Mmɛbusɛm 7
1 Me ba, fa me nsɛm sie na kora mʼahyɛdeɛ wɔ wo mu.
My son, guard my words and conceal my precepts within you.
2 Di mʼahyɛdeɛ so na wobɛnya nkwa; bɔ me nkyerɛkyerɛ ho ban sɛ deɛ wodɔ noɔ.
Son, preserve my commandments, and you shall live. And keep my law as the pupil of your eye.
3 Kyekyere bɔ wo nsateaa ho; twerɛ no yie gu wʼakoma ɛpono so.
Bind it with your fingers; write it on the tablets of your heart.
4 Ka kyerɛ nyansa sɛ, “Wo yɛ me nuabaa,” na frɛ nteaseɛ wo busuani;
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call prudence your friend.
5 Wɔbɛtwe wo afiri ɔbaawaresɛefoɔ ho, afiri ɔbaawarefoɔ sansani nsɛmmɔdɛ ho.
So may she guard you from the woman who is an outsider, and from the stranger who sweetens her words.
6 Me fie mpomma ano mede mʼani faa ntokua mu.
For I gaze from the window of my house, through the lattice,
7 Mehunuu wɔ ntetekwaafoɔ mu, mehyɛɛ mmeranteɛ no mu baako nso, ɔbabunu a ɔnni adwene.
and I see little ones. I consider a frenzied youth,
8 Na ɔnam borɔno a ɛbɛn ɔbaa no fie so a nʼani kyerɛ ɔbaa no fie
who crosses the street at the corner and close to the way of that house.
9 ɛberɛ a ɔnwunu redwoɔ, na animu rebiribiri no.
He steps into shadows, as day becomes evening, into the darkness and gloom of the night.
10 Afei ɔbaa bi firi bɛhyiaa no a wasiesie ne ho sɛ odwamanfoɔ a nnaadaa wɔ nʼakomam.
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 efie koraa;
unwilling to bear silence, unable to keep her feet at home,
12 ɛnnɛ wɔhunu no mmɔntene so, ɔkyena na ɔte adwaberem, ɔtetɛ wɔ mmantwea mmantwea.)
now outside, now in the streets, now lying in ambush near the corners.
13 Ɔsɔɔ ne mu fee nʼano wamfɛre, na ɔkaa sɛ,
And overtaking the youth, she kisses him, and with a provocative face, she flatters him, saying:
14 “Mewɔ ayɔnkofa ayɛyɛdeɛ wɔ efie; ɛnnɛ madi me bɔhyɛ so.
“I vowed sacrifices for well-being. Today I have repaid my vows.
15 Enti mebaeɛ sɛ merebɛhyia wo; mehwehwɛɛ wo na mahunu 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 aduro a ɛfiri Misraim.
I have woven my bed with cords. I have strewn it with embroidered tapestries from Egypt.
17 Mede nnuhwam apete me mpa so: kurobo, pɛperɛ ne sinamon.
I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloe, and cinnamon.
18 Bra, ma yɛmfa ɔdɔ mmɔ ɔdɔ mu nkɔsi 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 efie; watu kwan na ɔbɛkyɛre.
For my husband is not in his house. He has gone away on a very long journey.
20 Ɔde sika a ɛdɔɔso hyɛɛ ne sikabɔtɔ ma na ɔremma kɔsi ɔsrane no korokumatwa berɛ mu.”
He took with him a bag of money. He will return to his house on the day of the full moon.”
21 Ɔde akorɔkorɔ bɔɔ no asɔn; ɔde nnaadaa nyaa no ne no daeɛ.
She enmeshed him with many words, and she drew him forward with the flattery of her lips.
22 Ɔdii nʼakyi prɛko pɛ te sɛ nantwie a ɔrekɔ akumiiɛ, anaa ɔwansane a ɔde ne tiri rekɔhyɛ hankrafidie 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 kɔsi sɛ bɛmma bɛhwire ne brɛboɔ mu, te sɛ anomaa a ɔrekɔtɔ anomaa afidie mu na ɔnnim 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, montie me; monyɛ aso mma deɛ meka.
Therefore, my son, hear me now, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Mommma mo akoma mpatere nkɔ ne so na mommane mfa nʼakwan so.
Do not let your mind be pulled into her ways. And do not be deceived by her paths.
26 Bebree na wɔnam ne 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.
