1 Haue thou not glorie on the morewe, `not knowynge what thing the dai to comynge schal bringe forth.
2 Another man, and not thi mouth preise thee; a straunger, and not thi lippis `preise thee.
3 A stoon is heuy, and grauel is chariouse; but the ire of a fool is heuyere than euer eithir.
4 Ire hath no merci, and woodnesse brekynge out `hath no merci; and who mai suffre the fersnesse of a spirit stirid?
5 Betere is opyn repreuyng, than loue hid.
6 Betere ben the woundis of hym that loueth, than the gileful cossis of hym that hatith.
7 A man fillid schal dispise an hony coomb; but an hungri man schal take, yhe, bittir thing for swete.
8 As a brid passinge ouer fro his nest, so is a man that forsakith his place.
9 The herte delitith in oynement, and dyuerse odours; and a soule is maad swete bi the good counsels of a frend.
10 Forsake thou not thi frend, and the frend of thi fadir; and entre thou not in to the hous of thi brothir, in the dai of thi turment. Betere is a neiybore nyy, than a brothir afer.
11 Mi sone, studie thou a boute wisdom, and make thou glad myn herte; that thou maist answere a word to a dispisere.
12 A fel man seynge yuel was hid; litle men of wit passinge forth suffriden harmes.
13 Take thou awei his clooth, that bihiyte for a straunger; and take thou awei a wed fro hym for an alien man.
14 He that blessith his neiybore with greet vois; and risith bi niyt, schal be lijk hym that cursith.
15 Roouys droppynge in the dai of coold, and a womman ful of chidyng ben comparisond.
16 He that withholdith hir, as if he holdith wynd; and auoidith the oile of his riyt hond.
17 Yrun is whettid bi irun; and a man whettith the face of his frend.
18 He that kepith a fige tre, schal ete the fruytis therof; and he that is a kepere of his lord, schal be glorified.
19 As the cheris of men biholdinge schynen in watris; so the hertis of men ben opyn to prudent men.
20 Helle and perdicioun schulen not be fillid; so and the iyen of men moun not be fillid.
21 As siluer is preuyd in a wellyng place, and gold `is preued in a furneys; so a man is preued bi the mouth of preyseris. The herte of a wickid man sekith out yuels; but a riytful herte sekith out kunnyng.
22 Thouy thou beetist a fool in a morter, as with a pestel smytynge aboue dried barli; his foli schal not be don awei fro him.
23 Knowe thou diligentli the cheere of thi beeste; and biholde thou thi flockis.
24 For thou schalt not haue power contynueli; but a coroun schal be youun to thee in generacioun and in to generacioun.
25 Medewis ben openyd, and greene eerbis apperiden; and hey is gaderid fro hillis.
26 Lambren be to thi clothing; and kidis be to the prijs of feeld.
27 The mylke of geete suffice to thee for thi meetis; in to the necessarie thingis of thin hous, and to lijflode to thin handmaidis. |
