| 1 I, too, am a mortal man like others, a descendant of the first human being formed from clay. My flesh was molded in a mother’s womb; | |
| 2 her blood formed me for ten months from the seed of man, given in pleasure, the companion of sleep. | |
| 3 Once born, I breathed the air common to everyone; I fell on the earth, the same for all; my first cry was like that of other infants. | |
| 4 I was nourished, cared for and wrapped in swaddling clothes; | |
| 5 indeed, no other king began life differently. | |
| 6 For there is but one way into life for all and one way out of it. | |
| 7 I prayed and understanding was given to me; I asked earnestly and the spirit of Wisdom came to me. | |
| 8 I preferred her to scepters and thrones and I considered wealth as nothing compared with her. | |
| 9 I preferred her to any jewel of inestimable value, since gold beside her is nothing but a few grains of sand, and silver but mud. | |
| 10 I loved her more than wealth and beauty and even preferred her to light, because her radiance never dies. | |
| 11 She brought with her all other good things, untold riches in her hands. | |
| 12 I rejoiced at all that came with Wisdom without knowing she was their mother. | |
| 13 What I learned without self-interest I share freely and with no desire to conceal her value; | |
| 14 for she is an inexhaustible treasure for man and those who possess her have gained the friendship of God, commended to him by the fruits of her discipline. | |
| 15 May God grant me to speak with discernment and reflect in a way worthy of the gifts I have received, for he is the guide of Wisdom and the corrector of the wise. | |
| 16 For we are in God’s hands, we ourselves, our words, our understanding and technical knowledge. | |
| 17 He, in fact, has given me true knowledge of what is, of the world and the properties of the elements; | |
| 18 the beginning, the end and the times in between; the alternation of the solstices and the succession of the seasons; | |
| 19 the cycles of the year and the position of the stars; | |
| 20 the natures of animal species and the ways of wild beasts; the power of spirits and human reasoning; the varieties of plants and medicinal properties of roots. | |
| 21 I have come to know everything we see and everything hidden, | |
| 22 because Wisdom, who designed them all, taught me. In her is a spirit that is intelligent, saintly, unique, manifold, subtle, active, concise, pure and lucid. It cannot corrupt, loves what is good and nothing can restrain it; | |
| 23 it is beneficent, loving humankind, steadfast, dependable, calm though almighty. It sees everything and penetrates all spirits, however intelligent, subtle and pure they may be. | |
| 24 Wisdom, in fact, surpasses in mobility all that moves, and being so pure pervades and permeates all things. | |
| 25 She is a breath of the power of God, a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty; nothing impure can enter her. | |
| 26 She is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of God’s action and an image of his goodness. | |
| 27 She is but one, yet Wisdom can do all things and, herself unchanging, she renews all things. She enters holy souls, making them prophets and friends of God, | |
| 28 for God loves only those who live with Wisdom. | |
| 29 She is indeed more beautiful than the sun and surpasses all the constellations; she outrivals light, | |
| 30 for light gives way to night, but evil cannot prevail against Wisdom. | |
