Patukkung 6
1 Kaminawk khaeah hmuenzit ah kaom sethaih, ni tlim ah ka hnuk let bae vop:
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it [is] common among men:
2 koehhaih akoep hanah, Sithaw mah kami khaeah angraenghaih, hmuenmae tawnhhaih hoi pakoehhaih to paek; toe hmuenmae nuiah kanawm acaeng hanah paek ai pongah, minawk kalah mah kanawm acaeng haih lat; hae doeh azom pui ni, nathaih kasae ah ni oh.
A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this [is] vanity, and it [is] an evil disease.
3 Kami maet loe caa cumvaito tawnh moe, saning sawk parai ah hing cadoeh, hing thung koehhaih akoep ai, duek naah doeh kahoih ah aphum ai nahaeloe, anih pongah loe zok thungah kamro nawkta to hoih kue.
If a man beget an hundred [children], and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also [that] he have no burial; I say, [that] an untimely birth [is] better than he.
4 Zok thungah kamro nawkta loe azom pui ah tacawt moe, vinghaih thungah caeh, anih ih ahmin loe vinghaih mah ayaw khoep tih boeh.
For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.
5 Anih loe ni to hnu vai ai, tidoeh panoek ai; toe anih loe minawk kalah pongah pop kue anghakhaih to hnuk.
Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known [any thing: ] this hath more rest than the other.
6 Ue, anih loe saning sang hnetto hing langlacadoeh, a tawnh ih hmuen nuiah nawmhaih tawn ai; kaminawk loe ahmuen maeto ah na ai maw caeh o boih?
Yea, though he live a thousand years twice [told], yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?
7 Kami mah tha pathok moe, sak ih tok boih loe pakha han ih ni sak, toe caak koehhaih loe boeng thai ai.
All the labour of man [is] for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
8 Palungha mah kamthu pong kamtlai ah amekhaih timaw tawnh? Kahing kaminawk hmaa ah kawbangmaw khosak nahaeloe hoi tih, tiah panoek kamtang loe amekhaih timaw tawnh?
For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?
9 Palung koehhaih bangah amkaeh khing pongah loe, mik hoi hnuk ih hmuen to hoih kue; hae doeh azom pui ni, takhi hnukah patom rumram baktiah ni oh.
Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this [is] also vanity and vexation of spirit.
10 Vaihiah kaom hmuen loe canghni ah a poek ih hmuen to ni; kami loe angmah pongah thacak kue kami hoiah angnoek thai ai, hae loe kami khosakhaih dan boeh ni, tiah amtueng boeh.
That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it [is] man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.
11 Pop hmoek ah lok apaeh naah, avang ai lok to pop aep, to baktih lok mah kami han tih amekhaih maw ohsak?
Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what [is] man the better?
12 Tahlip baktiah kalaem thaih, avanghaih om ai hing thungah, kami han atho om hmuen mi maw panoek thaih? Kami duek pacoengah loe ni tlim ah timaw om tih, tiah mi mah maw thui thai tih?
For who knoweth what [is] good for man in [this] life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
