Patukkung 10
1 Kadueh taksae mah hmuihoih tui to hmuisae ah angcoengsak baktih toengah, kamthu khosakhaih mah palunghahaih hoi ahmin kahoih pakoehhaih to amrosak.
[A few] dead flies in [a bottle of] perfume cause [all] the perfume to stink. Similarly [SIM], a small amount of acting foolishly can have a greater effect than acting wisely.
2 Palungha kami ih palung loe bantang bangah oh, toe kamthu ih palung loe banqoi bangah oh.
If people think sensibly, it will lead them to do what is right; if they think foolishly, it causes them to do what is wrong.
3 Ue, kamthu loe lamcaeh naah doeh, amthuhaih to amtueng moe, angmah amthuhaih to minawk boih khaeah thuih.
Even while foolish people walk along the road, they show that they do not have good sense; they show everyone that they are not wise.
4 Ukkung mah palung ang phui thuih naah, na ohhaih ahmuen to caeh taak hmah; angdaehahih mah kalen sakpazaehaih to dipsak.
Do not quit working for a ruler when he is angry with you; if you remain calm, he will [probably] stop being angry.
5 Ukkung khae hoiah sakpazaehaih tacawt baktih toengah, ni tlim ah ka hnuk ih hmuen kasae to oh.
There is something [else] that I have seen here on this earth, something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
6 Angraeng mah ahmuen kahnaem ah anghnut naah, kamthu loe kasang ahmuen ah anghnut lat.
They appoint foolish people to have important positions, while they appoint rich [people] to have unimportant positions.
7 Angraengnawk khok hoiah amkaeh o naah, tamnanawk mah hrang nuiah angthueng o lat.
They allow slaves [to ride] on horses [like rich people usually do], [but] they force officials to walk [like slaves usually do].
8 Qumqai kami loe tangqom thungah krah tih; sipae phrae kami loe pahui mah patuk tih.
[It is possible that] those who dig pits will fall into one of those pits. [It is possible that] someone who tears down a wall will be bitten by a snake [that is in that wall].
9 Thlung takhoe kami loe nganbawh kana hak tih; thing khuek kami loe ahmaa caa tih.
If you work in a quarry, [it is possible that] a stone [will fall on you and] injure you. [It is possible that] men who split logs will be injured by one of those logs.
10 Caka to kanoe ah taak ai nahaeloe, tha ueng han angaih; toe palunghahaih mah atho ohhaih loklam to hnuksak.
If your axe is not sharp [DOU], you will need to work harder [to cut down a tree], but by being wise, you will succeed.
11 Pahui to adoi hoiah na sak cadoeh na patuk tih, lokpunghaih loe amekhaih tidoeh om ai.
If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
12 Palungha kami ih pakha thung hoiah tacawt loknawk loe tahmenhaih to oh, toe kamthu loe angmah ih pahni mah paaeh.
Wise people say [MTY] what is sensible, and because of that, people honor them; but foolish people are destroyed by what they say [MTY].
13 Anih pakha hoi tacawt tangsuek lok loe amthuhaih hoiah amtong, anih ih lokpaeh boenghaih loe kasae amthuhaih ah oh.
When foolish people start to talk, they say things that are foolish, and they end by saying things that are both wicked and foolish.
14 Kamthu loe lok pung, kami mah angzo han koi hmuen to thui thai ai; anih hmabang ah timaw om tih, tiah mi mah maw thui thai tih?
They talk (too much/without ceasing). None of us knows what will happen in the future, or what will happen after we die.
15 Vangpui thungah caehhaih loklam to panoek ai baktih toengah, kamthu toksakhaih mah kaminawk angphosak boih.
Foolish people become [so] exhausted by the work that they do that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
16 Nawkta ukkung siangpahrang ohhaih prae, khawnthaw ah buh raenghhaih poih sah angraengnawk ohhaih prae, nang loe khosak bing!
Terrible things will happen to the people of a nation whose ruler is a foolish young man, and whose [other] leaders continually eat, all day long, every day.
17 Khingya han koi kaom imthung takoh hoiah tapen siangpahrang ohhaih prae, mu kanae hmoek ai, tha oh hanah atue phak naah buh kacaa angraengnawk ohhaih prae, nang loe tahamhoih.
[But] a nation will prosper if its ruler is from a (noble/well-educated) family, and if its [other] leaders feast [only] at the proper times, and [if they eat and drink only] to be strong, not to become drunk.
18 Thasethaih mah im to hmawnsak; bantha set pongah im loe kho longh.
Some men are very lazy [and do not repair the rafters], with the result that the rafters sag [and collapse]; and if they do not repair the roof, water will leak into the house [when it rains].
19 Pahnuih hanah ni poih to sak, mu mah kami poeknawmsak; toe phoisa mah hmuenmae to qan thaih boih.
Eating food and drinking wine causes us to laugh and be happy, [but] we are able to enjoy those things only if we have money [to buy them].
20 Siangpahrang to palung thung hoiah doeh pasoih hmah; angraengnawk doeh na iihhaih ahmuen hoiah pasoih hmah; van ih tavaa mah na lok to sin ueloe, pakhraeh kaom tavaa mah thui pae moeng tih.
Do not even think about cursing the king, or cursing rich [people, even] when you are [alone] in your bedroom, because [it is possible that] a little bird will hear [what you are saying], [and] tell those people what you said [about them].
