Mmɛbusɛm 7
1 Me ba, fa me nsɛm sie na kora mʼahyɛdeɛ wɔ wo mu.
My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Di mʼahyɛdeɛ so na wobɛnya nkwa; bɔ me nkyerɛkyerɛ ho ban sɛ deɛ wodɔ noɔ.
Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the apple of thine eye.
3 Kyekyere bɔ wo nsateaa ho; twerɛ no yie gu wʼakoma ɛpono so.
Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.
4 Ka kyerɛ nyansa sɛ, “Wo yɛ me nuabaa,” na frɛ nteaseɛ wo busuani;
Say unto wisdom: 'Thou art my sister', and call understanding thy kinswoman;
5 Wɔbɛtwe wo afiri ɔbaawaresɛefoɔ ho, afiri ɔbaawarefoɔ sansani nsɛmmɔdɛ ho.
That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the alien woman that maketh smooth her words.
6 Me fie mpomma ano mede mʼani faa ntokua mu.
For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;
7 Mehunuu wɔ ntetekwaafoɔ mu, mehyɛɛ mmeranteɛ no mu baako nso, ɔbabunu a ɔnni adwene.
And I beheld among the thoughtless ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8 Na ɔnam borɔno a ɛbɛn ɔbaa no fie so a nʼani kyerɛ ɔbaa no fie
Passing through the street near her corner, and he went the way to her house;
9 ɛberɛ a ɔnwunu redwoɔ, na animu rebiribiri no.
In the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the blackness of night and the darkness.
10 Afei ɔbaa bi firi bɛhyiaa no a wasiesie ne ho sɛ odwamanfoɔ a nnaadaa wɔ nʼakomam.
And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
11 (Ɔyɛ hyirenn na hwee mfa ne ho, ɔntena efie koraa;
She is riotous and rebellious, her feet abide not in her house;
12 ɛnnɛ wɔhunu no mmɔntene so, ɔkyena na ɔte adwaberem, ɔtetɛ wɔ mmantwea mmantwea.)
Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, and lieth in wait at every corner.
13 Ɔsɔɔ ne mu fee nʼano wamfɛre, na ɔkaa sɛ,
So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face she said unto him:
14 “Mewɔ ayɔnkofa ayɛyɛdeɛ wɔ efie; ɛnnɛ madi me bɔhyɛ so.
'Sacrifices of peace-offerings were due from me; this day have I paid my vows.
15 Enti mebaeɛ sɛ merebɛhyia wo; mehwehwɛɛ wo na mahunu wo!
Therefore came I forth to meet thee, to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16 Mato me mpa mede nwera a wɔahyɛ no aduro a ɛfiri Misraim.
I have decked my couch with coverlets, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17 Mede nnuhwam apete me mpa so: kurobo, pɛperɛ ne sinamon.
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Bra, ma yɛmfa ɔdɔ mmɔ ɔdɔ mu nkɔsi anɔpa;
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 Me kunu nni efie; watu kwan na ɔbɛkyɛre.
For my husband is not at home, he is gone a long journey;
20 Ɔde sika a ɛdɔɔso hyɛɛ ne sikabɔtɔ ma na ɔremma kɔsi ɔsrane no korokumatwa berɛ mu.”
He hath taken the bag of money with him; he will come home at the full moon.'
21 Ɔde akorɔkorɔ bɔɔ no asɔn; ɔde nnaadaa nyaa no ne no daeɛ.
With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield, with the blandishment of her lips she enticeth him away.
22 Ɔdii nʼakyi prɛko pɛ te sɛ nantwie a ɔrekɔ akumiiɛ, anaa ɔwansane a ɔde ne tiri rekɔhyɛ hankrafidie mu
He goeth after her straightway, as an ox that goeth to the slaughter, or as one in fetters to the correction of the fool;
23 kɔsi sɛ bɛmma bɛhwire ne brɛboɔ mu, te sɛ anomaa a ɔrekɔtɔ anomaa afidie mu na ɔnnim sɛ ɔbɛhwere ne nkwa.
Till an arrow strike through his liver; as a bird hasteneth to the snare — and knoweth not that it is at the cost of his life.
24 Na afei, me mma, montie me; monyɛ aso mma deɛ meka.
Now therefore, O ye children, hearken unto me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Mommma mo akoma mpatere nkɔ ne so na mommane mfa nʼakwan so.
Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
26 Bebree na wɔnam ne so ahwehwe ase; wɔn a wakum wɔn dɔɔso pa ara.
For she hath cast down many wounded; yea, a mighty host are all her slain.
