Patukkung 11
1 Tui nuiah takaw to va ah, ni akra parai pacoengah na hnu let tih.
Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.
2 Kami sarihto khae khue ah na ai, tazetto hanah doeh paek ah; long nuiah kawbaktih sethaih maw pha tih, tiah na panoek ai.
Divide your portion among seven, or even eight, for you do not know what disaster may befall the land.
3 Tamai loe khotui hoiah koi naah ni, long ah kho angzoh; thing loe aluek bangah maw, to tih ai boeh loe aloih bangah maw, amtim cadoeh, amtimhaih ahmuen ah ni oh.
If the clouds are full, they will pour out rain upon the earth; whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie.
4 Takhi khen kami loe patii mak ai, tamai khen kami doeh aat mak ai.
He who watches the wind will fail to sow, and he who observes the clouds will fail to reap.
5 Takhi caehhaih loklam to na panoek ai, amno zokthung ah nawkta ih ahuh kawbangmaw qoeng tahang, tito na panoek ai; to baktih toengah hmuen boih Sahkung Sithaw toksakhaih to na panoek ai.
As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones are formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.
6 Khawnthaw ah cangtii tuh ah, duembang ah doeh na ban to pakhuem duem hmah; kawbaktih maw atho om tih, kawbaktih maw atho om mak ai, to tih ai boeh loe atho om hoi hmaek tih maw, tito na panoek ai.
Sow your seed in the morning, and do not rest your hands in the evening, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or if both will equally prosper.
7 Tangtang ni ni aengh loe luep, ni aengh hnuk naah mik hanah anghoehaih to oh.
Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.
8 Kami loe saning sawk ah hing moe, hmuen boih ah anghoehaih tawn cadoeh, vinghaih aninawk to poek nasoe; to aninawk loe sawk parai tih. Angzo han koi hmuennawk boih loe azom pui ni.
So if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is futile.
9 Aw thendoeng, tha oh nathuem ah anghoe ah; tha oh thuem naah na palung to anghoe nasoe, na palung mah koeh ih loklam baktih, na mik mah hnuk ih loklam baktiah caeh ah; toe hae hmuennawk boih pongah Sithaw mah lok na caek tih, tito panoek ah.
Rejoice, O young man, while you are young, and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment.
10 To pongah palung na sethaih to takhoe ah loe, na takpum pong ih sethaih to va ah; saning nawkhaih hoi qoeng thuemhaih doeh azom pui ah ni oh.
So banish sorrow from your heart, and cast off pain from your body, for youth and vigor are fleeting.
