Räṛu tavouni ro
1 'Bu orivoya se abe mo'di u'di ni kigyesi;
ago vo azaka orivoya se abe logo läguläguro kyeye ni kigyesi.
2 Lidri ka logo u'di ni gyini yasi
ago kayi atala ala ni kuni yasi.
3 Lidri eyi vouniro te.
Ànya ṛiyi vote gyuru gyini zelesi
ago kayi kuni u'di ni vouniro yasi.
4 Ànya 'diyi 'bute ondraondra ro lozo ni vose abe ori kigye,
ago lidri sa ko kigyesi 'do,
ànya kayi losi oye lozo lau,
'di ovo si iba si 'bu ya.
5 Ŋgaonya ka omba ni gyini yasi,
oko gyini zele otoza ŋga cini te to asi si.
6 Kuniŋwà gyini ro orivoya ye'du be,
ago durufu na orivoya logo läguläguro be.
7 Äri kajobe ni liti logo ro ko,
ago koyi ndre vo ana kpa ko.
8 Koronya mbaraekye aza aba ko nasi,
ca ibi lävu ko liti ana drisi.
9 Lidri ka luutui ṛatararo u'di,
ago kayi 'bereŋwai u'di gyuru le zevonai ya.
10 Ànya kayi 'bu u'di äbi luutui yasi,
ago kayi kuniŋwà lagyeamba be usuna.
11 Ànya kayi etovo idivo goloi ro uṛina
ago lofoyi ŋgase ada'dobe 'do te ŋgaeyi ya.
12 Oko usuna tavouni eŋwaroya?
Ago tazevouni gaŋwaroya?
13 Lidri ni liti tavouni roko;
ago änina ko usune lidri lako.
14 Gyibebelebe ekye tavouni i'do iya
ago gyi'desi ekye i'do ibe.
15 Änina ko ogyene logo läguläguro si kode lagye mo'di ro si.
16 Änina ko lagyena ojone logo läguläguro wäṛiro kode 'bela kuni ro be.
17 Logo lägulägu ro ndi gyilasi be ojoko lagyena be,
kadona ndrani logo läguläguro ri,
ca änina ko drina utwene lakazà logo läguläguro ro si.
18 Ŋgoŋgo kode logo läguläguro ojoko tavouni be;
lagyena ndrani 'bela oka 'diri drisi.
19 Änina ko topaza wäṛiro ro ojoni tavouni be
kode lagye logo läguläguro wäṛiro ojone sina.
20 'Dooko, ka'do inye, tavouni ikyi ni eŋwaroya?
Ago tavouni gaŋwaroya?
21 Ada'do teni ŋga lidriidriro ri ondrevoya,
ca kpa ni ari vokuru ya risi.
22 Odra ndi ŋgapere be kayi ata ekye
yeri tana kpa toto ŋganaŋgana ro.
23 Lu ni litina toto ni,
ago nda ni vose tavouni orivoya kigye 'do ni,
24 tana nda ka zevo gyini ro ondrena ni,
ago ka ŋga cini se vokuru zele ondre.
25 Tuse Lu kozo mbara be oli ri
ago kojo gyi be si;
26 tuse Lu kora ta be 'bu ri u'dine si, ago liti se
'buuhwe ri uhwene kigyesi ana si;
27 nda ndre tavouni te ago ojo kadona te.
Nda letadrina te.
28 Ago Lu atate lidri ri ekye:
“Opi orone orivoya tavouni yi
Ago ruanane ni taundiro yasi orivoya tazevouni yi.”
In Praise of Wisdom
1 There are mines where silver is dug;
There are places where gold is refined.
2 We dig iron out of the ground
And melt copper out of the stones.
3 Miners explore the deepest darkness.
They search the depths of the earth
And dig for rocks in the darkness.
4 Far from where anyone lives
Or human feet ever travel,
They dig the shafts of mines.
There they work in loneliness,
Clinging to ropes in the pits.
5 Food grows out of the earth,
But underneath the same earth
All is torn up and crushed.
6 The stones of the earth contain sapphires,
And its dust contains gold.
7 No hawk sees the roads to the mines,
And no vulture ever flies over them.
8 No lion or other fierce beast
Ever travels those lonely roads.
9 Miners dig the hardest rocks,
Dig mountains away at their base.
10 As they tunnel through the rocks,
They discover precious stones.
11 They dig to the sources of rivers
And bring to light what is hidden.
12 But where can wisdom be found?
Where can we learn to understand?
13 Wisdom is not to be found among mortals;
No one knows its true value.
14 The depths of the oceans and seas
Say that wisdom is not found there.
15 It cannot be bought with silver or gold.
16 The finest gold and jewels
Cannot equal its value.
17 It is worth more than gold,
Than a gold vase or finest glass.
18 The value of wisdom is more
Than coral or crystal or rubies.
19 The finest topaz and the purest gold
Cannot compare with the value of wisdom.
20 Where, then, is the source of wisdom?
Where can we learn to understand?
21 No living creature can see it,
Not even a bird in flight.
22 Even death and destruction
Admit they have heard only rumors.
23 God alone knows the way,
Knows the place where wisdom is found,
24 Because he sees the ends of the earth,
Sees everything under the sky.
25 When God gave the wind its power
And determined the size of the sea;
26 When God decided where the rain would fall,
And the path that the thunderclouds travel;
27 It was then he saw wisdom and tested its worth—
He gave it his approval.
28 God said to us humans,
“To be wise, you must have reverence for the Lord.
To understand, you must turn from evil.”