¹Muscæ morientes perdunt suavitatem unguenti.Dying flies ruin the sweetness of the ointment.Pretiosior est sapientia et gloria, parva et ad tempus stultitia.Wisdom and glory is more precious than a brief and limited foolishness.

¹Muscæ morientes perdunt suavitatem unguenti.Dying flies ruin the sweetness of the ointment.Pretiosior est sapientia et gloria, parva et ad tempus stultitia.Wisdom and glory is more precious than a brief and limited foolishness.

²Cor sapientis in dextera ejus,The heart of a wise man is in his right hand,et cor stulti in sinistra illius.and the heart of a foolish man is in his left hand.

²Cor sapientis in dextera ejus,The heart of a wise man is in his right hand,et cor stulti in sinistra illius.and the heart of a foolish man is in his left hand.

³SedMoreover,et in via stultus ambulans,as a foolish man is walking along the way,cum ipse insipiens sit,even though he himself is unwise,omnes stultos æstimat.he considers everyone to be foolish.

³SedMoreover,et in via stultus ambulans,as a foolish man is walking along the way,cum ipse insipiens sit,even though he himself is unwise,omnes stultos æstimat.he considers everyone to be foolish.

⁴Si spiritus potestatem habentis ascenderit super te,If the spirit of one who holds authority rises over you,locum tuum ne demiseris,do not leave your place,quia curatio faciet cessare peccata maxima.because attentiveness will cause the greatest sins to cease.

⁴Si spiritus potestatem habentis ascenderit super te,If the spirit of one who holds authority rises over you,locum tuum ne demiseris,do not leave your place,quia curatio faciet cessare peccata maxima.because attentiveness will cause the greatest sins to cease.

⁵Est malum quod vidi sub sole,There is an evil which I have seen under the sun,quasi per errorem egrediens a facie principis:proceeding from the presence of a prince, as if by mistake:

⁵Est malum quod vidi sub sole,There is an evil which I have seen under the sun,quasi per errorem egrediens a facie principis:proceeding from the presence of a prince, as if by mistake:

⁶positum stultum in dignitate sublimi,a foolish man appointed to a high dignity,et divites sedere deorsum.and the rich sitting beneath him.

⁶positum stultum in dignitate sublimi,a foolish man appointed to a high dignity,et divites sedere deorsum.and the rich sitting beneath him.

⁷Vidi servos in equis,I have seen servants on horses,et principes ambulantes super terram quasi servos.and princes walking on the ground like servants.

⁷Vidi servos in equis,I have seen servants on horses,et principes ambulantes super terram quasi servos.and princes walking on the ground like servants.

⁸Qui fodit foveam incidet in eam,Whoever digs a pit will fall into it.et qui dissipat sepem mordebit eum coluber.And whoever tears apart a hedge, a snake will bite him.

⁸Qui fodit foveam incidet in eam,Whoever digs a pit will fall into it.et qui dissipat sepem mordebit eum coluber.And whoever tears apart a hedge, a snake will bite him.

⁹Qui transfert lapides affligetur in eis,Whoever carries away stones will be harmed by them.et qui scindit ligna vulnerabitur ab eis.And whoever cuts down trees will be wounded by them.

⁹Qui transfert lapides affligetur in eis,Whoever carries away stones will be harmed by them.et qui scindit ligna vulnerabitur ab eis.And whoever cuts down trees will be wounded by them.

¹⁰Si retusum fuerit ferrum,If the iron is dull,et hoc non ut prius,and if it was not that way before,sed hebetatum fuerit,but has been made dull by much labor,multo labore exacuetur,then it will be sharpened.et post industriam sequetur sapientia.And wisdom will follow after diligence.

¹⁰Si retusum fuerit ferrum,If the iron is dull,et hoc non ut prius,and if it was not that way before,sed hebetatum fuerit,but has been made dull by much labor,multo labore exacuetur,then it will be sharpened.et post industriam sequetur sapientia.And wisdom will follow after diligence.

¹¹Si mordeat serpens in silentio, nihil eo minus habet qui occulte detrahit.Whoever slanders in secret is nothing less than a snake that bites silently.

¹¹Si mordeat serpens in silentio, nihil eo minus habet qui occulte detrahit.Whoever slanders in secret is nothing less than a snake that bites silently.

¹²Verba oris sapientis gratia,Words from the mouth of a wise man are graceful,et labia insipientis præcipitabunt eum;but the lips of a foolish man will throw him down with violence.

¹²Verba oris sapientis gratia,Words from the mouth of a wise man are graceful,et labia insipientis præcipitabunt eum;but the lips of a foolish man will throw him down with violence.

¹³initium verborum ejus stultitia,At the beginning of his words is foolishness,et novissimum oris illius error pessimus.and at the end of his talk is a most grievous error.

¹³initium verborum ejus stultitia,At the beginning of his words is foolishness,et novissimum oris illius error pessimus.and at the end of his talk is a most grievous error.

¹⁴Stultus verba multiplicat.The fool multiplies his words.Ignorat homo quid ante se fuerit;A man does not know what has been before him,et quid post se futurum sit, quis ei poterit indicare?and who is able to reveal to him what will be in the future after him?

¹⁴Stultus verba multiplicat.The fool multiplies his words.Ignorat homo quid ante se fuerit;A man does not know what has been before him,et quid post se futurum sit, quis ei poterit indicare?and who is able to reveal to him what will be in the future after him?

¹⁵Labor stultorum affliget eos, qui nesciunt in urbem pergere.The hardship of the foolish will afflict those who do not know to go into the city.

¹⁵Labor stultorum affliget eos, qui nesciunt in urbem pergere.The hardship of the foolish will afflict those who do not know to go into the city.

¹⁶Væ tibi,Woe to you,terra, cujus rex puer est,the land whose king is a boy,et cujus principes mane comedunt.and whose princes consume in the morning.

¹⁶Væ tibi,Woe to you,terra, cujus rex puer est,the land whose king is a boy,et cujus principes mane comedunt.and whose princes consume in the morning.

¹⁷Beata terra cujus rex nobilis est,Blessed is the land whose king is noble,et cujus principes vescuntur in tempore suo,and whose princes eat at the proper time,ad reficiendum,for refreshmentet non ad luxuriam.and not for self-indulgence.

¹⁷Beata terra cujus rex nobilis est,Blessed is the land whose king is noble,et cujus principes vescuntur in tempore suo,and whose princes eat at the proper time,ad reficiendum,for refreshmentet non ad luxuriam.and not for self-indulgence.

¹⁸In pigritiis humiliabitur contignatio,By laziness, a framework shall be brought down,et in infirmitate manuum perstillabit domus.and by the weakness of hands, a house shall collapse through.

¹⁸In pigritiis humiliabitur contignatio,By laziness, a framework shall be brought down,et in infirmitate manuum perstillabit domus.and by the weakness of hands, a house shall collapse through.

¹⁹In risum faciunt panem et vinum ut epulentur viventes;While laughing, they make bread and wine, so that the living may feast.et pecuniæ obediunt omnia.And all things are obedient to money.

¹⁹In risum faciunt panem et vinum ut epulentur viventes;While laughing, they make bread and wine, so that the living may feast.et pecuniæ obediunt omnia.And all things are obedient to money.

²⁰In cogitatione tua regi ne detrahas,You should not slander the king, even in your thoughts,et in secreto cubiculi tui ne maledixeris diviti:and you should not speak evil of a wealthy man, even in your private chamber.quia et aves cæli portabunt vocem tuam,For even the birds of the air will carry your voice,et qui habet pennas annuntiabit sententiam.and whatever has wings will announce your opinion.

²⁰In cogitatione tua regi ne detrahas,You should not slander the king, even in your thoughts,et in secreto cubiculi tui ne maledixeris diviti:and you should not speak evil of a wealthy man, even in your private chamber.quia et aves cæli portabunt vocem tuam,For even the birds of the air will carry your voice,et qui habet pennas annuntiabit sententiam.and whatever has wings will announce your opinion.