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 cause a perfumer's perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom — By reason of honour — a little folly!
2 Kè a yon moun saj mennen li adwat, men kè a moun san konprann nan mennen l agoch.
The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
3 Menm lè ensanse a mache nan lari li manke bon tèt. Li montre tout moun ke se moun fou li ye.
And also, when he that is a fool Is walking in the way, his heart is lacking, And he hath said to every one, 'He [is] a fool.'
4 Si kòlè a wa a vin monte kont ou, pa abandone pozisyon ou; paske rete kalm ka evite gwo ofans.
If the spirit of the ruler go up against thee, Thy place leave not, For yielding quieteth great sinners.
5 Gen yon mal mwen konn wè anba solèy la, tankou yon fot ki sòti nan sila k ap gouvène a——
There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error that goeth out from the ruler,
6 Foli plase nan anpil kote byen wo pandan rich yo chita kote ki ba.
He hath set the fool in many high places, And the rich in a low place do sit.
7 Mwen konn wè esklav ki monte sou cheval ak prens k ap mache atè tankou esklav.
I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
8 Sila ki fouye fè yon twou ka byen tonbe ladann, e yon sèpan ka mòde gèrye a ki kraze yon miray.
Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth him.
9 Sila ki taye wòch yo ka blese ladann, e sila ki fann gwo bout bwa a kapab an danje.
Whoso is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoso is cleaving trees endangered by them.
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 the iron hath been blunt, And he the face hath not sharpened, Then doth he increase strength, And wisdom [is] advantageous to make right.
11 Si sèpan an mòde avan li vin chame, nanpwen pwofi.
If the serpent biteth without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
12 Pawòl ki soti nan bouch sila ki saj la plen ak gras, men pawòl a moun ensanse a fin manje l nèt;
Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
13 Kòmansman diskou ensanse a se foli, e fen diskou li se plen mechanste ak betiz.
The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.
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.
And the fool multiplieth words: 'Man knoweth not that which is, And that which is after him, who doth declare to him?'
15 Zèv a moun ensanse a tèlman fatige l, ke li pa konnen kijan pou li rive nan vil la.
The labour of the foolish wearieth him, In that he hath not known to go unto the city.
16 Malè a ou menm, O peyi ki gen jenn ti gason kon wa; ak prens yo k ap fè fèt granmaten.
Woe to thee, O land, when thy king [is] a youth, And thy princes do eat in the 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.
Happy art thou, O land, When thy king [is] a son of freemen, And thy princes do eat in due season, For might, and not for drunkenness.
18 Akoz parès ak neglijans, twati a vin pann, e nan enpridans kay la vin koule.
By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands doth the house drop.
19 Yon gwo tab manje fèt pou yo rejwi yo, diven pou fè kè kontan; epi lajan se repons pou tout bagay.
For mirth they are making a feast, And wine maketh life joyful, And the silver answereth with all.
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.
Even in thy mind a king revile not, And in the inner parts of thy bed-chamber Revile not the rich: For a fowl of the heavens causeth the voice to go, And a possessor of wings declareth the word.
