1 A few dead flies in perfume
make all of it stink,
and a little foolishness
outweighs a lot of wisdom.
2 Sensible thoughts lead you
to do right;
foolish thoughts lead you
to do wrong.
3 Fools show their stupidity
by the way they live;
it's easy to see
they have no sense.
4 Don't give up your job
when your boss gets angry.
If you stay calm,
you'll be forgiven.
5 Rulers do some things that are terribly unfair: 6 They honor fools, but dishonor the rich; 7 they let slaves ride on horses, but force slave owners to walk.
8 If you dig a pit,
you might fall in;
if you break down a wall,
a snake might bite you.
9 You could even get hurt
by chiseling a stone
or chopping a log.
10 If you don't sharpen your ax,
it will be harder to use;
if you are wise,
you'll know what to do.
11 The power to charm a snake
does you no good
if it bites you anyway.
12 If you talk sensibly,
you will have friends;
if you talk foolishly,
you will destroy yourself.
13 Fools begin with nonsense,
and their stupid chatter
ends with disaster.
14 They never tire of talking,
but none of us really know
what the future will bring.
15 Fools wear themselves out—
they don't know enough
to find their way home.
16 A country is in for trouble
when its ruler is childish,
and its leaders
party all day long.
17 But a nation will prosper
when its ruler is mature,
and its leaders
don't party too much.
18 Some people are too lazy
to fix a leaky roof—
then the house collapses.
19 Eating and drinking
make you feel happy,
and money can buy
everything you need.
20 Don't let yourself think about
cursing the king;
don't curse the rich,
not even in secret.
A little bird might hear
and tell everything.
Iiponga yuugoya
1 Oondhi dha sa otadhi oleke nokumbutika omugwayo gwomupiluli; uusama uushona ou na ondjundo yi vule omayele nesimano.
2 Omwenyo gwomunawino ogwa gama kolulyo, ihe omutima gwomusama okolumoho. 3 Eeno, omugoya ngele te ende mepola, oondunge otadhi mu pumbu, noti ihololele shaa ngoka kutya ye egoya.
4 Ondjahi yomukwaniilwa ngele tayi ku hwamene, ino etha iilonga yoye, oshoka engungumano otali sindi omapuko omanene.
5 Oku na epuko limwe nde li koneke kohi yetango, ombedhi ndjoka tayi zi komupangeli: 6 aasama taa yelwa pombanda unene, naayamba taa shonopekwa. 7 Onda mono aapika ya kayila uukambe, naawa taye ende kolupadhi ya fa aapika.
8 Ngoka ta fulu ekelo, ota vulu okugwila mo; ngoka ta kumuna ekuma, ota lika keyoka. 9 Ngoka ta tandula omamanya, ote ehamekwa kugo; ngoka ta panda iikuni, ota tosholwa iilalo kuyo. 10 Ngele ekuya olya simpa, nomuntu ite li upike, nena nge te li longitha, ota hepeke oonkondo; ihe omunawino ote li upike. 11 Eyoka ngele tali li omuntu, manga inaali nonomwa, nena uunkulungu womunonomi kau na we oshilonga. 12 Oohapu dha za mokana komunawino, odha simana, ihe omilungu dhomugoya otadhi mu nina po ye mwene. 13 Etameko lyoohapu dhomokana ke olyo uugoya, nehulilo lyokupopya kwe uulayi wa pitilila. 14 Egoya ohali popyagana omahapu ogendji, ihe omuntu ito tseya shoka tashi ka ningwa naashoka tashi ka kala ko konima ye nolye te ke mu lombwela shika.
15 Uupyakadhi womugoya otau mu lolokitha, oshoka ita tseya nokuli okuya koshilando.
16 Yaye shilongo ngoye, omukwaniilwa ngele okanona, nomalenga goye haga menekele omatelekela ongulangula! 17 Omunelago shilongo ngoye, ngele omukwaniilwa gwoye omunedhina, nongele omalenga goye haga ningi iituthi pethimbo lyo opala pashilumentu nohangaashi oonkolwi.
18 Omoluunyenge omitenge dhongulu otadhi teka po, nomoluunyolowe ongulu tayi kala yi na oontongo.
19 Iitelekela ohayi telekelwa okunyanyudha, omaviinu haga hangelwa okushambudha omwenyo; ihe iimaliwa ohayi eta po ayihe.
20 Omukwaniilwa ino mu tuka nando omomadhiladhilo goye, nomondunda yoye yokulala ino tuka omuyamba, oshoka oondhila dhokegulu otadhi fala ewi lyoye, niikwamawawa tayi holola oohapu dhoye.
