I.20The Not Speaking Profitless Words

Words without sense, while chafe the wise,
Who babbles, him will all despise.

He who to the disgust of many speaks useless things will be despised by all.

Words without sense, where many wise men hear, to pour
Than deeds to friends ungracious done offendeth more.

To speak useless things in the presence of many is a greater evil than to do unkind things towards friends.

Diffusive speech of useless words proclaims
A man who never righteous wisdom gains.

That conversation in which a man utters forth useless things will say of him "he is without virtue."

Unmeaning, worthless words, said to the multitude,
To none delight afford, and sever men from good.

The words devoid of profit or pleasure which a man speaks will, being inconsistent with virtue, remove him from goodness.

Gone are both fame and boasted excellence,
When men of worth speak of words devoid of sense.

If the good speak vain words their eminence and excellence will leave them.

Who makes display of idle words' inanity,
Call him not man, -chaff of humanity!

Call not him a man who parades forth his empty words. Call him the chaff of men.

Let those who list speak things that no delight afford,
'Tis good for men of worth to speak no idle word.

Let the wise if they will, speak things without excellence; it will be well for them not to speak useless things.

The wise who weigh the worth of every utterance,
Speak none but words of deep significance.

The wise who seek after rare pleasures will not speak words that have not much weight in them.

The men of vision pure, from wildering folly free,
Not e'en in thoughtless hour, speak words of vanity.

Those wise men who are without faults and are freed from ignorance will not even forgetfully speak things that profit not.

If speak you will, speak words that fruit afford,
If speak you will, speak never fruitless word.

Speak what is useful, and speak not useless words.