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.
Ñaameŋo niŋ tooleeyaa la kuwo
1 Ko sii furewolu ka tulu seeralaa seeroo tiñaa ñaameŋ,
tooleeyaa, hani a domandiŋ,
a ka ñaameŋo tiñaa le, aniŋ horomoo.
2 Moo ñaamendiŋo sondomoo
ka a tilindi bulubaa le la,
toolewo taa ka a tilindi maraa la.
3 Hakili buka tara toolewo la,
hani niŋ a be taamoo la siloo kaŋ,
a keñaa le ka a yitandi moolu la,
a la tooleeyaa be ñaameŋ.
4 Niŋ maralilaa kamfaata i kamma,
tu i be daameŋ.
Niŋ i tuta tenkundiŋ,
wo le be kuwolu sumayandi la.
5 Ŋa kuu dimindiŋo doo le je ñiŋ duniyaa tiloo koto,
jenkoo meŋ siifaa ka finti maralilaalu la karoo la:
6 Toolewolu le ka tara palaasi baalu to,
moo kummaalu ye tara palaasindiŋolu to.
7 Ŋa joŋolu je seleriŋ suwoolu koo to le,
mansariŋolu be taama la ì siŋo la ko joŋolu.
8 Moo-wo-moo ye dinkoo siŋ,
i faŋo le be boyi la a kono,
aduŋ moo-wo-moo ye sansaŋo boyi,
saa si i kiŋ noo le.
9 Moo-wo-moo ka dookuwo ke beredinkoo to,
si barama noo le,
moo-wo-moo ka loo kuntu,
si dimindi noo le.
10 Niŋ teeraŋo daa kuyaata,
i maŋ a daa diyaa,
a dookundoo ka sembe boyi baa le ñininkaa,
bari ñaameŋo,
wo le ka tinewo naati.
11 Niŋ saa ye i kiŋ janniŋ saa daa sitilaa be a moso la,
wo to a la saa daa sitoo te nafaa soto la i ye.
12 Moo ñaamendiŋo la kumakaŋo
ka hiinoo le saabu a faŋo ma,
bari toolewo faŋo neŋo
le ka a kasaara.
13 A daakumoo ka dati niŋ tooleeyaa le la,
a la diyaamoo ye labaŋ fuuriŋyaa la,
14 toolewo daakumoo le ka siyaa.
Moo buka saama loŋ noo.
Jumaa le si a fo noo,
ate faariŋ koolaa,
meŋ be naa ke la?
15 Toolewo la kata kuwolu,
wolu le ka a batandi,
hani a taaraŋ siloo ka taa saatewo kono,
a buka a loŋ.
16 Kooroo be i ye, ite bankoo,
meŋ na mansakewo mu dindiŋo le ti,
mansariŋolu ka tara bidaŋo la soomandaa.
17 Seewoo be i ye, ite bankoo,
meŋ na mansakewo wuluuñaa ñiiñaata,
mansariŋolu ka domoroo ke a waatoo la,
ka semboo soto, ì buka ke siiratoo ti.
18 Naafoo ka a tinna le, buŋo ye suleŋ,
katakolenteeyaa ka kankaraŋo boyindi duuma le.
19 Domori kendoo ka dadaa faŋ seewondoo le kamma,
wayinoo* ye niyo seewondi,
kodoo, wo ka ñinnu bee le ke.
20 Kana mansa neŋ,
hani i la miiroolu to,
aduŋ i kana fankamaalu neŋ,
hani i dammaa be i la laabuŋo kono.
Kunoolu si i la kumakaŋolu samba noo le,
waraŋ dampammaa feŋ koteŋolu
ye i la kumakaŋo seyinkaŋ saata.
