Mmɛbusɛm 7
1 Me ba, fa me nsɛm sie na kora mʼahyɛdeɛ wɔ wo mu.
My son! keep my sayings, And my commands lay up with thee.
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 thine eye.
3 Kyekyere bɔ wo nsateaa ho; twerɛ no yie gu wʼakoma ɛpono so.
Bind them on thy fingers, Write them on the tablet of thy heart.
4 Ka kyerɛ nyansa sɛ, “Wo yɛ me nuabaa,” na frɛ nteaseɛ wo busuani;
Say to wisdom, 'My sister Thou [art].' And cry to understanding, 'Kinswoman!'
5 Wɔbɛtwe wo afiri ɔbaawaresɛefoɔ ho, afiri ɔbaawarefoɔ sansani nsɛmmɔdɛ ho.
To preserve thee from a strange woman, From a stranger who hath made smooth her sayings.
6 Me fie mpomma ano mede mʼani faa ntokua mu.
For, at a window of my house, Through my casement I have looked out,
7 Mehunuu wɔ ntetekwaafoɔ mu, mehyɛɛ mmeranteɛ no mu baako nso, ɔbabunu a ɔnni adwene.
And I do 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 doth step,
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, lo, a woman to meet him — (A harlot's dress, and watchful of heart,
11 (Ɔyɛ hyirenn na hwee mfa ne ho, ɔntena efie koraa;
Noisy she [is], and stubborn, In her house her feet rest not.
12 ɛnnɛ wɔhunu no mmɔntene so, ɔkyena na ɔte adwaberem, ɔtetɛ wɔ mmantwea mmantwea.)
Now in an out-place, now in broad places, And near every corner she lieth in wait) —
13 Ɔsɔɔ ne mu fee nʼano wamfɛre, na ɔkaa sɛ,
And she laid hold on him, and kissed him, She hath hardened her face, and saith to him,
14 “Mewɔ ayɔnkofa ayɛyɛdeɛ wɔ efie; ɛnnɛ madi me bɔhyɛ so.
'Sacrifices of peace-offerings [are] by me, To-day I have completed my vows.
15 Enti mebaeɛ sɛ merebɛhyia wo; mehwehwɛɛ wo na mahunu wo!
Therefore I have come forth to meet thee, To seek earnestly thy face, and I find thee.
16 Mato me mpa mede nwera a wɔahyɛ no aduro a ɛfiri Misraim.
[With] ornamental coverings I decked my couch, Carved works — cotton of Egypt.
17 Mede nnuhwam apete me mpa so: kurobo, pɛperɛ ne sinamon.
I sprinkled my bed — myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Bra, ma yɛmfa ɔdɔ mmɔ ɔdɔ mu nkɔsi anɔpa;
Come, we are filled [with] loves till 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 hath gone on a long journey.
20 Ɔde sika a ɛdɔɔso hyɛɛ ne sikabɔtɔ ma na ɔremma kɔsi ɔsrane no korokumatwa berɛ mu.”
A bag of money he hath taken in his hand, At the day of the new moon he cometh to his house.'
21 Ɔde akorɔkorɔ bɔɔ no asɔn; ɔde nnaadaa nyaa no ne no daeɛ.
She turneth him aside with the abundance of her speech, With the flattery of her lips she forceth him.
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 straightway, As an ox unto the slaughter he cometh, And as a fetter unto the chastisement 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.
Till an arrow doth split his liver, As a bird hath hastened unto a snare, And hath not known that it [is] for its life.
24 Na afei, me mma, montie me; monyɛ aso mma deɛ meka.
And now, ye sons, hearken to me, And give attention to sayings of my mouth.
25 Mommma mo akoma mpatere nkɔ ne so na mommane mfa nʼakwan so.
Let not thy heart turn unto 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.
