Patukkung 1
1 Jerusalem ih siangpahrang, David capa, Patukkung ih loknawk loe hae tiah oh.
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Azom pui ni! Azom pui ni! tiah Patukkung mah thuih; azom pui ni! Hmuen boih hae azom pui ah ni oh.
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity.
3 Kami mah ni tlim ah angpho qawt hoi toksakhaih atho timaw oh?
What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?
4 Adung maeto laemh naah, adung kalah maeto angzoh; toe long loe dungzan khoek to cak poe.
[One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh, but the earth standeth for ever.
5 Ni doeh tacawt tahang moe, akun tathuk, angmah tacawthaih ahmuen hoiah ni tacawt let.
The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.
6 Takhi loe aloih bangah song tathuk moe, aluek bangah amlaem tahang; ahnuk ahma amhae moe, a songhaih ahmuen ah amlaem let.
The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about towards the north: it turneth about continually, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
7 Vapuinawk boih loe tuipui ah long o tathuk; toe tuipui loe koi ai toengtoeng vop, vapuinawk loe angmacae long tangsuekhaih ahmuen ah amlaem o let.
All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.
8 Hmuen boih loe kami mah thui thaih han ai khoek to, angpho haih koiah ni oh o; mik mah a hnukhaih to boep thai ai, naa doeh a thaihaih hoiah koi thai ai.
All things are full of toil; none can express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 Kaom han koi hmuen loe, kaom tangcae hmuen baktiah ni om tih; sak han kaom hmuen doeh, sak tangcae hmuen baktih ni sah let tih; ni tlim ah hmuen kangtha tidoeh om ai.
That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Khenah, Hae loe hmuen kangtha ah oh, tiah thuih han koi hmuen oh maw? To baktih hmuen loe canghnii hoiah ni oh boeh.
Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already in the ages which were before us.
11 Canghnii ih hmuennawk to mi mah doeh panoek ai boeh; angzo han koi kaminawk mah doeh, angzo han koi hmuennawk to panoek o mak ai.
There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards.
12 Kai, Patukkung loe Jerusalem Israel siangpahrang ah ka oh.
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 Ni tlim ah sak ih hmuennawk boih to palunghahaih hoiah ka pakrong moe, panoek thai hanah tha ka pathok; Sithaw mah to hmuenzit to kaminawk hanah pahoe pae boeh.
And I applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith.
14 Ni tlim ah sak ih hmuennawk to ka hnuk boih; khenah, hmuen boih loe azom pui ni, poek angpho han ih ni oh o.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
15 Angkawn pacoeng boeh loe patoengh thai ai boeh; angaihaih doeh kroek thai ai boeh.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
16 Khenah, kai loe, ka om ai nathuem ih Israel ukkungnawk pongah, ka len kue moe, palunghahaih bangah doeh ka sang kue; ue, palunghahaih hoi panoekhaih to pop kue ah ka tawnh, tiah ka poek.
I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of wisdom and knowledge.
17 Palunghahaih bang, amthuhaih bang hoi poek cai ai ah ohhaih bangah doeh, ka panoek thai hanah palungthin to ka paek; hae hmuen doeh takhi hnuk patom baktiah ni oh toengtoeng.
And I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind.
18 Palunghahaih pop baktiah, palungsethaih doeh pop; panoekhaih pop kami loe, palungsethaih doeh pop aep.
For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
