Mmebusɛm 7
1 Me ba, fa me nsɛm sie na kora mʼahyɛde wɔ wo mu.
My son! Keep my sayings, And lay up my commands with you.
2 Di mʼahyɛde so na wubenya nkwa; bɔ me nkyerɛkyerɛ ho ban sɛ nea wodɔ no.
Keep my commands, and live, And my law as the pupil of your eye.
3 Kyekyere bɔ wo nsateaa ho; kyerɛw no yiye gu wo koma pon so.
Bind them on your fingers, Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Ka kyerɛ nyansa se, “Woyɛ me nuabea,” na frɛ ntease wo busuani;
Say to wisdom, “You [are] my sister.” And cry to understanding, “Relative!”
5 Wɔbɛtwe wo afi ɔbeawaresɛefo ho, afi ɔbeawarefo huhuni nsɛmmɔdɛ ho.
To preserve you from a strange woman, From a stranger who has made her sayings smooth.
6 Me fi mfɛnsere ano, mede mʼani faa mfɛnsere mu.
For at a window of my house, I have looked out through my casement,
7 Mihuu wɔ ntetekwaafo mu, mehyɛɛ mmerante no mu baako nsow, ɔbabun a onni adwene.
And I see among the simple ones, I discern among the sons, A young man lacking understanding,
8 Na ɔnam borɔn a ɛbɛn ɔbea no fi so a nʼani kyerɛ ɔbea no fi
Passing on in the street, near her corner, And the way [to] her house he steps,
9 bere a onwini redwo, na anim rebiribiri no.
In the twilight—in the evening of day, In the darkness of night and blackness.
10 Afei ɔbea bi fi behyiaa no a wasiesie ne ho sɛ oguamanfo a nnaadaa wɔ ne koma mu.
And behold, a woman to meet him—(A harlot’s dress, and watchful of heart,
11 (Ɔyɛ hyirenn na hwee mfa ne ho, ɔntena fie koraa;
She [is] noisy, and stubborn, her feet do not rest in her house.
12 nnɛ wohu no mmɔnten so, ɔkyena na ɔte aguabɔbea, ɔtetɛw wɔ mmantwea mmantwea.)
Now in an out-place, now in broad places, And she lies in wait near every corner)—
13 Osoo ne mu few nʼano, wamfɛre, na ɔkae se,
And she laid hold on him and kissed him, She has hardened her face and says to him,
14 “Mewɔ asomdwoe afɔrebɔde wɔ fie; nnɛ madi me bɔhyɛ so.
“Sacrifices of peace-offerings [are] by me, Today I have completed my vows.
15 Enti mebae sɛ merebehyia wo; mehwehwɛɛ wo na mahu wo!
Therefore I have come forth to meet you, To earnestly seek your face, and I find you.
16 Mato me mpa, mede nwera a wɔahyɛ no aduru a efi Misraim.
I decked my bed [with] ornamental coverings, Carved works—cotton of Egypt.
17 Mede nnuhuam apete me mpa so: kurobow, pɛprɛ ne dupapo.
I sprinkled my bed [with] myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Bra, ma yɛmfa ɔdɔ mmɔ ɔdɔ mu nkosi anɔpa;
Come, we are filled [with] love until the morning, We delight ourselves in loves.
19 Me kunu nni fie; watu kwan na ɔbɛkyɛ.
For the man is not in his house, He has gone on a long journey.
20 Ɔde sika a ɛdɔɔso hyɛɛ ne sika kotoku ma na ɔremma kosi ɔsram no kurokumatwa bere mu.”
He has taken a bag of money in his hand, At the day of the new moon he comes to his house.”
21 Ɔde tɛkrɛmakyene bɔɔ no adafa; ɔde nnaadaa nyaa no ne no dae.
She turns him aside with the abundance of her speech, She forces him 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
He is going after her straight away, he comes as an ox to the slaughter, And as a chain to the discipline of a fool,
23 kosi sɛ bɛmma bɛwɔ ne brɛbo mu, te sɛ anomaa a ɔrekɔtɔ anomaa afiri mu na onnim sɛ ɔbɛhwere ne nkwa.
Until an arrow splits his liver, As a bird has hurried to a snare, And has not known that it [is] for its life.
24 Na afei, me mma, muntie me; monyɛ aso mma nea meka.
And now, you sons, listen to me, And give attention to sayings of my mouth.
25 Mommma mo koma mpatiri nkɔ no so na momman mmfa nʼakwan so.
Do not let your heart turn to her ways, Do not wander in her paths,
26 Bebree na wɔnam no so ahwehwe ase; wɔn a wakum wɔn dɔɔso pa ara.
For many [are] the wounded she caused to fall, And mighty [are] all her slain ones.
