Mmebusɛm 7
1 Me ba, fa me nsɛm sie na kora mʼahyɛde wɔ wo mu.
My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Di mʼahyɛde so na wubenya nkwa; bɔ me nkyerɛkyerɛ ho ban sɛ nea wodɔ no.
Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
3 Kyekyere bɔ wo nsateaa ho; kyerɛw no yiye gu wo koma pon so.
Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.
4 Ka kyerɛ nyansa se, “Woyɛ me nuabea,” na frɛ ntease wo busuani;
Say unto wisdom, Thou [art] my sister; and call understanding [thy] kinswoman:
5 Wɔbɛtwe wo afi ɔbeawaresɛefo ho, afi ɔbeawarefo huhuni nsɛmmɔdɛ ho.
That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger [which] flattereth with her words.
6 Me fi mfɛnsere ano, mede mʼani faa mfɛnsere mu.
For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
7 Mihuu wɔ ntetekwaafo mu, mehyɛɛ mmerante no mu baako nsow, ɔbabun a onni adwene.
And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8 Na ɔnam borɔn a ɛbɛn ɔbea no fi so a nʼani kyerɛ ɔbea no fi
Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
9 bere a onwini redwo, na anim rebiribiri no.
In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
10 Afei ɔbea bi fi behyiaa no a wasiesie ne ho sɛ oguamanfo a nnaadaa wɔ ne koma mu.
And, behold, there met him a woman [with] the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
11 (Ɔyɛ hyirenn na hwee mfa ne ho, ɔntena fie koraa;
(She [is] loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
12 nnɛ wohu no mmɔnten so, ɔkyena na ɔte aguabɔbea, ɔtetɛw wɔ mmantwea mmantwea.)
Now [is she] without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
13 Osoo ne mu few nʼano, wamfɛre, na ɔkae se,
So she caught him, and kissed him, [and] with an impudent face said unto him,
14 “Mewɔ asomdwoe afɔrebɔde wɔ fie; nnɛ madi me bɔhyɛ so.
[I have] peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.
15 Enti mebae sɛ merebehyia wo; mehwehwɛɛ wo na mahu wo!
Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16 Mato me mpa, mede nwera a wɔahyɛ no aduru a efi Misraim.
I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved [works], with fine linen of Egypt.
17 Mede nnuhuam apete me mpa so: kurobow, pɛprɛ ne dupapo.
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Bra, ma yɛmfa ɔdɔ mmɔ ɔdɔ mu nkosi anɔpa;
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 Me kunu nni fie; watu kwan na ɔbɛkyɛ.
For the goodman [is] not at home, he is gone a long journey:
20 Ɔde sika a ɛdɔɔso hyɛɛ ne sika kotoku ma na ɔremma kosi ɔsram no kurokumatwa bere mu.”
He hath taken a bag of money with him, [and] will come home at the day appointed.
21 Ɔde tɛkrɛmakyene bɔɔ no adafa; ɔde nnaadaa nyaa no ne no dae.
With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
22 Odii nʼakyi prɛko pɛ te sɛ nantwi a ɔrekɔ akumii, anaa ɔwansan a ɔde ne ti rekɔhyɛ hankare fi mu
He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
23 kosi sɛ bɛmma bɛwɔ ne brɛbo mu, te sɛ anomaa a ɔrekɔtɔ anomaa afiri mu na onnim sɛ ɔbɛhwere ne nkwa.
Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it [is] for his life.
24 Na afei, me mma, muntie me; monyɛ aso mma nea meka.
Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Mommma mo koma mpatiri nkɔ no so na momman mmfa nʼakwan so.
Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
26 Bebree na wɔnam no so ahwehwe ase; wɔn a wakum wɔn dɔɔso pa ara.
For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong [men] have been slain by her.
