< हितोपदेश 23 >

1 तँ खानलाई शासकसित बस्दा तेरो सामु राखिएको खानेकुरालाई होसियारीपूर्वक अवलोकन गर् ।
When thou sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently him who is before thee,
2 तँ धेरै खाने खन्चुवा हो भने तेरो घाँटीमा चक्‍कु राख् ।
and put a knife to thy throat if thou be a man given to appetite.
3 तिनको स्वादिष्‍ट खानेकुराको लालसा नगर्, किनकि यो झुटको खाना हो ।
Be not desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.
4 धन-सम्पत्ति कमाउन धेरै नघोट्टी । कहिले बन्द गर्ने भनी थाहा पाउन बुद्धिमानी बन् ।
Weary not thyself to be rich. Out of thine own wisdom, cease.
5 के यसमाथि तेरो आँखाको ज्योति चम्कन दिन्छस्? यो बितेर जाने छ, किनकि गरुडका झैँ यसका पखेटाहरू पलाउने छन् र यो आकाशमा उडेर जाने छ ।
Will thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For it certainly makes itself wings, like an eagle that flies toward heaven.
6 दुष्‍ट आँखा भएको मानिसको भोजन नखा, र त्यसको स्वादिष्‍ट खानेकुराको लालसा नगर् ।
Eat thou not the bread of an evil eye, nor desire thou his dainties.
7 किनकि त्यो भोजनको मूल्य गिन्ती गर्ने मानिस हो । त्यसले भन्छ, “खाऊ र पिऊ ।” तर त्यसको हृदय तँसित हुँदैन ।
For as he thinks within himself, so is he. Eat and drink, he says to thee, but his heart is not with thee.
8 तैँले खाएको थोरै खानेकुरा पनि तैँले बान्ता गर्ने छस्, र तैँले तेरो तारिफलाई त्यसै खेर जान दिनेछस् ।
The morsel which thou have eaten thou shall vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
9 मूर्खले सुन्‍ने गरी नबोल्, किनकि त्यसले तेरा वचनहरूको बुद्धिलाई तुच्छ ठान्‍ने छ ।
Speak not in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 प्राचीन साँध-सिमानाको ढुङ्गो नहटा वा अनाथहरूको खेतबारी नमिच् ।
Remove not the ancient landmark. And enter not into the fields of the fatherless,
11 किनभने तिनीहरूका उद्धारकर्ता शक्तिशाली हुनुहुन्छ, र उहाँले तेरो विरुद्धमा तिनीहरूको मुद्दा लड्नुहुने छ ।
for their Redeemer is strong. He will plead their cause against thee.
12 तेरो हृदयलाई अर्तीतिर लगा, र तेरा कानलाई ज्ञानका वचनहरूमा लगा ।
Apply thy heart to instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 बच्‍चाबाट अर्तीलाई नरोक्, किनकि तैँले त्यसलाई अनुशासनमा राखिस् भने त्यो मर्ने छैन ।
Withhold not correction from the child, for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
14 त्यसलाई छडी लगाउने र पातालबाट त्यसको प्राण जोगाउने तँ नै होस् । (Sheol h7585)
Thou shall beat him with the rod, and shall deliver his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 हे मेरो छोरो, तेरो हृदय बुद्धिमानी छ भने मेरो हृदय पनि प्रसन्‍न हुने छ ।
My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine.
16 तेरो ओठले जे ठिक छ, त्यही बोल्दा मेरो अन्तस्करण रमाउने छ ।
Yea, my heart will rejoice when thy lips speak right things.
17 तेरो हृदयलाई पापीहरूको ईर्ष्या गर्न नदे, तर दिनैभरि परमप्रभुको भयमा लागिराख् ।
Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of Jehovah all the day long.
18 निश्‍चय नै एउटा भविष्य छ, र तेरो आशा निराश हुने छैन ।
For surely there is a reward, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
19 हे मेरो छोरो, सुन् र बुद्धिमान् हो, अनि तेरो हृदयलाई सुमार्गमा लगा ।
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
20 मातेकाहरू वा धेरै मासु हुसर्नेहरूसित सङ्गत नगर्,
Be not among winebibbers, among gluttonous eaters of flesh.
21 किनकि मतवाला र घिचुवाहरू गरिब बन्छन्, र यस्तो लट्ठ्याइले तिनीहरूलाई झुत्रे बनाउँछ ।
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
22 तँलाई जन्म दिने बुबाको कुरा सुन्, र तेरी आमा वृद्ध हुँदा उनलाई तुच्छ नठान् ।
Hearken to thy father who begot thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 सत्यलाई किन्, र त्यसलाई नबेच् । बुद्धि, अर्ती र समझशक्तिलाई किन् ।
Buy the truth, and do not sell it, yea, wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 धर्मात्माको बुबा अत्यन्तै आनन्दित हुने छ, र बुद्धिमान् छोरोलाई जन्म दिने मानिस त्यसमा प्रसन्‍न हुने छ ।
The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise son will have joy of him.
25 तेरा बुबा र आमा प्रसन्‍न होऊन्, अनि तँलाई जन्म दिने आनन्दित होऊन् ।
Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her who bore thee rejoice.
26 हे मेरो छोरो, मलाई तेरो हृदय दे, र तेरा आँखाले मेरा मार्गहरू हेरून् ।
My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes delight in my ways.
27 किनभने वेश्या एउटा गहिरो खाडल हो, र अनैतिक स्‍त्री एउटा साँघुरो इनार हो ।
For a harlot is a deep ditch, and an interloping woman is a narrow pit.
28 त्यो चोरझैँ ढुकिबस्छे, र त्यसले मानिसहरूका बिचमा विश्‍वासघातीहरूको सङ्ख्या बढाउँछे ।
Yea, she lies in wait as a robber, and increases the treacherous among men.
29 कोसित कष्‍ट छ? कोसित शोक छ? कोसित कलह छ? कोसित गुनासो छ? कोसित विनाकारण चोट छ? कसका आँखा राताराता छन्?
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
30 तिनीहरूकै जो धेरै मद्य पिउँछन्, जसले मिश्रित मद्य पिउँछन् ।
Those who tarry long at the wine. Those who go to seek out mixed wine.
31 मद्य रातो हुँदा, कचौरामा त्यसको फिँज उठ्दा र त्यो सहजै उँधो जाँदा त्यसलाई नहेर् ।
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
32 अन्त्यमा त्यसले सर्पले झैँ डस्छ, र गोमनले झैँ विष हालिदिन्छ ।
At the end it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder.
33 तेरा आँखाहरूले अनौठा कुराहरू देख्‍ने छन्, र तेरो मनले टेडा कुराहरू व्यक्त गर्ने छन् ।
Thine eyes shall behold strange things, and thy heart shall utter perverse things.
34 तँ महासमुद्रमा सुतिरहने व्यक्तिझैँ वा मस्तुलको डोरीको मास्तिर बस्‍नेझैँ हुने छ ।
Yea, thou shall be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he who lies upon the top of a mast.
35 तैँले भन्‍ने छस्, “तिनीहरू मलाई हिर्काए, तर मलाई चोट लागेन ।” तिनीहरूले मलाई पिटे, तर मलाई यसको अनुभूति भएन । म कहिले ब्युँझने छु? म अर्को चुस्की खोज्ने छु ।”
They have stricken me, thou shall say, and I was not hurt. They have beaten me, and I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

< हितोपदेश 23 >