Patukkung 6
1 Kaminawk khaeah hmuenzit ah kaom sethaih, ni tlim ah ka hnuk let bae vop:
There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it [is] great on man:
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 giveth wealth, and riches, and honour, and there is no lack to his soul of all that he desireth, and God giveth him not power to eat of it, 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 doth beget a hundred, and live many years, and is great, because they are the days of his years, and his soul is not satisfied from the goodness, and also he hath not had a grave, I have said, 'Better than he [is] the untimely birth.'
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 in vanity he came in, and in darkness he goeth, and in darkness his name is covered,
5 Anih loe ni to hnu vai ai, tidoeh panoek ai; toe anih loe minawk kalah pongah pop kue anghakhaih to hnuk.
Even the sun he hath not seen nor known, more rest hath this than that.
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?
And though he had lived a thousand years twice over, yet good he hath not seen; to the same place doth not every one go?
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 soul 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 [is] to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who 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 going of the soul. This also [is] 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.
What [is] that which hath been? already is its name called, and it is known that it [is] man, and he is not able to contend with him who is stronger 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 things multiplying vanity; what advantage [is] to 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 knoweth what [is] good for a man in life, the number of the days of the life of his vanity, and he maketh them as a shadow? for who declareth to man what is after him under the sun?
