Proverbs Chapter 7

Warning Make You No Follow
Ashawo

1. My son, keep my words and put di beta-
   beta-tins wey I tell you for your heart.
2. Do wetin I tell you and you go live; keep
   wetin I teach you like di apple of your eye.
3. Tie dem join your fingers; write dem
   inside di book of your heart.
4. Tell wisdom sey, “You be my sista,” con
   call understanding your broda.
5. So dat dem go keep you from ashawo, and
   from olosho—wit her sweet-mouth.
6. From di window of my house nahin I look,
   from my curtain,
   Ashawo Wey Be Wayo
7. I look among di ordinary pipo, I notice
   among di youths—one young man wey no
   get-sense.
8. He dey waka for street near her sharp-
   corner, and he dey waka go di road of her
   house,
9. for evening, as di day dey fade, as night
   start to dey dark.
10. Naso one woman just come meet am, she
    baffup like ashawo wey carry bad tin for
    mind.
11. She too razz, she be gbagbati, and her leg
    no dey gree stay for house.
12. Now-now-now she dey for street, before
    you know she don waka go village square,
    she dey perch for everi sharp-corner.
13. She hollam con dey kiss am, she bone-
    face con look am straight, con tell am sey,
14. “I get peace offerings wit me; today I don pay my promise to Baba-God [ so meat remain from di sacrifice].
15. So I come out to meet you; I fyne you
    taya and now I don see you!
16. I don use fine cloth take arrange my
    bed—fine Egyptian linen wit colours.
17. I don pour perfume for my bed wit myrrh,
    aloes and cinnamon.
18. Come make we jogodo well-well wit
    love till early mor- mor, make we flex wit
    love!
19. My husband no dey house; he don travel
    go far-far.
20. He carry bag of moni, and he no go come
    house until di time wey he tok.”
21. Wit sweet-mouth naso she take confuse
    am, she use her sweet-mouth hollam for
    work.
22. He follow her sharp- sharp like malu wey
    dem wan go kill, like animal wey dey waka
    enta trap,
23. until arrow go shuuk hin liver. He be like
    bird wey dey rush enta trap—he no just
    know sey di tin go kill am.
24. So make you listen to me now, my pikin,
    hear wetin I dey tell you.
25. No let your heart turn go her road, or
    waka miss-road enta her way.
26. She don fall many men hand; and all di
    pipo wey she don kill na strong men.
27. Her house na express road to grave, wey
    dey go down to di house of death.