Lododowo 7
1 Vinye, lé nye nyawo me ɖe asi eye nàdzra nye sededewo ɖo ɖe mewò.
My son, keep my sayings, and, my commandments, treasure by thee;
2 Lé nye sededewo me ɖe asi ekema ànɔ agbe eye dzɔ nye nufiamewo ŋuti abe wò gadaglamakui ene.
Keep my commandments and live, and mine instruction, as the pupil of thine eye;
3 Bla wo ɖe wò asibidɛwo ŋu eye nàŋlɔ wo ɖe wò dzi ƒe nuŋlɔkpe dzi.
Bind them upon thy fingers, write them, on the tablet of thy heart;
4 Gblɔ na nunya be, “Nɔvinye nyɔnu nènye.” Eye nàyɔ ƒometɔ na gɔmesese,
Say unto wisdom, My sister, thou! and, an acquaintance, call thou, understanding:
5 woana nyɔnu ahasitɔ la nanɔ adzɔge na wò, eye woaɖe wò le srɔ̃nyɔnu dzego la ƒe amenublenyawo ƒe asi me.
That thou mayest be kept, from the woman that is a stranger, from the female unknown, who, with her speeches, doth flatter.
6 Mele nye xɔ ƒe fesrẽ nu, hekpɔ nu to fesrẽnuvɔ la me.
For, in the window of my house, through my lattice, I looked out;
7 Mekpɔ ame aɖe le bebewuwo dome, mekpɔ ɖekakpui si tsi bome la le sɔhɛwo dome.
And saw among the simple ones, discerned among the youths, A young man lacking 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,
Passing through the street, near her corner, and, on the way to her house, he sauntered along;
9 le fiẽ me, esime anyigba nɔ tsyɔtsyɔm, eye zã do blukɔ.
In the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the midst of the night, and the gloom;
10 Tete nyɔnu aɖe do go va kpee, edo awu abe gbolo ene eye ayedzedze le mo nɛ.
And lo! a woman, came to meet him, attired as one unchaste, of a wily heart.
11 Eƒe gbe le dzi dem, metsɔ ɖeke le eme na ame aɖeke o eye eƒe afɔwo gbe tɔtɔ ɖe aƒe me,
Boisterous, is she, and rebellious, In her house, abide not her feet;
12 ele kpɔdome fifia, kasia egado ɖe ablɔme xoxo eye wòdea xa ɖe dzogoe ɖe sia ɖe dzi.
Now outside, now in the broadways, and, near every corner, she lieth in wait:
13 Elé ɖekakpui la hegbugbɔ nu nɛ ŋɔnɔe eye wòɖo mo kplalaa gblɔ nɛ be,
So she caught him, and kissed him, and, embolding her face, she said to him:
14 “Ŋutifafavɔsa le aƒenye me, egbe mexe nye adzɔgbeɖefewo o,
Peace-offerings, are by me, to-day, have I paid my vows;
15 eya ta medo be mava do go wò, medi wò eye meke ɖe ŋuwò!
For this cause, came I forth to meet thee, to seek diligently thy face, and I have found thee:
16 Meɖo aklala biɖibiɖi ƒe abadzivɔ si wode amadede vovovowoe, esi wowɔ le Egipte la ɖe nye aba dzi.
Coverlets, have I spread on my couch of pleasure, dark-hued stuffs, of the yarn of Egypt;
17 Mewu lifi, anowɔtre kple ami ʋeʋĩ vovovowo ɖe nye aba dzi,
I have 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! let us take our fill of endearments, until morning, let us delight ourselves with caresses;
19 Nye aƒetɔ mele aƒe o, ezɔ mɔ didi aɖe.
For the husband is not in his house, he hath gone on a journey afar;
20 Etsɔ eƒe gakotoku si ga yɔ fũu la dzoe eye ne dzinu sɔ tegblẽ hafi wòagbɔ.”
A bag of silver, hath he taken in his hand, On the day of the full moon, will he enter his house.
21 Etsɔ amenublenya siawo blee eye wòtsɔ eƒe aɖe ŋanɛ la kplɔe trae.
She turneth him aside, with her great persuasiveness, —with the flattery of her lips, she compelleth him:
22 Etso zia enumake hekplɔe ɖo abe nyitsu wokplɔ yina wuwu ge alo abe zi si ɖo afɔ mɔ me ene.
Going after her instantly, as an ox, to the slaughter, he entereth, and, as in fetters, unto the correction 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 cleaveth his liver, as a bird hasteth into a snare, and knoweth not, that, for his life, it is!
24 eya ta azɔ la, vinyewo, miɖo tom eye miƒu to anyi ɖe nu si megblɔ la ŋu.
Now, therefore, ye sons, hearken unto me, and attend, 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 thy heart, turn aside to her ways, Do not go astray, in her paths.
26 Elabena ame siwo tsi esi me la sɔ gbɔ, eye ame siwo wòwu la de ha.
For, many, wounded, hath she caused to fall, —yea strong men, slain wholly by her:
