Ohabolana 26
1 Hoe fanala añ’asara, ndra orañe an-tsam-pitatahañe, ty tsy fañevà’ i dagolay fiasiañe.
Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.
2 Hoe ty fikepakepaha’ ty hitikitike naho ty fitiliñam-polinjà, ty tsy ipetaham-patse te tsy amam-bente’e.
As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.
3 Ty fikiso ho ami’ty soavala, naho ty laboridy ho ami’ty borìke, vaho ty kobaiñe ho an-dambosi’ i dagola.
A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.
4 Ko toiñe’o ami’ty hanè’e i seretse, hera hanahak’ aze.
Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.
5 Valeo mañeva’ i hagegea’ey ty dagola, tsy mone hahihitse ami’ty maso’e.
Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.
6 Hoe mañitsike tomboke naho migenoke voreke, ty mampisangitrike taratasy am-pitàn-dagola.
He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.
7 Maletraletra ty fandia’ i kepeke, naho ty razan-drehak’ am-bava’ o seretseo.
The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.
8 Hoe mañombe vato am-piletse, ty miasy i gegegege.
Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.
9 Hoe fatike mipok’ an-taña’ i jike, ty razan-drehak’ am-bava’ i dagola.
Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.
10 Ie mampitoloñe ty seretse, le manahake te mañeke mpandrioñe.
Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.
11 Hoe amboa mimpoly ami’ty loa’e, ty dagola mamereñe ty hagegea’e.
Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.
12 Tsy fa nahaisake ondaty mahihitse am-pihaino’e hao rehe? bey ty fitamà’ i seretsey ta ty aze.
Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.
13 Hoe ty votro, Inao liona ty an-damoke eo! Midada an-dalañe ey ty liona!
The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
14 Manahake ty figavingavin-dalañe amo soavili’eo, ty tembo am-pandrea’e eo.
A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.
15 Ajo’ i votro am-po finga ao ty taña’e, fe tsy lefe’e ty minday aze mb’am-bava’e.
The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.
16 Mahihitse ami’ty maso’e ty tembo, te ami’ty fito-lahy manoiñe an-kavantañañe.
The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.
17 Hambañ’ ami’ty mitsepak’ amboa an-tsofi’e, ty mpandrioñe mihilintsioñe ami’ty aly tsy aze.
He who gets mixed up in a fight which is not his business, is like one who takes a dog by the ears while it is going by.
18 Hoe ty derendereñe mañiririñe raha mibelañe, naho ana-pale, vaho fampihomahañe,
As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,
19 ty mamitake ondaty ami’ty hoe: Nisolesole avao raho.
So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?
20 Mate ty afo tsy aman-katae, modo ka ty dabasida tsy aman-tsikotsiko.
Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.
21 Hoe sarebò ami’ty foroha mirekake, naho hatae ami’ty afo, ty famiaña’ i mpanao tsikoniy hañolaña’e aiñe.
Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.
22 Hoe kenoke mafiry ty fivolam-pitàngogo, ie migodoñe mb’añ’ova lalek’ ao.
The words of one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, they go down into the inner parts of the stomach.
23 Hoe valàñe-tane nihamineñe taim-piram-bolafoty ty fameleke ampirehetan- kelok’ an-troke ao.
Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.
24 Añonohonoa’ ty famele’e i falaiña’ey, fe añaja’e famañahiañe ty an-tro’e ao.
With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;
25 Ndra t’ie mirehake fañisohañe, ko iantofa’o, fa pea tiva fito ty an-tro’e ao.
When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:
26 Aeta’e am-pitake ty halò-tsere’e, fe hiboak’ am-pivory ao ty haloloa’e.
Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.
27 Higodoñe an-koboñe ao ty nihaly aze, himpoly ama’e ty vato navarimbari’e.
He who makes a hole in the earth will himself go falling into it: and on him by whom a stone is rolled the stone will come back again.
28 Heje ty famele’ i remborake o jinoi’eo, mampianto ka ty falie manao kabeake.
A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.
