Don't Be a Fool
1 Expecting snow in summer
and rain in the dry season
makes more sense
than honoring a fool.
2 A curse you don't deserve
will take wings and fly away
like a sparrow or a swallow.
3 Horses and donkeys
must be beaten and bridled—
and so must fools.
4 Don't make a fool of yourself
by answering a fool.
5 But if you answer any fools,
show how foolish they are,
so they won't feel smart.
6 Sending a message by a fool
is like chopping off your foot
just to spite yourself.
7 A fool with words of wisdom
is like an athlete
with legs that can't move.
8 Are you going to honor a fool?
Why not shoot a slingshot
with the rock tied tight?
9 A thornbush waved around
in the hand of a drunkard
is no worse than a proverb
in the mouth of a fool.
10 It's no smarter to shoot arrows
at every passerby
than it is to hire a bunch
of worthless nobodies.
11 Dogs return to eat their vomit,
just as fools repeat
their foolishness.
12 There is more hope for a fool
than for someone who says,
“I'm really smart!”
13 Don't be lazy and keep saying,
“There's a lion outside!”
14 A door turns on its hinges,
but a lazy person
just turns over in bed.
15 Some of us are so lazy
that we won't lift a hand
to feed ourselves.
16 A lazy person says,
“I am smarter
than everyone else.”
17 It's better to take hold
of a mad dog by the ears
than to take part
in someone else's argument.
18 It's no crazier to shoot
sharp and flaming arrows
19 than to cheat someone and say,
“I was only fooling!”
20 Where there is no fuel
a fire goes out;
where there is no gossip
arguments come to an end.
21 Troublemakers start trouble,
just as sparks and fuel
start a fire.
22 There is nothing so delicious
as the taste of gossip!
It melts in your mouth.
23 Hiding hateful thoughts
behind smooth talk
is like coating a clay pot
with a cheap glaze.
24 The pleasant talk
of an enemy
hides more evil plans
25 than can be counted—
so don't believe a word!
26 Everyone will see through
those evil plans.
27 If you dig a pit,
you will fall in;
if you start a stone rolling,
it will roll back on you.
28 Watch out for anyone
who tells lies and flatters—
they are out to get you.
Toolewo la kuwo
1 Niŋ saŋ beroo si boyi tili kandoo kono,
waraŋ samaa ye naa katiri waatoo kono,
toolewo si jari ka buuñaa soto.
2 Komeŋ jaataliŋo buka sabati ñaameŋ,
waraŋ naanaa ka yaayoo santo ñaameŋ,
dankoo te moo muta noo la wo le ñaama, meŋ maŋ danka kuwo ke.
3 Catoo suwoo ye,
karafewo faloo ye,
dokoo toolewo koo diisoo ye.
4 Kana toolewo jaabi niŋ tooleeyaa kumoo la,
fo i faŋo ye naa ke ko a be ñaameŋ.
5 Toolewo jaabi a la tooleeyaa kumoo la,
niŋ wo nte a be a miira la le ko, a ñaamenta le.
6 Ka toolewo bula, a ye taa i ye kiilaariyaa la
wo ka munta le ko, niŋ moo ye a siŋo kuntu,
waraŋ ka fitinoo maamandi.
7 Komeŋ lanjuurutoo siŋo ka tara faariŋ ñaameŋ,
kuma kotoomaa ka tara toolewo daa kono wo le ñaama.
8 Ka toolewo horoma ka munta le ko,
niŋ i ye beroo siti kampuraŋo bala.
9 Komeŋ ŋaniŋ dokoo ka tara siiratoo buloo kono ñaameŋ,
kuma kotoomaa ka ke toolewo daa to wo le ñaama.
10 Moo meŋ ka toolewo luwaasi, waraŋ tambilaa,
a ka munta le ko kalabeñe fayilaa meŋ ka moo jamaa barama.
11 Wuloo ka a la foonoo seyinkaŋ domo ñaameŋ,
toolewo ka a la tooleeyaa maañaa seyinkaŋ wo le ñaama.
12 Fo i ye moo je le, meŋ ye a miira ko, a ñaamenta le?
Jiki jamaa be tara la toolewo le ye, bari ate nte.
Katakolentewo la kuwo
13 Katakolentewo ka a fo le ko,
“Jatoo le be siloo kaŋ,
jata saŋarariŋo le ka yaayi mbeedoolu kaŋ!”
14 Ko bundaa ka muruŋ-muruŋ koncoo bala ñaameŋ,
katakolentewo ka yelemaŋ-yelemaŋ a la laaraŋo kaŋ wo le ñaama.
15 Katakolentewo ka a buloo ñuuka domoroo kono le,
a ye naa ŋooma ka domoroo ke a daa kono.
16 Katakolentewo ka ñaameŋ a faŋo fee le,
ka tambi moo woorowula la, mennu si jaabiroo ke noo a ñaama.
Sonkoo niŋ koomakumaroo
17 Ko moo meŋ ye wuloo muta a tuloo to ka a saba,
tambilaa be wo le ñaama, meŋ ka a daa bula sonkoo to, meŋ maŋ ke a taa ti.
18 Ko niŋ ñaamaatoo be taalamaa kuntoo,
waraŋ moofaaraŋ kalabeñoo fayi kaŋ,
19 wo le mu moo ti, meŋ ka a siiñoo tapaleeyaa,
a ka a fo ko, “M be sanaaroo le la.”
20 Niŋ loo maŋ soto, dimbaa ka faa le,
niŋ koomakumaroo maŋ ke, sonkoo ka baŋ ne.
21 Ko kemboo ka dimbaa keñemboo kendi ñaameŋ,
loo fanaa ka dimbaa kendi ñaameŋ,
kewo meŋ lafita fitinoo la, ka ke wo le ñaama.
22 Koomakumaroo ka munta le ko domori diimaa,
a ka diyaa moo daa kono le.
23 Daandiŋo meŋ muurita kodiforoo la,
wo mu moo le ti, meŋ ka kuma diimaa fo, a maŋ futa a kono.
24 Moo jawoo ka a faŋo la jawuyaa maabo niŋ a daakumoo le la,
bari neeneeroo le ka tara a sondomoo kono.
25 Hani a la diyaamoo diyaata, kana laa a la,
a sondomoo be faariŋ kuu kondiŋolu le la.
26 A si a la jawuyaa maabo noo le fo waati,
bari labaŋo la, moo bee le ka a la jawuyaa loŋ.
27 Niŋ moo ye dinkoo siŋ a mooñoo kamma,
a faŋo le be bula la a kono.
Niŋ moo ye beroo birimintiŋ,
a be muruŋ na a faŋo le kaŋ.
28 Faniyaa folaa ka moolu koŋ ne,
a ye mennu dimindi niŋ a la faniyaa kumoo la,
aduŋ yootiroo ka tiñaaroo le saabu.
