أَمْثَالٌ 7
| يَا ٱبْنِي، ٱحْفَظْ كَلَامِي وَٱذْخَرْ وَصَايَايَ عِنْدَكَ. | ١ 1 |
[My] son, keep my words, and hide with thee my commandments. [My] son, honour the Lord, and thou shalt be strong; and fear none but him:
| ٱحْفَظْ وَصَايَايَ فَتَحْيَا، وَشَرِيعَتِي كَحَدَقَةِ عَيْنِكَ. | ٢ 2 |
keep my commandments, and thou shalt live; and [keep] my words as the pupils of [thine] eyes.
| اُرْبُطْهَا عَلَى أَصَابِعِكَ. ٱكْتُبْهَا عَلَى لَوْحِ قَلْبِكَ. | ٣ 3 |
And bind them on thy fingers, and write [them] on the table of thine heart.
| قُلْ لِلْحِكْمَةِ: «أَنْتِ أُخْتِي» وَٱدْعُ ٱلْفَهْمَ ذَا قَرَابَةٍ. | ٤ 4 |
Say that wisdom is thy sister, and gain prudence as an acquaintance for thyself;
| لِتَحْفَظَكَ مِنَ ٱلْمَرْأَةِ ٱلْأَجْنَبِيَّةِ، مِنَ ٱلْغَرِيبَةِ ٱلْمَلِقَةِ بِكَلَامِهَا. | ٥ 5 |
that she may keep thee from the strange and wicked woman, if she should assail thee with flattering words.
| لِأَنِّي مِنْ كُوَّةِ بَيْتِي، مِنْ وَرَاءِ شُبَّاكِي تَطَلَّعْتُ، | ٦ 6 |
For she looks from a window out of her house into the streets, at one whom she may see of the senseless ones, a young man void of understanding,
| فَرَأَيْتُ بَيْنَ ٱلْجُهَّالِ، لَاحَظْتُ بَيْنَ ٱلْبَنِينَ غُلَامًا عَدِيمَ ٱلْفَهْمِ، | ٧ 7 |
passing by the corner in the passages near her house,
| عَابِرًا فِي ٱلشَّارِعِ عِنْدَ زَاوِيَتِهَا، وَصَاعِدًا فِي طَرِيقِ بَيْتِهَا. | ٨ 8 |
and speaking, in the dark of the evening,
| فِي ٱلْعِشَاءِ، فِي مَسَاءِ ٱلْيَوْمِ، فِي حَدَقَةِ ٱللَّيْلِ وَٱلظَّلَامِ. | ٩ 9 |
when there happens [to be] the stillness of night and of darkness:
| وَإِذَا بِٱمْرَأَةٍ ٱسْتَقْبَلَتْهُ فِي زِيِّ زَانِيَةٍ، وَخَبِيثَةِ ٱلْقَلْبِ. | ١٠ 10 |
and the woman meets him having the appearance of a harlot, that causes the hearts of young men to flutter.
| صَخَّابَةٌ هِيَ وَجَامِحَةٌ. فِي بَيْتِهَا لَا تَسْتَقِرُّ قَدَمَاهَا. | ١١ 11 |
And she is fickle, and debauched, and her feet abide not at home.
| تَارَةً فِي ٱلْخَارِجِ، وَأُخْرَى فِي ٱلشَّوَارِعِ، وَعِنْدَ كُلِّ زَاوِيَةٍ تَكْمُنُ. | ١٢ 12 |
For at one time she wanders without, and at [another] time she lies in wait in the streets, at every corner.
| فَأَمْسَكَتْهُ وَقَبَّلَتْهُ. أَوْقَحَتْ وَجْهَهَا وَقَالَتْ لَهُ: | ١٣ 13 |
Then she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said to him,
| «عَلَيَّ ذَبَائِحُ ٱلسَّلَامَةِ. ٱلْيَوْمَ أَوْفَيْتُ نُذُورِي. | ١٤ 14 |
I have a peace-offering; today I pay my vows:
| فَلِذَلِكَ خَرَجْتُ لِلِقَائِكَ، لِأَطْلُبَ وَجْهَكَ حَتَّى أَجِدَكَ. | ١٥ 15 |
therefore I came forth to meet thee, desiring thy face; [and] I have found thee.
| بِٱلدِّيبَاجِ فَرَشْتُ سَرِيرِي، بِمُوَشَّى كَتَّانٍ مِنْ مِصْرَ. | ١٦ 16 |
I have spread my bed with sheets, and I have covered it with double tapestry from Egypt.
| عَطَّرْتُ فِرَاشِي بِمُرٍّ وَعُودٍ وَقِرْفَةٍ. | ١٧ 17 |
I have sprinkled my couch with saffron, and my house with cinnamon.
| هَلُمَّ نَرْتَوِ وُدًّا إِلَى ٱلصَّبَاحِ. نَتَلَذَّذُ بِٱلْحُبِّ. | ١٨ 18 |
Come, and let us enjoy love until the morning; come, and let us embrace in love.
| لِأَنَّ ٱلرَّجُلَ لَيْسَ فِي ٱلْبَيْتِ. ذَهَبَ فِي طَرِيقٍ بَعِيدَةٍ. | ١٩ 19 |
For my husband is not at home, but is gone on a long journey,
| أَخَذَ صُرَّةَ ٱلْفِضَّةِ بِيَدِهِ. يَوْمَ ٱلْهِلَالِ يَأْتِي إِلَى بَيْتِهِ». | ٢٠ 20 |
having taken in his hand a bundle of money: after many days he will return to his house.
| أَغْوَتْهُ بِكَثْرَةِ فُنُونِهَا، بِمَلْثِ شَفَتَيْهَا طَوَّحَتْهُ. | ٢١ 21 |
So with much converse she prevailed on him to go astray, and with the snares of her lips forced him from [the right path].
| ذَهَبَ وَرَاءَهَا لِوَقْتِهِ، كَثَوْرٍ يَذْهَبُ إِلَى ٱلذَّبْحِ، أَوْ كَٱلْغَبِيِّ إِلَى قَيْدِ ٱلْقِصَاصِ، | ٢٢ 22 |
And he followed her, being gently led on, and [that] as an ox is led to the slaughter, and as a dog to bonds, or as a hart shot in the liver with an arrow:
| حَتَّى يَشُقَّ سَهْمٌ كَبِدَهُ. كَطَيْرٍ يُسْرِعُ إِلَى ٱلْفَخِّ وَلَا يَدْرِي أَنَّهُ لِنَفْسِهِ. | ٢٣ 23 |
and he hastens as a bird into a snare, not knowing that he is running for [his] life.
| وَٱلْآنَ أَيُّهَا ٱلْأَبْنَاءُ ٱسْمَعُوا لِي وَأَصْغُوا لِكَلِمَاتِ فَمِي: | ٢٤ 24 |
Now then, [my] son, hearken to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
| لَا يَمِلْ قَلْبُكَ إِلَى طُرُقِهَا، وَلَا تَشْرُدْ فِي مَسَالِكِهَا. | ٢٥ 25 |
Let not thine heart turn aside to her ways:
| لِأَنَّهَا طَرَحَتْ كَثِيرِينَ جَرْحَى، وَكُلُّ قَتْلَاهَا أَقْوِيَاءُ. | ٢٦ 26 |
for she has wounded and cast down many, and those whom she has slain are innumerable.
