Lododowo 7
1 Vinye, lé nye nyawo me ɖe asi eye nàdzra nye sededewo ɖo ɖe mewò.
My son! Keep my sayings, And lay up my commands with you.
2 Lé nye sededewo me ɖe asi ekema ànɔ agbe eye dzɔ nye nufiamewo ŋuti abe wò gadaglamakui ene.
Keep my commands, and live, And 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 them on your fingers, Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Gblɔ na nunya be, “Nɔvinye nyɔnu nènye.” Eye nàyɔ ƒometɔ na gɔmesese,
Say to wisdom, “You [are] my sister.” And cry to understanding, “Relative!”
5 woana nyɔnu ahasitɔ la nanɔ adzɔge na wò, eye woaɖe wò le srɔ̃nyɔnu dzego la ƒe amenublenyawo ƒe asi me.
To preserve you from a strange woman, From a stranger who has made her sayings smooth.
6 Mele nye xɔ ƒe fesrẽ nu, hekpɔ nu to fesrẽnuvɔ la me.
For at a window of my house, I have looked out through my casement,
7 Mekpɔ ame aɖe le bebewuwo dome, mekpɔ ɖekakpui si tsi bome la le sɔhɛwo dome.
And I see among the simple ones, I discern among the sons, A young man lacking understanding,
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,
Passing on in the street, near her corner, And the way [to] her house he steps,
9 le fiẽ me, esime anyigba nɔ tsyɔtsyɔm, eye zã do blukɔ.
In the twilight—in the evening of day, In the darkness of night and blackness.
10 Tete nyɔnu aɖe do go va kpee, edo awu abe gbolo ene eye ayedzedze le mo nɛ.
And behold, a woman to meet him—(A harlot’s dress, and watchful of 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] noisy, and stubborn, her feet do not rest in her house.
12 ele kpɔdome fifia, kasia egado ɖe ablɔme xoxo eye wòdea xa ɖe dzogoe ɖe sia ɖe dzi.
Now in an out-place, now in broad places, And she lies in wait near every corner)—
13 Elé ɖekakpui la hegbugbɔ nu nɛ ŋɔnɔe eye wòɖo mo kplalaa gblɔ nɛ be,
And she laid hold on him and kissed him, She has hardened her face and says to him,
14 “Ŋutifafavɔsa le aƒenye me, egbe mexe nye adzɔgbeɖefewo o,
“Sacrifices of peace-offerings [are] by me, Today I have completed my vows.
15 eya ta medo be mava do go wò, medi wò eye meke ɖe ŋuwò!
Therefore I have come forth to meet you, To earnestly seek your face, and I find you.
16 Meɖo aklala biɖibiɖi ƒe abadzivɔ si wode amadede vovovowoe, esi wowɔ le Egipte la ɖe nye aba dzi.
I decked my bed [with] ornamental coverings, Carved works—cotton of Egypt.
17 Mewu lifi, anowɔtre kple ami ʋeʋĩ vovovowo ɖe nye aba dzi,
I sprinkled my bed [with] myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 eya ta va, míano lɔlɔ̃ wòasu mí va se ɖe ŋdi, na míatsɔ lɔlɔ̃ ado vivi ɖe mía ɖokuiwo ŋu!
Come, we are filled [with] love until the morning, We delight ourselves in loves.
19 Nye aƒetɔ mele aƒe o, ezɔ mɔ didi aɖe.
For the man is not in his house, He has gone 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 in his hand, At the day of the new moon he comes to his house.”
21 Etsɔ amenublenya siawo blee eye wòtsɔ eƒe aɖe ŋanɛ la kplɔe trae.
She turns him aside with the abundance of her speech, She forces him 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.
He is going after her straight away, he comes as an ox to the slaughter, And as a chain to the discipline of a fool,
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 an arrow splits his liver, As a bird has hurried to a snare, And has not known that it [is] for its life.
24 eya ta azɔ la, vinyewo, miɖo tom eye miƒu to anyi ɖe nu si megblɔ la ŋu.
And now, you sons, listen to me, And give attention to sayings of my mouth.
25 Migana miaƒe dzi natrɔ ɖe eƒe mɔwo ŋu loo, alo miatra age ɖe eƒe toƒewo o.
Do not let your heart turn to her ways, Do not wander in her paths,
26 Elabena ame siwo tsi esi me la sɔ gbɔ, eye ame siwo wòwu la de ha.
For many [are] the wounded she caused to fall, And mighty [are] all her slain ones.
