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 heavy on 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 gives riches, wealth, and honour, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him no power to eat of it, but an alien eats 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 fathers a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child 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 it comes in vanity, and departs in darkness, and its name is 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 it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather 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?
Yes, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet fails to enjoy good, don’t 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 advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how 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 also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
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.
Whatever has been, its name was given long ago; and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who 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?
For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?
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 knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?
