Numquid non sapientia clamitat, et prudentia dat vocem suam?

Doth not wisdom cry aloud, and prudence put forth her voice?

And, all the while, the wisdom that grants discernment is crying aloud, is never silent;

In summis excelsisque verticibus supra viam, in mediis semitis stans,

Standing in the top of the highest places by the way, in the midst of the paths,

there she stands, on some high vantage-point by the public way, where the roads meet,

juxta portas civitatis, in ipsis foribus loquitur, dicens:

Beside the gates of the city, in the very doors she speaketh, saying:

or at the city’s approach, close beside the gates, making proclamation.

O viri, ad vos clamito, et vox mea ad filios hominum.

O ye men, to you I call, and my voice is to the sons of men.

To every man, high and low, her voice calls:

Intelligite, parvuli, astutiam, et insipientes, animadvertite.

O little ones, understand subtilty, and ye unwise, take notice.

Here is better counsel for the simpleton; O foolish hearts, take warning!

Audite, quoniam de rebus magnis locutura sum, et aperientur labia mea ut recta prædicent.

Hear, for I will speak of great things: and my lips shall be opened to preach right things.

Listen to me, I have matters of high moment to unfold, a plain message to deliver.

Veritatem meditabitur guttur meum, et labia mea detestabuntur impium.

My mouth shall meditate truth, and my lips shall hate wickedness.

A tongue that speaks truth, lips that scorn impiety;

Justi sunt omnes sermones mei: non est in eis pravum quid, neque perversum;

All my words are just, there is nothing wicked nor perverse in them.

here all is sound doctrine, no shifts, no evasions here.

recti sunt intelligentibus, et æqui invenientibus scientiam.

They are right to them that understand, and just to them that find knowledge.

No discerning heart, no well-stored mind, but will own it right and just.

Accipite disciplinam meam, et non pecuniam; doctrinam magis quam aurum eligite:

Receive my instruction, and not money: choose knowledge rather than gold.

Here is counsel, here is instruction, better worth the winning than silver or the finest gold;

melior est enim sapientia cunctis pretiosissimis, et omne desiderabile ei non potest comparari.

For wisdom is better than all the most precious things: and whatsoever may be desired cannot be compared to it.

wisdom is more to be coveted than any jewel; there is no beauty that can be matched with hers.

Ego sapientia, habito in consilio, et eruditis intersum cogitationibus.

I wisdom dwell in counsel, and am present in learned thoughts.

What am I, the wisdom that speaks to you? To shrewdness I am a near neighbour, and I occupy myself with deep designs;

Timor Domini odit malum: arrogantiam, et superbiam, et viam pravam, et os bilingue, detestor.

The fear of the Lord hateth evil: I hate arrogance, and pride, and every wicked way, and a mouth with a double tongue.

but, since they must hate evil that fear the Lord, all pride and boastfulness, every mischievous design and every treacherous word I shun.

Meum est consilium et æquitas; mea est prudentia, mea est fortitudo.

Counsel and equity is mine, prudence is mine, strength is mine.

Good counsel is mine, and honourable dealing, discernment and high courage are my gifts;

Per me reges regnant, et legum conditores justa decernunt;

By me kings reign, and lawgivers decree just things,

through me kings learn how to reign, law-givers how to lay down just decrees;

per me principes imperant, et potentes decernunt justitiam.

By me princes rule, and the mighty decree justice.

through me chieftain and magistrate exercise their power aright.

Ego diligentes me diligo, et qui mane vigilant ad me, invenient me.

I love them that love me: and they that in the morning early watch for me, shall find me.

Love me, and thou shalt earn my love; wait early at my doors, and thou shalt gain access to me.

Mecum sunt divitiæ et gloria, opes superbæ et justitia.

With me are riches and glory, glorious riches and justice.

The gifts I bring with me are riches and honour, princely state and the divine favour.

Melior est enim fructus meus auro et lapide pretioso, et genimina mea argento electo.

For my fruit is better than gold and the precious stone, and my blossoms than choice silver.

Mine is a yield better than gold or jewels, mine are revenues more precious than the finest silver.

In viis justitiæ ambulo, in medio semitarum judicii:

I walk in the way of justice, in the midst of the paths of judgment,

A faithful course I tread, nor exceed the bounds of just retribution,

ut ditem diligentes me, et thesauros eorum repleam.

That I may enrich them that love me, and may fill their treasures.

failing never to enrich the souls that love me with abundant store.

Dominus possedit me in initio viarum suarum antequam quidquam faceret a principio.

The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made any thing from the beginning.

The Lord made me his when first he went about his work, at the birth of time, before his creation began.

Ab æterno ordinata sum, et ex antiquis antequam terra fieret.

I was set up from eternity, and of old before the earth was made.

Long, long ago, before earth was fashioned, I held my course.

Nondum erant abyssi, et ego jam concepta eram: necdum fontes aquarum eruperant,

The depths were not as yet, and I was already conceived, neither had the fountains of waters as yet sprung out:

Already I lay in the womb, when the depths were not yet in being, when no springs of water had yet broken;

necdum montes gravi mole constiterant: ante colles ego parturiebar.

The mountains with their huge bulk had not as yet been established: before the hills I was brought forth:

when I was born, the mountains had not yet sunk on their firm foundations, and there were no hills;

Adhuc terram non fecerat, et flumina, et cardines orbis terræ.

He had not yet made the earth, nor the rivers, nor the poles of the world.

not yet had he made the earth, or the rivers, or the solid framework of the world.

Quando præparabat cælos, aderam; quando certa lege et gyro vallabat abyssos;

When he prepared the heavens, I was present: when with a certain law and compass he enclosed the depths:

I was there when he built the heavens, when he fenced in the waters with a vault inviolable,

quando æthera firmabat sursum, et librabat fontes aquarum;

When he established the sky above, and poised the fountains of waters:

when he fixed the sky overhead, and levelled the fountain-springs of the deep.

quando circumdabat mari terminum suum, et legem ponebat aquis, ne transirent fines suos; quando appendebat fundamenta terræ:

When he compassed the sea with its bounds, and set a law to the waters that they should not pass their limits: when he balanced the foundations of the earth;

I was there when he enclosed the sea within its confines, forbidding the waters to transgress their assigned limits, when he poised the foundations of the world.

cum eo eram, cuncta componens. Et delectabar per singulos dies, ludens coram eo omni tempore,

I was with him forming all things: and was delighted every day, playing before him at all times;

I was at his side, a master-workman, my delight increasing with each day, as I made play before him all the while;

ludens in orbe terrarum; et deliciæ meæ esse cum filiis hominum.

Playing in the world: and my delights were to be with the children of men.

made play in this world of dust, with the sons of Adam for my play-fellows.

Nunc ergo, filii, audite me: beati qui custodiunt vias meas.

Now therefore, ye children, hear me: Blessed are they that keep my ways.

Listen to me, then, you that are my sons, that follow, to your happiness, in the paths I shew you;

Audite disciplinam, et estote sapientes, et nolite abjicere eam.

Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not.

listen to the teaching that will make you wise, instead of turning away from it.

Beatus homo qui audit me, et qui vigilat ad fores meas quotidie, et observat ad postes ostii mei.

Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors.

Blessed are they who listen to me, keep vigil, day by day, at my threshold, watching till I open my doors.

Qui me invenerit, inveniet vitam, et hauriet salutem a Domino.

He that shall find me, shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord:

The man who wins me, wins life, drinks deep of the Lord’s favour;

Qui autem in me peccaverit, lædet animam suam; omnes qui me oderunt diligunt mortem.

But he that shall sin against me, shall hurt his own soul. All that hate me love death.

who fails, fails at his own bitter cost; to be my enemy is to be in love with death.