Eklezyas 10
1 Mouch mouri bay lwil pafen yon move odè; Se konsa yon ti kras foli gen pouvwa pou depase sajès ak respè.
Dead flies can make perfumed oil smell bad. Likewise a little foolishness outweighs great wisdom and honor.
2 Kè a yon moun saj mennen li adwat, men kè a moun san konprann nan mennen l agoch.
The mind of the wise person chooses the right side, but the mind of the fool goes left!
3 Menm lè ensanse a mache nan lari li manke bon tèt. Li montre tout moun ke se moun fou li ye.
Just the way that fools walk down the road shows they have no sense, making clear to everyone their stupidity.
4 Si kòlè a wa a vin monte kont ou, pa abandone pozisyon ou; paske rete kalm ka evite gwo ofans.
If your superior gets angry with you, don't give up and leave. If you stay calm even bad mistakes can be resolved.
5 Gen yon mal mwen konn wè anba solèy la, tankou yon fot ki sòti nan sila k ap gouvène a——
I also realized there's another evil here on earth: rulers make a big mistake
6 Foli plase nan anpil kote byen wo pandan rich yo chita kote ki ba.
when they put fools in high positions, while those who are richly qualified are put in low positions.
7 Mwen konn wè esklav ki monte sou cheval ak prens k ap mache atè tankou esklav.
I've seen slaves riding on horseback, while princes walk on the ground like slaves.
8 Sila ki fouye fè yon twou ka byen tonbe ladann, e yon sèpan ka mòde gèrye a ki kraze yon miray.
If you dig a pit, you could fall in. If you knock down a wall, you could be bitten by a snake.
9 Sila ki taye wòch yo ka blese ladann, e sila ki fann gwo bout bwa a kapab an danje.
If you quarry stone, you could be injured. If you split logs, you could be hurt.
10 Si rach la pa gen tay, e li pa file pwent li; alò, li va egzije plis fòs. Avantaj a sajès se reyisi!
If your ax is blunt and you don't sharpen it, you have to use a lot more force. Conclusion: being wise brings good results.
11 Si sèpan an mòde avan li vin chame, nanpwen pwofi.
If the snake bites the snake charmer before it's charmed, there's no benefit to the snake charmer!
12 Pawòl ki soti nan bouch sila ki saj la plen ak gras, men pawòl a moun ensanse a fin manje l nèt;
Wise words are beneficial, but fools destroy themselves by what they say.
13 Kòmansman diskou ensanse a se foli, e fen diskou li se plen mechanste ak betiz.
Fools begin by saying foolish things, and end up talking evil nonsense.
14 Malgre tout sa, moun ensanse a ogmante pawòl li yo. Pèsòn pa konnen sa ki va rive, e kilès kab di li sa ki va rive apre li.
Fools talk on and on, however no one knows what's going to happen, so who can say what the future holds?
15 Zèv a moun ensanse a tèlman fatige l, ke li pa konnen kijan pou li rive nan vil la.
Work makes fools so worn out they can't achieve anything.
16 Malè a ou menm, O peyi ki gen jenn ti gason kon wa; ak prens yo k ap fè fèt granmaten.
You're in trouble if the king of your country is young, and if your leaders are busy feasting from early morning.
17 Beni se ou menm, O peyi ki gen yon fis byen prepare kon wa a ak prens ki manje nan pwòp lè yo, pou bay fòs, e non pou fè banbòch vin sou.
You're fortunate if your king comes from a noble family, and your leaders feast at the proper time to give themselves energy, and not to get drunk.
18 Akoz parès ak neglijans, twati a vin pann, e nan enpridans kay la vin koule.
Lazy people let their roofs collapse; idle people don't repair their leaky houses.
19 Yon gwo tab manje fèt pou yo rejwi yo, diven pou fè kè kontan; epi lajan se repons pou tout bagay.
A good meal brings pleasure; wine makes life pleasant; money provides for all needs.
20 Anplis, nan chanm a kouche ou, pa bay wa a madichon; e nan chanm a kouche ou, pa bay yon moun rich madichon. Paske yon zwazo syèl la ka pote bri a, e sa ki gen zèl yo ka fè yo konnen bagay la.
Don't talk badly about the king, not even in your thoughts. Don't talk badly about leaders, even in the privacy of your bedroom. A bird may hear what you say and fly away to tell them.
