1 ي ا بُنَيَّ، استَمِعْ إلَى حِكمَتِي، وَأصغِ إلَى فَهْمِي،

My son! to my wisdom give attention, To mine understanding incline thine ear,

2 ل ِكَي تَتَمَسَّكَ بِالتَّعَقُّلِ، وَتَتَكَلَّمَ بِالمَعْرِفَةِ دائِماً.

To observe thoughtfulness, And knowledge do thy lips keep.

3 ل ِأنَّ شَفَتَي المَرأةِ الزّانِيَةِ تَقطُرانِ عَسَلاً، وَفَمُها أنعَمُ مِنْ الزَّيتِ.

For the lips of a strange woman drop honey, And smoother than oil her mouth,

4 ل َكِنَّها تُصْبِحُ مُرَّةً كَالسُّمِّ وَحادَّةً كَسَيفٍ ذِي حَدَّينِ.

And her latter end bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a sword mouths.

5 ق َدَماها تَقُودانِ إلَى المَوتِ، وَخَطَواتُها تَسِيرُ فِي طَرِيقَ الجَحِيمِ.

Her feet are going down to death, Sheol do her steps take hold of.

6 ه ِيَ لا تُفَكِّرُ فِي طَرِيقِ الحَياةِ، تَجُولُ تائِهَةً وَهِيَ لا تَعلَمُ ذَلِكَ.

The path of life -- lest thou ponder, Moved have her paths -- thou knowest not.

7 و َالآنَ استَمِعُوا إلَيَّ أيُّها الأبناءُ وَلا تَتَجاهَلُوا كَلِماتِي.

And now, ye sons, hearken to me, And turn not from sayings of my mouth.

8 ا بْتَعِدْ عَنْ طَرِيقِ المَرأةِ الزّانِيَةِ، وَلا تَقتَرِبْ مِنْ بابِ بَيتِها.

Keep far from off her thy way, And come not near unto the opening of her house,

9 و َإلّا سَتَخْسَرُ كَرامَتَكَ أمامَ الآخَرِينَ، وَسَتُعْطِي سَنَواتِ حَياتِكَ لِمَنْ لا يَرْحَمُ.

Lest thou give to others thy honour, And thy years to the fierce,

10 أ وْ سَيَأخُذُ الغَرِيبُ نُقُودَكَ، وَيَذهَبُ تَعَبُكَ إلَى بَيتِهِ.

Lest strangers be filled thy power, And thy labours in the house of a stranger,

11 و َسَتَئِنُّ فِي نِهايَةِ حَياتِكَ عِندَما يَتلَفُ لَحمُكَ وَجَسَدُكَ،

And thou hast howled in thy latter end, In the consumption of thy flesh and thy food,

12 و َسَتَقُولُ: «لِماذا كَرِهْتُ التَّعلِيمَ وَرَفَضْتُ التَّأْدِيبَ وَالتَّوبِيخَ؟

And hast said, `How have I hated instruction, And reproof hath my heart despised,

13 ل ِماذا لَمْ أُطِعْ مُعَلِّمِيَّ وَلَمْ أُصغِ إلَى مُرشِدِيَّ؟

And I have not hearkened to the voice of my directors, And to my teachers have not inclined mine ear.

14 و َها أنا فِي دَمارٍ كَبِيرٍ أمامَ عُيُونِ الجَمِيعِ.»

As a little thing I have been all evil, In the midst of an assembly and a company.

15 ا شْرَبْ ماءً مِنْ نَبعِكَ. اشْرَبْ مِنَ اليَنابِيعِ المُتَدَفِّقَةِ فِيهِ.

Drink waters out of thine own cistern, Even flowing ones out of thine own well.

16 ل ِماذا تَفِيضَ يَنابِيعُكَ فِي الخارِجِ، وَنَهْرُ مائِكَ فِي الشَّوارِعِ؟

Let thy fountains be scattered abroad, In broad places rivulets of waters.

17 ل ِتَكُنْ لَكَ وَحدَكَ لا يُشارِكُكَ فِيها غَرِيبٌ.

Let them be to thee for thyself, And not to strangers with thee.

18 ف َلْيَتَبارَكْ نَبعُكَ، وَلْتستَمْتِعْ بِالمَرأةِ التي تزوَّجْتَها في شَبابِكَ.

Let thy fountain be blessed, And rejoice because of the wife of thy youth,

19 و َسَتَكُونُ لَكَ الظَّبيَةَ المَحبُوبَةَ وَالوَعلَةَ الجَمِيلَةَ. سَيَروِيكَ ثَدْياها فِي كُلِّ حِينٍ، وَبِحُبِّها سَتُفتَنُ دائِماً.

A hind of loves, and a roe of grace! Let her loves satisfy thee at all times, In her love magnify thyself continually.

20 ف َلِماذا تُفتَنُ يا بُنَيَّ بامرَأةٍ غَريبَةٍ، وَتَحتَضِنُ امْرأةً فاسِدَةً.

And why dost thou magnify thyself, My son, with a stranger? And embrace the bosom of a strange woman?

21 ل ِأنَّ اللهَ يَرَى طُرُقَ الإنسانِ، وَيَفحَصُ كُلَّ سُبُلِهِ.

For over-against the eyes of Jehovah are the ways of each, And all his paths He is pondering.

22 ف َيُقْبِضُ عَلَى الشِّرِّيرِ بِسَبَبِ شَرِّهِ، وَبِحِبالِ خَطِيَّتِهِ سَيُمسِكُ بِهِ.

His own iniquities do capture the wicked, And with the ropes of his sin he is holden.

23 ف َيَمُوتُ لِفُقْدانِهِ للتَّعلِيمِ وَعَدمِ قُبُولِهِ للتَّأدِيبِ، وَيَضِيعُ بَسَبَبِ كَثرَةِ حَماقَتِهِ.

He dieth without instruction, And in the abundance of his folly magnifieth himself!