1Mwanakomana wangu, chengeta mashoko angu, Viga mirairo yangu kwauri.
1My son, keep my words, And lay up my commandments with thee.
2Chengeta mirairo yangu, urarame; Nomurau wangu semboni yeziso rako.
2Keep my commandments and live; And my law as the apple of thine eye.
3Uzvisungire pamweya wako; Uzvinyore pabwendefa romoyo wako.
3Bind them upon thy fingers; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.
4Uti kuuchenjeri, Ndiwe hanzvadzi yangu; Utumidze njere shamwari yako;
4Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; And call understanding [thy] kinswoman:
5Kuti zvikuchengete pamukadzi wokumwe, Pamutorwa anobata kumeso namashoko ake.
5That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.
6nekuti ndakatarira pahwindo reimba yangu, Pahutanda bwehwindo rangu;
6For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;
7Ndikatarira pakati pavasina mano, Ndikaona pakati pamajaya. Rimwe jaya rakashaiwa njere;
7And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding,
8Richipfuura nenzira yomumusha pedo nekona yeimba yomukadzi
8Passing through the street near her corner; And he went the way to her house,
9Nenguva yorubvunzavaeni, nenguva yamadeko ezuva, Pakati pousiku kwasviba.
9In the twilight, in the evening of the day, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10Zvino tarira, mukadzi akasangana naye, Akanga akafuka sechifeve, anokunyengedzera pamoyo.
10And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
11Anopupira, achiita sezvaanoda; Tsoka dzake hadzigari mumba make;
11She is clamorous and wilful; Her feet abide not in her house:
12Imwe nguva ari munzira dzomumusha, imwe nguva pamatare; Anorindira pamakona ose.
12Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, And lieth in wait at every corner.
13Zvino iye akamubata, akamutsvoda; Akataura naye nechiso chisina kunyara, akati kwaari,
13So she caught him, and kissed him, [And] with an impudent face she said unto him:
14Ndaifanira kuuya nezvibayiro zvezvipiriso zvokuyananisa, Nhasi ndaripa mhiko dzangu.
14Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me; This day have I paid my vows.
15Saka ndabuda kuzokuchingamidza, Nditsvake chiso chako zvikuru, zvino ndakuwana.
15Therefore came I forth to meet thee, Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16Ndakawarira machira anohukomba pamubhedha wangu, Nemicheka ina mavara inobva Egipita.
16I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17Ndakasasa zvinonhuhwira pamubhedha wangu, Mura, negavakava, nekinamoni.
17I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18Uya tigute nokudana kusvikira mangwanani; Ngatizvifadze nokudana kukuru.
18Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with loves.
19nekuti murume haapo pamusha; Akafamba rwendo rukuru;
19For the man is not at home; He is gone a long journey:
20Akaenda nehombodo ine mari; Achadzoka pajenaguru.
20He hath taken a bag of money with him; He will come home at the full moon.
21Nokutaura kwake kunokwezva anomutsausa, Anomugombedzera nokubata kumeso kwemiromo yake.
21With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield; With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.
22Anomutevera pakarepo, Senzombe inoenda kwainondobayiwa, Kana sebenzi rakasungwa rinoenda kundorangwa;
22He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as [one in] fetters to the correction of the fool;
23Kusvikira museve wabaya chiropa chake; Seshiri inokurumidzira kurugombe, Asingazivi kuti zvinovinga upenyu hwake.
23Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.
24Zvino vanakomana vangu, nditeererei, Inzwai mashoko omuromo wangu.
24Now therefore, [my] sons, hearken unto me, And attend to the words of my mouth.
25moyo wako ngaurege kutsaukira kunzira dzake; Usafamba-famba mumakwara ake.
25Let not thy heart decline to her ways; Go not astray in her paths.
26nekuti akawisira pasi vazhinji vakakuvadzwa; Zvirokwazvo, vakaurawa naye vazhinji kwazvo.
26For she hath cast down many wounded: Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.
27Imba yake inzira dzinoenda Sheori, Dzinoburukira kudzimba dzorufu.
27Her house is the way to Sheol, Going down to the chambers of death.