Sum quidem et ego mortalis homo, similis omnibus, et ex genere terreni illius qui prior factus est: et in ventre matris figuratus sum caro;

I MYSELF also am a mortal man, like all others, and of the race of him, that was first made of the earth, and in the womb of my mother I was fashioned to be flesh.

What of myself? Was not Solomon a mortal man like the rest of you, come down from that first man that was a thing of clay? I, too, was flesh and blood; ten months I lay a-fashioning in my mother’s womb;

decem mensium tempore coagulatus sum in sanguine: ex semine hominis, et delectamento somni conveniente.

In the time of ten months I was compacted in blood, of the seed of man, and the pleasure of sleep concurring.

of woman’s body my stuff came, and of man’s procreation; midnight joys went to the making of me.

Et ego natus accepi communem aërem, et in similiter factam decidi terram, et primam vocem similem omnibus emisi plorans.

And being born I drew in the common air, and fell upon the earth, that is made alike, and the first voice which I uttered was crying, as all others do.

Born was I, and born drew in the common air; dust amid the dust I fell, and, baby-fashion, my first utterance was a cry;

In involumentis nutritus sum, et curis magnis:

I was nursed in swaddling clothes, and with great cares.

swaddled I must be, and cared for, like the rest.

nemo enim ex regibus aliud habuit nativitatis initium.

For none of the kings had any other beginning of birth.

Tell me, was ever king had other manner of coming to be?

Unus ergo introitus est omnibus ad vitam, et similis exitus.

For all men have one entrance into life, and the like going out.

By one gate all enter life, by one gate all leave it.

Propter hoc optavi, et datus est mihi sensus; et invocavi, et venit in me spiritus sapientiæ:

Wherefore I wished, and understanding was given me: and I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came upon me:

Whence, then, did the prudence spring that endowed me? Prayer brought it; to God I prayed, and the spirit of wisdom came upon me.

et præposui illam regnis et sedibus, et divitias nihil esse duxi in comparatione illius.

And I preferred her before kingdoms and thrones, and esteemed riches nothing in comparison of her.

This I valued more than kingdom or throne; I thought nothing of my riches in comparison.

Nec comparavi illi lapidem pretiosum, quoniam omne aurum in comparatione illius arena est exigua, et tamquam lutum æstimabitur argentum in conspectu illius.

Neither did I compare unto her any precious stone: for all gold in comparison of her, is as a little sand, and silver in respect to her shall be counted as clay.

There was no jewel I could match with it; all my treasures of gold were a handful of dust beside it, my silver seemed but base clay in presence of it.

Super salutem et speciem dilexi illam, et proposui pro luce habere illam, quoniam inextinguibile est lumen illius.

I loved her above health and beauty, and chose to have her instead of light: for her light cannot be put out.

I treasured wisdom more than health or beauty, preferred her to the light of day; hers is a flame which never dies down.

Venerunt autem mihi omnia bona pariter cum illa, et innumerabilis honestas per manus illius;

Now all good things came to me together with her, and innumerable riches through her hands,

Together with her all blessings came to me; boundless prosperity was her gift.

et lætatus sum in omnibus, quoniam antecedebat me ista sapientia, et ignorabam quoniam horum omnium mater est.

And I rejoiced in all these: for this wisdom went before me, and I knew not that she was the mother of them all.

All this I enjoyed, with wisdom to prepare my way for me, never guessing that it all sprang from her.

Quam sine fictione didici, et sine invidia communico, et honestatem illius non abscondo.

Which I have learned without guile, and communicate without envy, and her riches I hide not.

The lessons she taught me are riches honestly won, shared without stint, openly proclaimed;

Infinitus enim thesaurus est hominibus; quo qui usi sunt, participes facti sunt amicitiæ Dei, propter disciplinæ dona commendati.

For she is an infinite treasure to men! which they that use, become the friends of God, being commended for the gift of discipline.

a treasure men will find incorruptible. Those who enjoy it are honoured with God’s friendship, so high a value he sets on her instruction.

Mihi autem dedit Deus dicere ex sententia, et præsumere digna horum quæ mihi dantur: quoniam ipse sapientiæ dux est, et sapientium emendator.

And God hath given to me to speak as I would, and to conceive thoughts worthy of those things that are given me: because he is the guide of wisdom, and the director of the wise:

God’s gift it is, if speech answers to thought of mine, and thought of mine to the message I am entrusted with. Who else can shew wise men the true path, check them when they stray?

In manu enim illius et nos et sermones nostri, et omnis sapientia, et operum scientia, et disciplina.

For in his hand are both we, and our words, and all wisdom, and the knowledge and skill of works.

We are in his hands, we and every word of ours; our prudence in act, our skill in craftsmanship.

Ipse enim dedit mihi horum quæ sunt scientiam veram, ut sciam dispositionem orbis terrarum, et virtutes elementorum,

For he hath given me the true knowledge of the things that are: to know the disposition of the whole world, and the virtues of the elements,

Sure knowledge he has imparted to me of all that is; how the world is ordered, what influence have the elements,

initium, et consummationem, et medietatem temporum, vicissitudinum permutationes, et commutationes temporum,

The beginning, and ending, and midst of the times, the alterations of their courses, and the changes of seasons,

how the months have their beginning, their middle, and their ending, how the sun’s course alters and the seasons revolve,

anni cursus, et stellarum dispositiones,

The revolutions of the year, and the dispositions of the stars,

how the years have their cycles, the stars their places.

naturas animalium, et iras bestiarum, vim ventorum, et cogitationes hominum, differentias virgultorum, et virtutes radicum.

The natures of living creatures, and rage of wild beasts, the force of winds, and reasonings of men, the diversities of plants, and the virtues of roots,

To every living thing its own breed, to every beast its own moods; the winds rage, and men think deep thoughts; the plants keep their several kinds, and each root has its own virtue;

Et quæcumque sunt absconsa et improvisa didici: omnium enim artifex docuit me sapientia.

And all such things as are hid and not foreseen, I have learned: for wisdom, which is the worker of all things, taught me.

all the mysteries and all the surprises of nature were made known to me; wisdom herself taught me, that is the designer of them all.

Est enim in illa spiritus intelligentiæ, sanctus, unicus, multiplex, subtilis, disertus, mobilis, incoinquinatus, certus, suavis, amans bonum, acutus, quem nihil vetat, benefaciens,

For in her is the spirit of understanding: holy, one, manifold, subtile, eloquent, active, undefiled, sure, sweet, loving that which is good, quick, which nothing hindereth, beneficent,

Mind-enlightening is the influence that dwells in her; set high apart; one in its source, yet manifold in its operation; subtle, yet easily understood. An influence quick in movement, inviolable, persuasive, gentle, right-thinking, keen-edged, irresistible, beneficent,

humanus, benignus, stabilis, certus, securus, omnem habens virtutem, omnia prospiciens, et qui capiat omnes spiritus, intelligibilis, mundus, subtilis.

Gentle, kind, steadfast, assured, secure, having all power, overseeing all things, and containing all spirits, intelligible, pure, subtile.

kindly, gracious, steadfast, proof against all error and all solicitude. Nothing is beyond its power, nothing hidden from its view, and such capacity has it that it can pervade the minds of all living men; so pure and subtle an essence is thought.

Omnibus enim mobilibus mobilior est sapientia: attingit autem ubique propter suam munditiam.

For wisdom is more active than all active things: and reacheth everywhere by reason of her purity.

Nothing so agile that it can match wisdom for agility; nothing can penetrate this way and that, etherial as she.

Vapor est enim virtutis Dei, et emanatio quædam est claritatis omnipotentis Dei sincera, et ideo nihil inquinatum in eam incurrit:

For she is a vapour of the power of God, and a certain pure emanation of the glory of the almighty God: and therefore no defiled thing cometh into her.

Steam that ascends from the fervour of divine activity, pure effluence of his glory who is God all-powerful, she feels no passing taint;

candor est enim lucis æternæ, et speculum sine macula Dei majestatis, et imago bonitatis illius.

For she is the brightness of eternal light, and the unspotted mirror of God’s majesty, and the image of his goodness.

she, the glow that radiates from eternal light, she, the untarnished mirror of God’s majesty, she, the faithful image of his goodness.

Et cum sit una, omnia potest; et in se permanens omnia innovat: et per nationes in animas sanctas se transfert; amicos Dei et prophetas constituit.

And being but one, she can do all things: and remaining in herself the same, she reneweth all things, and through nations conveyeth herself into holy souls, she maketh the friends of God and prophets.

Alone, with none to aid her, she is all-powerful; herself ever unchanged, she makes all things new; age after age she finds her way into holy men’s hearts, turning them into friends and spokesmen of God.

Neminem enim diligit Deus, nisi eum qui cum sapientia inhabitat.

For God loveth none but him that dwelleth with wisdom.

Her familiars it is, and none other, that God loves.

Est enim hæc speciosior sole, et super omnem dispositionem stellarum: luci comparata, invenitur prior.

For she is more beautiful than the sun, and above all the order of the stars: being compared with the light, she is found before it.

Brightness is hers beyond the brightness of the sun, and all the starry host; match her with light itself, and she outvies it;

Illi enim succedit nox; sapientiam autem non vincit malitia.

For after this cometh night, but no evil can overcome wisdom.

light must still alternate with darkness, but where is the conspiracy can pull down wisdom from her throne?