Proverbiorum 7
1 Fili mi, custodi sermones meos, et præcepta mea reconde tibi.
My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Fili, serva mandata mea, et vives: et legem meam quasi pupillam oculi tui:
Keep my commandments and live, and my law as the apple of thine eye.
3 liga eam in digitis tuis, scribe illam in tabulis cordis tui.
Bind them upon thy fingers. Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.
4 Dic sapientiæ, soror mea es: et prudentiam voca amicam tuam,
Say to wisdom, Thou are my sister, and call understanding thy kinswoman,
5 ut custodiant te a muliere extranea, et ab aliena, quæ verba sua dulcia facit.
that they may keep thee from the interloping woman, from the stranger who flatters with her words.
6 De fenestra enim domus meæ per cancellos prospexi,
For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice,
7 et video parvulos: considero vecordem iuvenem,
and I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding
8 qui transit per plateam iuxta angulum, et prope viam domus illius, graditur
passing through the street near her corner. And he went the way to her house,
9 in obscuro, advesperascente die, in noctis tenebris, et caligine.
in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 Et ecce occurrit illi mulier ornatu meretricio, præparata ad capiendas animas: garrula, et vaga,
And, behold, there met him a woman attired like a harlot, and wily of heart.
11 quietis impatiens, nec valens in domo consistere pedibus suis,
She is loud and headstrong. Her feet abide not in her house.
12 nunc foris, nunc in plateis, nunc iuxta angulos insidians.
Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, and lies in wait at every corner.
13 Apprehensumque deosculatur iuvenem, et procaci vultu blanditur, dicens:
So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him,
14 Victimas pro salute vovi, hodie reddidi vota mea.
Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. I have paid my vows this day.
15 Idcirco egressa sum in occursum tuum, desiderans te videre, et reperi.
Therefore I came forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16 Intexui funibus lectulum meum, stravi tapetibus pictis ex Ægypto.
I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17 Aspersi cubile meum myrrha, et aloe, et cinnamomo.
I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Veni, inebriemur uberibus, et fruamur cupitis amplexibus, donec illucescat dies.
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning. Let us solace ourselves with love.
19 Non est enim vir in domo sua, abiit via longissima.
For the man is not at home. He has gone a long journey.
20 Sacculum pecuniæ secum tulit: in die plenæ lunæ reversurus est in domum suam.
He has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon.
21 Irretivit eum multis sermonibus, et blanditiis labiorum protraxit illum.
With her much fair speech she causes him to yield. With the flattering of her lips she forces him along.
22 Statim eam sequitur quasi bos ductus ad victimam, et quasi agnus lasciviens, et ignorans quod ad vincula stultus trahatur,
He goes after her straightaway, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,
23 donec transfigat sagitta iecur eius: velut si avis festinet ad laqueum, et nescit quod de periculo animæ illius agitur.
till an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hastens to the snare. And he does not know that it is for his life.
24 Nunc ergo fili mi, audi me, et attende verbis oris mei.
Now therefore, ye sons, hearken to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Ne abstrahatur in viis illius mens tua: neque decipiaris semitis eius.
Let not thy heart decline to her ways. Go not astray in her paths.
26 Multos enim vulneratos deiecit, et fortissimi quique interfecti sunt ab ea.
For she has cast down many wounded. Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.
