Mmebusɛm 7
1 Me ba, fa me nsɛm sie na kora mʼahyɛde wɔ wo mu.
My son, guard my words and conceal my precepts within you.
2 Di mʼahyɛde so na wubenya nkwa; bɔ me nkyerɛkyerɛ ho ban sɛ nea wodɔ no.
Son, preserve my commandments, and you shall live. And keep my law as the pupil of your eye.
3 Kyekyere bɔ wo nsateaa ho; kyerɛw no yiye gu wo koma pon so.
Bind it with your fingers; write it on the tablets of your heart.
4 Ka kyerɛ nyansa se, “Woyɛ me nuabea,” na frɛ ntease wo busuani;
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call prudence your friend.
5 Wɔbɛtwe wo afi ɔbeawaresɛefo ho, afi ɔbeawarefo huhuni nsɛmmɔdɛ ho.
So may she guard you from the woman who is an outsider, and from the stranger who sweetens her words.
6 Me fi mfɛnsere ano, mede mʼani faa mfɛnsere mu.
For I gaze from the window of my house, through the lattice,
7 Mihuu wɔ ntetekwaafo mu, mehyɛɛ mmerante no mu baako nsow, ɔbabun a onni adwene.
and I see little ones. I consider a frenzied youth,
8 Na ɔnam borɔn a ɛbɛn ɔbea no fi so a nʼani kyerɛ ɔbea no fi
who crosses the street at the corner and close to the way of that house.
9 bere a onwini redwo, na anim rebiribiri no.
He steps into shadows, as day becomes evening, into the darkness and gloom of the night.
10 Afei ɔbea bi fi behyiaa no a wasiesie ne ho sɛ oguamanfo a nnaadaa wɔ ne koma mu.
And behold, a woman meets him, dressed like a harlot, prepared to captivate souls: chattering and rambling,
11 (Ɔyɛ hyirenn na hwee mfa ne ho, ɔntena fie koraa;
unwilling to bear silence, unable to keep her feet at home,
12 nnɛ wohu no mmɔnten so, ɔkyena na ɔte aguabɔbea, ɔtetɛw wɔ mmantwea mmantwea.)
now outside, now in the streets, now lying in ambush near the corners.
13 Osoo ne mu few nʼano, wamfɛre, na ɔkae se,
And overtaking the youth, she kisses him, and with a provocative face, she flatters him, saying:
14 “Mewɔ asomdwoe afɔrebɔde wɔ fie; nnɛ madi me bɔhyɛ so.
“I vowed sacrifices for well-being. Today I have repaid my vows.
15 Enti mebae sɛ merebehyia wo; mehwehwɛɛ wo na mahu wo!
Because of this, I have gone out to meet you, desiring to see you, and I have found you.
16 Mato me mpa, mede nwera a wɔahyɛ no aduru a efi Misraim.
I have woven my bed with cords. I have strewn it with embroidered tapestries from Egypt.
17 Mede nnuhuam apete me mpa so: kurobow, pɛprɛ ne dupapo.
I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloe, and cinnamon.
18 Bra, ma yɛmfa ɔdɔ mmɔ ɔdɔ mu nkosi anɔpa;
Come, let us be inebriated in abundance, and let us delight in the embraces of desire, until the day begins to dawn.
19 Me kunu nni fie; watu kwan na ɔbɛkyɛ.
For my husband is not in his house. He has gone away on a very long journey.
20 Ɔde sika a ɛdɔɔso hyɛɛ ne sika kotoku ma na ɔremma kosi ɔsram no kurokumatwa bere mu.”
He took with him a bag of money. He will return to his house on the day of the full moon.”
21 Ɔde tɛkrɛmakyene bɔɔ no adafa; ɔde nnaadaa nyaa no ne no dae.
She enmeshed him with many words, and she drew him forward with the flattery of her lips.
22 Odii nʼakyi prɛko pɛ te sɛ nantwi a ɔrekɔ akumii, anaa ɔwansan a ɔde ne ti rekɔhyɛ hankare fi mu
Immediately, he follows her, like an ox being led to the sacrifice, and like a lamb acting lasciviously, and not knowing that he is being drawn foolishly into chains,
23 kosi sɛ bɛmma bɛwɔ ne brɛbo mu, te sɛ anomaa a ɔrekɔtɔ anomaa afiri mu na onnim sɛ ɔbɛhwere ne nkwa.
until the arrow pierces his liver. It is just as if a bird were to hurry into the snare. And he does not know that his actions endanger his own soul.
24 Na afei, me mma, muntie me; monyɛ aso mma nea meka.
Therefore, my son, hear me now, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Mommma mo koma mpatiri nkɔ no so na momman mmfa nʼakwan so.
Do not let your mind be pulled into her ways. And do not be deceived by her paths.
26 Bebree na wɔnam no so ahwehwe ase; wɔn a wakum wɔn dɔɔso pa ara.
For she has tossed aside many wounded, and some of those who were very strong have been slain by her.
