The sluggard is pelted with a dirty stone, and all men will speak of his disgrace.

In lapide luteo lapidatus est piger: et omnes loquentur super aspernationem illius.

What ill names shall we hurl at the sluggard? Stone from the sewers, that has no man’s good word;

The sluggard is pelted with the dung of oxen: and every one that toucheth him will shake his hands.

De stercore boum lapidatus est piger: et omnis qui tetigerit eum excutiet manus.

dung from the midden, for all to wash their hands of him.

A son ill taught is the confusion of the father: and a foolish daughter shall be to his loss.

Confusio patris est de filio indisciplinato: filia autem in deminoratione fiet.

Spoilt son thou shalt beget to thy shame, spoilt daughter to thy great loss;

A wise daughter shall bring an inheritance to her husband: but she that confoundeth, becometh a disgrace to her father.

Filia prudens hæreditas viro suo: nam quæ confundit, in contumeliam fit genitoris.

bring she to her husband no dower of modesty, her shame shall cost thee dear.

She that is bold shameth both her father and husband, and will not be inferior to the ungodly: and shall be disgraced by them both.

Patrem et virum confundit audax, et ab impiis non minorabitur: ab utrisque autem inhonorabitur.

Shame the father shall have, shame the husband; fit company for sinners, she will have no good word from either of these.

A tale out of time is like music in mourning: but the stripes and instruction of wisdom are never out of time.

Musica in luctu importuna narratio: flagella et doctrina in omni tempore sapientia.

Speech may be out of season, like music in time of mourning; not so the rod, not so chastisement; there lies ever wisdom.

He that teacheth a fool, is like one that glueth a potsherd together.

Qui docet fatuum, quasi qui conglutinat testam.

Teach a fool, and mend a pot with glue;

He that telleth a word to him that heareth not, is like one that waketh a man out of a deep sleep.

Qui narrat verbum non audienti, quasi qui excitat dormientem de gravi somno.

better audience thou shalt have from the sleeper thou wouldst awake from a deep dream;

He speaketh with one that is asleep, who uttereth wisdom to a fool: and in the end of the discourse he saith: Who is this?

Cum dormiente loquitur qui enarrat stulto sapientiam: et in fine narrationis dicit: Quis est hic?

thy wise speech ended, Why, what’s to do? ask fool and dreamer alike.

Weep for the dead, for his light hath failed: and weep for the fool, for his understanding faileth.

Supra mortuum plora, defecit enim lux ejus: et supra fatuum plora, defecit enim sensus.

For the dead that lacks light, for the fool that lacks wit, never cease to mourn;

Weep but a little for the dead, for he is at rest.

Modicum plora super mortuum, quoniam requievit:

yet not for the dead overmuch, since rest is his,

For the wicked life of a wicked fool is worse than death.

nequissimi enim nequissima vita super mortem fatui.

but the fool’s life is empty beyond the emptiness of death;

The mourning for the dead is seven days: but for a fool and an ungodly man all the days of their life.

Luctus mortui septem dies: fatui autem et impii omnes dies vitæ illorum.

seven days the dead are mourned, but the fool, the godless fool, all his life long.

Talk not much with a fool, and go not with him that hath no sense.

Cum stulto ne multum loquaris, et cum insensato ne abieris.

Linger never with a fool in talk, nor cast in thy lot with his;

Keep thyself from him, that thou mayst not have trouble, and thou shalt not be defiled with his sin.

Serva te ab illo, ut non molestiam habeas, et non coinquinaberis peccato illius.

keep clear of him, as thou wouldst keep clear of mischief, and of sin’s pollution;

Turn away from him, and thou shalt find rest, and shalt not be wearied out with his folly.

Deflecte ab illo, et invenies requiem, et non acediaberis in stultitia illius.

go thy way, and let him go his; thou shalt sleep the sounder, for having no folly of his to cloud thy spirits.

What is heavier than lead? and what other name hath he but fool?

Super plumbum quid gravabitur? et quod illi aliud nomen quam fatuus?

Nought like lead for heaviness? Ay, but its name is fool.

Sand and salt, and a mass of iron is easier to bear, than a man without sense, that is both foolish and wicked.

Arenam, et salem, et massam ferri facilius est ferre quam hominem imprudentem, et fatuum, et impium.

With sand or salt or iron bars burden thyself, not with rash and godless company, not with a fool.

A frame of wood bound together in the foundation of a building, shall not be loosed: so neither shall the heart that is established by advised counsel.

Loramentum ligneum colligatum in fundamento ædificii non dissolvetur, sic et cor confirmatum in cogitatione consilii.

Underpin the foundations with timber balks, thy house shall withstand all shock; nor less shall he, whose heart stands resolved in the counsels of prudence;

The thought of him that is wise at all times, shall not be depraved by fear.

Cogitatus sensati in omni tempore metu non depravabitur.

no hour of peril can daunt that steadfast heart.

As pales set in high places, and plasterings made without cost, will not stand against the face of the wind:

Sicut pali in excelsis, et cæmenta sine impensa posita, contra faciem venti non permanebunt:

Palisade set on high ground, with no better protection against the wind’s fury than cheap rubble, is but of short endurance;

So also a fearful heart in the imagination of a fool shall not resist against the violence of fear.

sic et cor timidum in cogitatione stulti contra impetum timoris non resistet.

faint heart that thinks a fool’s thoughts will not be proof against sudden terror.

As a fearful heart in the thought of a fool at all times will not fear, so neither shall he that continueth always in the commandments of God.

Sicut cor trepidum in cogitatione fatui omni tempore non metuet, sic et qui in præceptis Dei permanet semper.

Faint heart that thinks a fool’s thoughts …… shall never be afraid; no more shall he, that still keeps true to God’s commandments.

He that pricketh the eye, bringeth out tears: and he that pricketh the heart, bringeth forth resentment.

Pungens oculum deducit lacrimas, et qui pungit cor profert sensum.

Chafed eye will weep, chafed heart will shew resentment.

He that flingeth a stone at birds, shall drive them away: so he that upbraideth his friend, breaketh friendship.

Mittens lapidem in volatilia, dejiciet illa: sic et qui conviciatur amico, dissolvit amicitiam.

One stone flung, and the birds are all on the wing; one taunt uttered, and the friendship is past repair.

Although thou hast drawn a sword at a friend, despair not: for there may be a returning. To a friend,

Ad amicum etsi produxeris gladium, non desperes: est enim regressus. Ad amicum

Hast thou drawn sword against thy friend? Be comforted; all may be as it was.

If thou hast opened a sad mouth, fear not, for there may be a reconciliation: except upbraiding, and reproach, and pride, and disclosing of secrets, or a treacherous wound: for in all these cases a friend will flee away.

si aperueris os triste, non timeas: est enim concordatio: excepto convitio, et improperio, et superbia, et mysterii revelatione, et plaga dolosa: in his omnibus effugiet amicus.

Hast thou assailed him with angry words? Thou mayst yet be reconciled. But the taunt, the contemptuous reproach, the secret betrayed, the covert attack, all these mean a friend lost.

Keep fidelity with a friend in his poverty, that in his prosperity also thou mayst rejoice.

Fidem posside cum amico in paupertate illius, ut et in bonis illius læteris.

Keep faith with a friend when his purse is empty, thou shalt have joy of his good fortune;

In the time of his trouble continue faithful to him, that thou mayst also be heir with him in his inheritance.

In tempore tribulationis illius permane illi fidelis, ut et in hæreditate illius cohæres sis.

stand by him when he falls upon evil times, thou shalt be partner in his prosperity.

As the vapour of a chimney, and the smoke of the fire goeth up before the fire: so also injurious words, and reproaches, and threats, before blood.

Ante ignem camini vapor et fumus ignis inaltatur: sic et ante sanguinem maledicta, et contumeliæ, et minæ.

Chimney-fumes and smoke rising, of fire forewarn thee; curse uttered, and threat, and insult, of bloodshed.

I will not be ashamed to salute a friend, neither will I hide myself from his face: and if any evil happen to me by him, I will bear it.

Amicum salutare non confundar, a facie illius non me abscondam: et si mala mihi evenerint per illum, sustinebo.

Never will I be ashamed to greet friend of mine, never deny myself to him; let harm befall me for his sake, I care not.

But every one that shall hear it, will beware of him.

Omnis qui audiet cavebit se ab eo.

… All that hear of it will keep their distance from him.

Who will set a guard before my mouth, and a sure seal upon my lips, that I fall not by them, and that my tongue destroy me not?

Quis dabit ori meo custodiam, et super labia mea signaculum certum, ut non cadam ab ipsis, et lingua mea perdat me?

Oh for a sentry to guard this mouth of mine, a seal to keep these lips inviolate! From that snare may I be safe, nor ever let my tongue betray me!