Mpitoriteny 10
1 Mampitrotrotse ty menam-pañemboke ty laletse mate; le mavesatse te ami’ty hihitse naho ty asiñe, ty hagegeañe kede.
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 Mitolike mb’an-kavàna ty arofo’ i mahihitsey, mb’ankavia ka ty tro’ i dagolay.
The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
3 Ndra te mijelanjelañe an-dalañe eo ty derendereñe, kanao po-hilala, aboa’e amy màroy ty hagegea’e.
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 Naho miforoforo ama’o ty haviñera’ ty mpifehe, ko apo’o ty toe’o, amy te mañafa-tsirìka-mena ty hamora-fo.
If the spirit of the ruler go up against thee, Thy place leave not, For yielding quieteth great sinners.
5 Eo ty haratiañe nitendrek’ahy ambane’ i àndroy, hoe lilatse aboa’ ty mpifehe.
There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error that goeth out from the ruler,
6 Onjoneñe mb’an-toetse ambone ty seretse maro, ie mitozoke ambane eo o mpañalealeo.
He hath set the fool in many high places, And the rich in a low place do sit.
7 Nahatrea ondevo miningi-tsoavala iraho, vaho ty ana-donake mañavelo an-tane eo hoe ondevo.
I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
8 Mete hivariñe ama’e ao ty mihaly koboñe; naho mete hehere’ ty mereñe ze misorodidy kijoly.
Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth him.
9 Mete joie’ ty vato ty mihaly aze; le mete hizo fere ty mampitserake hatae.
Whoso is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoso is cleaving trees endangered by them.
10 Naho malomo ty viñe, ie tsy sioña’e ty lela’e, le añ’ozatse ambone ty ifanehafa’e; lombolombo’e ty hihitse mahatafetetse.
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 Ie hehere’ ty mereñe tsy nampipendreñeñe; le an-koheke i mpitroboy.
If the serpent biteth without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
12 Matarike o entam-palie’ i mahihitseio, fe mampibotseke ty dagola o soñi’eo.
Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
13 Mifototse an-kagegeañe o fivolam-bava’eo, naho migadon-ko haratian-dagola;
The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.
14 mangaradadak’ avao ty minè. Tsy fohi’ ondatio ty ho zoeñe, ia ty mahatalily ama’e ty hanonjohy aze?
And the fool multiplieth words: 'Man knoweth not that which is, And that which is after him, who doth declare to him?'
15 Akore ty hamokora’ i dagolay amy fitromaha’ey, kanao tsy fohi’e ty homba’e mb’an-drova mb’eo.
The labour of the foolish wearieth him, In that he hath not known to go unto the city.
16 Hoy hoy ty ama’o, ry tane, naho ajaja ty mpanjaka’o vaho mpanao bedidake maraindray o ana-dona’oo!
Woe to thee, O land, when thy king [is] a youth, And thy princes do eat in the morning.
17 Haha irehe ry tane, te roandriañe ty mpanjaka’o, vaho mikama ami’ty evae’e o ana-dona’oo hihaozara’e fa tsy ty himamoa’e!
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 Havotroañe ty mahakolemake tafo; tañañe ledra’e ty mahatsopatsopake traño.
By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands doth the house drop.
19 Natao hampiankahake ty sabadidake; te hahafale fiay ty divay, vaho te hamale ze he’e ty drala.
For mirth they are making a feast, And wine maketh life joyful, And the silver answereth with all.
20 tovo’e: Ko mamatse ty mpanjaka am-pitsakorea’o ao, naho ty mpiefoefo an-trañom-pandrea’o ao; ke hinday ty feo’o i voron-tiokey, hera haboele’ i amañ’elatsey i enta’oy.
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.
