The Foolishness of Unfaithfulness
1 My son, pay close attention
and don't forget
what I tell you to do.
2 Obey me, and you will live!
Let my instructions be
your greatest treasure.
3 Keep them at your fingertips
and write them
in your mind.
4 Let wisdom be your sister
and make common sense
your closest friend.
5 They will protect you
from the flattering words
of someone else's wife.
6 From the window of my house,
I once happened to see
7 some foolish young men.
8 It was late in the evening,
sometime after dark.
9 One of these young men
turned the corner
and was walking by the house
of an unfaithful wife.
10 She was dressed fancy
like a woman of the street
with only one thing in mind.
11 She was one of those women
who are loud and restless
and never stay at home,
12 who walk street after street,
waiting to trap a man.
13 She grabbed him and kissed him,
and with no sense of shame,
she said:
14 “I had to offer a sacrifice,
and there is enough meat
left over for a feast.
15 So I came looking for you,
and here you are!
16 The sheets on my bed
are bright-colored cloth
from Egypt.
17 And I have covered it
with perfume made of myrrh,
aloes, and cinnamon.
18 “Let's go there
and make love all night.
19 My husband is traveling,
and he's far away.
20 He took a lot of money along,
and he won't be back home
before the middle
of the month.”
21 And so, she tricked him
with all of her sweet talk
and her flattery.
22 At once he followed her
like an ox on the way
to be slaughtered,
or like a fool on the way
to be punished
23 and killed with arrows.
He was no more than a bird
rushing into a trap,
without knowing
it would cost him his life.
24 My son, pay close attention
to what I have said.
25 Don't even think about
that kind of woman
or let yourself be misled
by someone like her.
26 Such a woman has caused
the downfall and destruction
of a lot of men.
27 Her house is a one-way street
leading straight down
to the world of the dead.
Brīdinājums no maukas slazdiem
1 Dēls, glabā manus vārdus
un manas pavēles turi cieši!
2 Glabā manas pavēles, ja gribi dzīvot,
un manu mācību kā acuraugu!
3 Sien tās sev pie pirkstiem,
raksti sev sirdī kā uz lapas.
4 Saki gudrībai: tu mana māsa! –
Par savu radu sauc zināšanu,
5 lai abas tevi sargā no svešinieces,
no svešas sievas, kam gludena runa.
6 Pa sava nama logu lūkojos,
caur režģi skatījos ārā,
7 raudzījos vientiešos, pamanīju starp puišiem
kādu jaunekli gluži bez prāta.
8 Tas nāk pa ielu gar šās stūri,
uz viņas namu tas soļo,
9 kad krēslo vakarā diena,
nakts vidū un tumsā.
10 Un, redzi, sieva, tam pretī –
maukas drānās un manīgu sirdi,
11 pļāpīga, tītīga,
mājās tā nesēž,
12 te viņa ielā, te tirgū –
pie katra stūra tā glūn.
13 Tā satver viņu un skūpsta,
un droši tā saka viņam:
14 miera upura gaļa man mājās –
šodien es samaksāju, ko solījusi,
15 tādēļ es iznācu tev pretī,
lai meklētu tevi, – un atradu tevi!
16 Seģenēm sasedzu savas cisas,
košiem Ēģiptes liniem,
17 apšļakstīju savu gultu ar mirrēm,
ar alveju un kanēli,
18 nāc jel, atdzersimies glāstu –
līdz pat rītam gavilēsim mīlā!
19 Jo vīra nav mājās, viņš ir prom,
viņš devies tālā ceļā,
20 naudas zuteni paņēmis līdzi,
vien pilnā mēnesī atgriezīsies. –
21 Tā pievārē viņu savām runām,
gludenām lūpām piedabū viņu,
22 viņš tūliņ tai seko kā kaujams vērsis
vai kā trakais, ko savalda ar važu,
23 kamēr bulta pāršķeļ tam aknas –
kā putns, kas traucas cilpā
un nezina, ka būs pagalam!
24 Tad nu, dēls, klausies manī,
vērīgi lūko, ko es saku!
25 Tu nepievērsies tādas ceļam,
nenoklīsti uz viņas takām –
26 tik daudzus tā nodurtus gāzusi,
un pulka to, ko viņa kāvusi!
27 Ceļš uz šeolu – viņas nams,
lejup tas ved uz nāves kambariem!
