¹Fili mi,My son,custodi sermones meos, et præcepta mea reconde tibi. Fili,guard my words and conceal my precepts within you.

¹Fili mi,My son,custodi sermones meos, et præcepta mea reconde tibi. Fili,guard my words and conceal my precepts within you.

²serva mandata mea,Son, preserve my commandments,et vives; et legem meam quasi pupillam oculi tui:and you shall live. And keep my law as the pupil of your eye.

²serva mandata mea,Son, preserve my commandments,et vives; et legem meam quasi pupillam oculi tui:and you shall live. And keep my law as the pupil of your eye.

³liga eam in digitis tuis,Bind it with your fingers;scribe illam in tabulis cordis tui.write it on the tablets of your heart.

³liga eam in digitis tuis,Bind it with your fingers;scribe illam in tabulis cordis tui.write it on the tablets of your heart.

⁴Dic sapientiæ:Say to wisdom,Soror mea es,“You are my sister,”et prudentiam voca amicam tuam:and call prudence your friend.

⁴Dic sapientiæ:Say to wisdom,Soror mea es,“You are my sister,”et prudentiam voca amicam tuam:and call prudence your friend.

⁵ut custodiant te a muliere extranea,So may she guard you from the woman who is an outsider,et ab aliena quæ verba sua dulcia facit.and from the stranger who sweetens her words.

⁵ut custodiant te a muliere extranea,So may she guard you from the woman who is an outsider,et ab aliena quæ verba sua dulcia facit.and from the stranger who sweetens her words.

⁶De fenestra enim domus meæ per cancellos prospexi,For I gaze from the window of my house, through the lattice,

⁶De fenestra enim domus meæ per cancellos prospexi,For I gaze from the window of my house, through the lattice,

⁷et video parvulos;and I see little ones.considero vecordem juvenem,I consider a frenzied youth,

⁷et video parvulos;and I see little ones.considero vecordem juvenem,I consider a frenzied youth,

⁸qui transit per plateam juxta angulum et prope viam domus illius graditur:who crosses the street at the corner and close to the way of that house.

⁸qui transit per plateam juxta angulum et prope viam domus illius graditur:who crosses the street at the corner and close to the way of that house.

⁹in obscuro,He steps into shadows,advesperascente die,as day becomes evening,in noctis tenebris et caligine.into the darkness and gloom of the night.

⁹in obscuro,He steps into shadows,advesperascente die,as day becomes evening,in noctis tenebris et caligine.into the darkness and gloom of the night.

¹⁰Et ecce occurrit illi mulier ornatu meretricio,And behold, a woman meets him, dressed like a harlot,præparata ad capiendas animas: garrula et vaga,prepared to captivate souls: chattering and rambling,

¹⁰Et ecce occurrit illi mulier ornatu meretricio,And behold, a woman meets him, dressed like a harlot,præparata ad capiendas animas: garrula et vaga,prepared to captivate souls: chattering and rambling,

¹¹quietis impatiens,unwilling to bear silence,nec valens in domo consistere pedibus suis;unable to keep her feet at home,

¹¹quietis impatiens,unwilling to bear silence,nec valens in domo consistere pedibus suis;unable to keep her feet at home,

¹²nunc foris,now outside,nunc in plateis,now in the streets,nunc juxta angulos insidians.now lying in ambush near the corners.

¹²nunc foris,now outside,nunc in plateis,now in the streets,nunc juxta angulos insidians.now lying in ambush near the corners.

¹³Apprehensumque deosculatur juvenem,And overtaking the youth, she kisses him,et procaci vultu blanditur,and with a provocative face, she flatters him,dicens:saying:

¹³Apprehensumque deosculatur juvenem,And overtaking the youth, she kisses him,et procaci vultu blanditur,and with a provocative face, she flatters him,dicens:saying:

¹⁴Victimas pro salute vovi;“I vowed sacrifices for well-being.hodie reddidi vota mea:Today I have repaid my vows.

¹⁴Victimas pro salute vovi;“I vowed sacrifices for well-being.hodie reddidi vota mea:Today I have repaid my vows.

¹⁵idcirco egressa sum in occursum tuum,Because of this, I have gone out to meet you,desiderans te videre, et reperi.desiring to see you, and I have found you.

¹⁵idcirco egressa sum in occursum tuum,Because of this, I have gone out to meet you,desiderans te videre, et reperi.desiring to see you, and I have found you.

¹⁶Intexui funibus lectulum meum;I have woven my bed with cords.stravi tapetibus pictis ex Ægypto:I have strewn it with embroidered tapestries from Egypt.

¹⁶Intexui funibus lectulum meum;I have woven my bed with cords.stravi tapetibus pictis ex Ægypto:I have strewn it with embroidered tapestries from Egypt.

¹⁷aspersi cubile meum myrrha,I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh,et aloë,aloe,et cinnamomo.and cinnamon.

¹⁷aspersi cubile meum myrrha,I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh,et aloë,aloe,et cinnamomo.and cinnamon.

¹⁸Veni, inebriemur uberibus,Come, let us be inebriated in abundance,et fruamur cupitis amplexibus donec illucescat dies.and let us delight in the embraces of desire, until the day begins to dawn.

¹⁸Veni, inebriemur uberibus,Come, let us be inebriated in abundance,et fruamur cupitis amplexibus donec illucescat dies.and let us delight in the embraces of desire, until the day begins to dawn.

¹⁹Non est enim vir in domo sua:For my husband is not in his house.abiit via longissima:He has gone away on a very long journey.

¹⁹Non est enim vir in domo sua:For my husband is not in his house.abiit via longissima:He has gone away on a very long journey.

²⁰sacculum pecuniæ secum tulit;He took with him a bag of money.in die plenæ lunæ reversurus est in domum suam.He will return to his house on the day of the full moon.”

²⁰sacculum pecuniæ secum tulit;He took with him a bag of money.in die plenæ lunæ reversurus est in domum suam.He will return to his house on the day of the full moon.”

²¹Irretivit eum multis sermonibus,She enmeshed him with many words,et blanditiis labiorum protraxit illum.and she drew him forward with the flattery of her lips.

²¹Irretivit eum multis sermonibus,She enmeshed him with many words,et blanditiis labiorum protraxit illum.and she drew him forward with the flattery of her lips.

²²Statim eam sequitur quasi bos ductus ad victimam,Immediately, he follows her, like an ox being led to the sacrifice,et quasi agnus lasciviens,and like a lamb acting lasciviously,et ignorans quod ad vincula stultus trahatur:and not knowing that he is being drawn foolishly into chains,

²²Statim eam sequitur quasi bos ductus ad victimam,Immediately, he follows her, like an ox being led to the sacrifice,et quasi agnus lasciviens,and like a lamb acting lasciviously,et ignorans quod ad vincula stultus trahatur:and not knowing that he is being drawn foolishly into chains,

²³donec transfigat sagitta jecur ejus,until the arrow pierces his liver.velut si avis festinet ad laqueum,It is just as if a bird were to hurry into the snare.et nescit quod de periculo animæ illius agitur.And he does not know that his actions endanger his own soul.

²³donec transfigat sagitta jecur ejus,until the arrow pierces his liver.velut si avis festinet ad laqueum,It is just as if a bird were to hurry into the snare.et nescit quod de periculo animæ illius agitur.And he does not know that his actions endanger his own soul.

²⁴Nunc ergo,Therefore,fili mi,my son,audi me,hear me now,et attende verbis oris mei.and attend to the words of my mouth.

²⁴Nunc ergo,Therefore,fili mi,my son,audi me,hear me now,et attende verbis oris mei.and attend to the words of my mouth.

²⁵Ne abstrahatur in viis illius mens tua,Do not let your mind be pulled into her ways.neque decipiaris semitis ejus;And do not be deceived by her paths.

²⁵Ne abstrahatur in viis illius mens tua,Do not let your mind be pulled into her ways.neque decipiaris semitis ejus;And do not be deceived by her paths.

²⁶multos enim vulneratos dejecit,For she has tossed aside many wounded,et fortissimi quique interfecti sunt ab ea.and some of those who were very strong have been slain by her.

²⁶multos enim vulneratos dejecit,For she has tossed aside many wounded,et fortissimi quique interfecti sunt ab ea.and some of those who were very strong have been slain by her.

²⁷Viæ inferi domus ejus,Her household is the way to Hell,penetrantes in interiora mortis.reaching even to the inner places of death.

²⁷Viæ inferi domus ejus,Her household is the way to Hell,penetrantes in interiora mortis.reaching even to the inner places of death.