1Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know intelligence;
1 Ay izey, wa maa baaba lordi*. Wa hangan zama araŋ ma fahamay bay.
2for I give you good doctrine: forsake ye not my law.
2 Zama dondonandiyaŋ hanno no ay g'araŋ no. Araŋ ma si fay d'ay lordey.
3For I was a son unto my father, tender and an only one in the sight of my mother.
3 Zama waato ay ya ize no kaŋ ga maa ay baaba se, Ize kwaaso mo ay nya se.
4And he taught me, and said unto me, Let thy heart retain my words; keep my commandments and live.
4 Ay baaba n'ay dondonandi mo. A ne ay se: «Ni bina m'ay sanney wo gaay. Ni m'ay lordey gana, ka funa.»
5Get wisdom, get intelligence: forget [it] not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
5 Ma du laakal. Ma du fahamay. Ma si diny'a. Ma si fay d'ay me sanney ganayaŋ.
6Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee; love her, and she shall preserve thee.
6 Ma s'a furu, nga mo ga ni hallasi. Ni ma ba r'a, nga mo ga ni haggoy.
7The beginning of wisdom [is], Get wisdom; and with all thy getting get intelligence.
7 Laakal, nga no ga bisa hay kulu, Ma du laakal binde. Oho me, A banda da ni jin ka du a, ma du fahamay.
8Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her.
8 M'a beerandi, a ga ni daŋ jina. A ga ni no darza waato kaŋ ni n'a ganday.
9She shall give to thy head a garland of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow upon thee.
9 A ga te ni se gomni taalam ni boŋo gaa. A ga ni no koytaray fuula darzakoy.
10Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be multiplied.
10 Ya ay izo, ma maa k'ay sanney ta, Ni fundo mo ga te aloomar.
11I will teach thee in the way of wisdom, I will lead thee in paths of uprightness.
11 Ay na ni dondonandi laakal fondo ra. Ay na ni daŋ sasabandiyaŋ laawaley ra.
12When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
12 Da ni ga dira, ni ce daara si kankam, Da ni ga zuru mo, ni si kati.
13Take fast hold of instruction, let [her] not go: keep her, for she is thy life.
13 Ma gaabandi dondonandiyaŋ gaa hala a ma boori, Ma s'a taŋ, m'a haggoy, zama ni fundi nooya.
14Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil [men]:
14 Ma si furo boro yaamey laawalo ra, Ma si dira boro laaley fonda ra.
15avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass away.
15 Ma hibi ka fun a gaa, ma si gana noodin. Ni ma boŋ bare a gaa ka bisa.
16For they sleep not except they have done mischief, and their sleep is taken away unless they have caused [some] to fall.
16 Zama i si jirbi kala nd'i na hasaraw te jina. I ga te mo fasiya mo, Kala nd'i naŋ boro fo ma kati jina.
17For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
17 Zama laala ŋwaari no i ga ŋwa. I goono ga toonye baji haŋ.
18But the path of the righteous is as the shining light, going on and brightening until the day be fully come.
18 Amma adilante fonda ga hima mo boyaŋ cine, Kaŋ ga kaari kayna-kayna kala zaaro ma to.
19The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
19 Boro laaley fonda ga hima kubay, I si bay haŋ kaŋ gaa no i ga kati.
20My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
20 Ay izo, ma hangan ay sanney se, Ma ni hanga jeeri ay deda se.
21Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.
21 I ma si gana ni jine, Ma haggoy d'ey ni bina bindo ra.
22For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
22 Zama fundi no borey kaŋ ga du ey se, Baani no mo i gaahamey kulu se.
23Keep thy heart more than anything that is guarded; for out of it are the issues of life.
23 Ma ni bina haggoy ka bisa hay kulu kaŋ ni ga haggoy, Zama a ra no fundi fondoyaŋ ga fun.
24Put away from thee perverseness of mouth, and corrupt lips put far from thee.
24 Ma me-ka-say ganandi ka kaa ni gaa. Meyey kaŋ yaŋ ga sanni yaamo ci ma moor'ey.
25Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
25 Ni moy ma guna jina, Ni mo-kuurey mo ma jina guna.
26Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be well-ordered.
26 Ma ni cey laawalo sasabandi, Ni fondey kulu mo ga tabbat.
27Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.
27 Ma si kamba kambe ŋwaari wala kambe wow haray, Ma ni ce ganandi ka fun laala do.