7
Warnin Against Ashawo
1 My pikin, make yu remember wetin I dey tok;
nor forget wetin I sey make yu do.
2 Do wetin I tok and yu go get good life!
Protet all wetin I tish yu just as yu go protet yor eye.
3 All wetin I tish yu,
make dem always dey with yu
and make yu rite dem for yor heart.
4 Trit wisdom like yor sista
and undastandin like yor best friend.
5 Dem nor go make yu put eye for anoda man wife body
and wimen wey get sweet mout.
6 One day,
I dey look outside from my window
7 and I si many men wey nor get sense,
but I notis one among dem wey foolish well-well.
8 E dey waka pass one road near di korna wey one woman dey stay.
E waka near en house
9 for evening wen day don dark well-well.
10 Den di woman go meet am;
e dress like ashawo and e get bad plan for mind.
11 Di woman dey tok anyhow and e nor dey shame,
bikos e dey always waka for di street
12 or stand dey wait for korna and sometaims,
e go dey di market side.
13 E trow en hand round di yong man neck,
kiss am, look strait enter en eye kon sey,
14 “I get fresh meat for house and today,
I don do wetin I promise.
15 Na dis make mi kom out kon look for yu
and I don si yu!
16 I don dress my bed with fine kolour linen
wey I bring from Egypt.
17 I don put myrrh, aloe and cinnamon perfume
for di bed.
18 So, make yu kom!
Make wi go sleep togeda till day break
and wi go enjoy awasef.
19 Bikos my husband nor dey house;
e don travel go far-far place.
20 E karry plenty money follow body
and e nor go kom back until mont end.”
21 So e tempt di man with en beauti
and di man fall for en sweet tok.
22 Small time, e bigin follow am like melu wey dem won go kill
and like animal wey waka fast enter trap
23 where arrow go for enter en heart.
E bi like bird wey dey enter net
and e nor know sey en life dey danger.
24 So naw, my pikin, make yu listin
and hear wetin I dey tok.
25 Nor let dat kind woman win yor heart;
nor run follow am at-all.
26 Bikos e don skata many life
and distroy and kill many men.
27 If yu enter en house, den deat dey hongry yu,
bikos na short kut to deat bi dat.