Mmɛbusɛm 7
1 Me ba, fa me nsɛm sie na kora mʼahyɛdeɛ wɔ wo mu.
My son! Keep my sayings, And lay up my commands with you.
2 Di mʼahyɛdeɛ so na wobɛnya nkwa; bɔ me nkyerɛkyerɛ ho ban sɛ deɛ wodɔ noɔ.
Keep my commands, and live, And my law as the pupil of your eye.
3 Kyekyere bɔ wo nsateaa ho; twerɛ no yie gu wʼakoma ɛpono so.
Bind them on your fingers, Write them on the tablet 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 cry to understanding, “Relative!”
5 Wɔbɛtwe wo afiri ɔbaawaresɛefoɔ ho, afiri ɔbaawarefoɔ sansani nsɛmmɔdɛ ho.
To preserve you from a strange woman, From a stranger who has made her sayings smooth.
6 Me fie mpomma ano mede mʼani faa ntokua mu.
For at a window of my house, I have looked out through my casement,
7 Mehunuu wɔ ntetekwaafoɔ mu, mehyɛɛ mmeranteɛ no mu baako nso, ɔbabunu a ɔnni adwene.
And I see among the simple ones, I discern among the sons, A young man lacking understanding,
8 Na ɔnam borɔno a ɛbɛn ɔbaa no fie so a nʼani kyerɛ ɔbaa no fie
Passing on in the street, near her corner, And the way [to] her house he steps,
9 ɛberɛ a ɔnwunu redwoɔ, na animu rebiribiri no.
In the twilight—in the evening of day, In the darkness of night and blackness.
10 Afei ɔbaa bi firi bɛhyiaa no a wasiesie ne ho sɛ odwamanfoɔ a nnaadaa wɔ nʼakomam.
And behold, a woman to meet him—(A harlot’s dress, and watchful of heart,
11 (Ɔyɛ hyirenn na hwee mfa ne ho, ɔntena efie koraa;
She [is] noisy, and stubborn, her feet do not rest in her house.
12 ɛnnɛ wɔhunu no mmɔntene so, ɔkyena na ɔte adwaberem, ɔtetɛ wɔ mmantwea mmantwea.)
Now in an out-place, now in broad places, And she lies in wait near every corner)—
13 Ɔsɔɔ ne mu fee nʼano wamfɛre, na ɔkaa sɛ,
And she laid hold on him and kissed him, She has hardened her face and says to him,
14 “Mewɔ ayɔnkofa ayɛyɛdeɛ wɔ efie; ɛnnɛ madi me bɔhyɛ so.
“Sacrifices of peace-offerings [are] by me, Today I have completed my vows.
15 Enti mebaeɛ sɛ merebɛhyia wo; mehwehwɛɛ wo na mahunu 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 aduro a ɛfiri Misraim.
I decked my bed [with] ornamental coverings, Carved works—cotton of Egypt.
17 Mede nnuhwam apete me mpa so: kurobo, pɛperɛ ne sinamon.
I sprinkled my bed [with] myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Bra, ma yɛmfa ɔdɔ mmɔ ɔdɔ mu nkɔsi anɔpa;
Come, we are filled [with] love until the morning, We delight ourselves in loves.
19 Me kunu nni efie; watu kwan na ɔbɛkyɛre.
For the man is not in his house, He has gone on a long journey.
20 Ɔde sika a ɛdɔɔso hyɛɛ ne sikabɔtɔ ma na ɔremma kɔsi ɔsrane no korokumatwa berɛ 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 akorɔkorɔ bɔɔ no asɔn; ɔde nnaadaa nyaa no ne no daeɛ.
She turns him aside with the abundance of her speech, She forces him 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
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 kɔsi sɛ bɛmma bɛhwire ne brɛboɔ mu, te sɛ anomaa a ɔrekɔtɔ anomaa afidie mu na ɔnnim 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, montie me; monyɛ aso mma deɛ meka.
And now, you sons, listen to me, And give attention to sayings of my mouth.
25 Mommma mo akoma mpatere nkɔ ne so na mommane mfa nʼakwan so.
Do not let your heart turn to her ways, Do not wander in her paths,
26 Bebree na wɔnam ne 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.
