖe ŋuwò!
Because of this, I have gone out to meet you, desiring to see you, and I have found you.
16 Meɖo aklala biɖibiɖi ƒe abadzivɔ si wode amadede vovovowoe, esi wowɔ le Egipte la ɖe nye aba dzi.
I have woven my bed with cords. I have strewn it with embroidered tapestries from Egypt.
17 Mewu lifi, anowɔtre kple ami ʋeʋĩ vovovowo ɖe nye aba dzi,
I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloe, and cinnamon.
18 eya ta va, míano lɔlɔ̃ wòasu mí va se ɖe ŋdi, na míatsɔ lɔlɔ̃ ado vivi ɖe mía ɖokuiwo ŋu!
Come, let us be inebriated in abundance, and let us delight in the embraces of desire, until the day begins to dawn.
19 Nye aƒetɔ mele aƒe o, ezɔ mɔ didi aɖe.
For my husband is not in his house. He has gone away on a very long journey.
20 Etsɔ eƒe gakotoku si ga yɔ fũu la dzoe eye ne dzinu sɔ tegblẽ hafi wòagbɔ.”
He took with him a bag of money. He will return to his house on the day of the full moon.”
21 Etsɔ amenublenya siawo blee eye wòtsɔ eƒe aɖe ŋanɛ la kplɔe trae.
She enmeshed him with many words, and she drew him forward with the flattery of her lips.
22 Etso zia enumake hekplɔe ɖo abe nyitsu wokplɔ yina wuwu ge alo abe zi si ɖo afɔ mɔ me ene.
Immediately, he follows her, like an ox being led to the sacrifice, and like a lamb acting lasciviously, and not knowing that he is being drawn foolishly into chains,
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
until the arrow pierces his liver. It is just as if a bird were to hurry into the snare. And he does not know that his actions endanger his own soul.
24 eya ta azɔ la, vinyewo, miɖo tom eye miƒu to anyi ɖe nu si megblɔ la ŋu.
Therefore, my son, hear me now, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Migana miaƒe dzi natrɔ ɖe eƒe mɔwo ŋu loo, alo miatra age ɖe eƒe toƒewo o.
Do not let your mind be pulled into her ways. And do not be deceived by her paths.
26 Elabena ame siwo tsi esi me la sɔ gbɔ, eye ame siwo wòwu la de ha.
For she has tossed aside many wounded, and some of those who were very strong have been slain by her.
