Thuhilpa 10
1 Gimnamtui bom chu thoulhe thisa ho uijin anamset sah jeng theijin, chuto bangma chun kingolsahna mai maijin chihna le jabolna sangtah chu mohseh asosah theije.
[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 Miching theijin lamdih akilhen in, angol in adihlou chu aki lhen’e.
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 Nangman mingol ho chu lamsuh akijot nauva nahetdoh jeng thei ahi.
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 Na vaihompa chu na chunga alunglhai louva ahileh mohthip san hih in! Thipkhen cha kitohpa chun asuhkhel lentah jong asem hoi thei ahi.
Do not quit working for a ruler when he is angry with you; if you remain calm, he will [probably] stop being angry.
5 Keiman nipi noija aphalou chombeh khat ka mudoh in ahi. Lengho le vaihom hon suhkhelna hoise tah aboldoh jiuve.
There is something [else] that I have seen here on this earth, something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
6 Amahon mingol ho thuneina len apeh doh’uva chule athunei dinga kilom tah ho asuhnem jiuhi ahi.
They appoint foolish people to have important positions, while they appoint rich [people] to have unimportant positions.
7 Keiman soh ho jeng jong chu sakol chunga leng chapate tobanga atoudoh’u, chule leng chapate ho chu sohho tobanga lam ajotnu kamu tai.
They allow slaves [to ride] on horses [like rich people usually do], [but] they force officials to walk [like slaves usually do].
8 Twikul nalai tengleh na lhahlut thei ahi. Chule banglui chu nang in naphetlhah teng leh gul-in jong na chuh thei ahi.
[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 Song ima laiya nakon tengleh, song hungchima nalhuh khum thei ahi. Nang in thing natan tengleh, na heiga chun thing phata atan thei lou ding ahi.
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 Heicha hemlou mang mi chun tha tamtah asuhmang ding ahi, hijeh chun na hei chang kinol phat in. Hiche hi chihna amanlutna ahin, na lolhin sah ding ahi.
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 Gul chu na kingai sah kah’a na hin chuh man tahleh ipi phatsah’a gulchu na kingai sah ki got ham?
If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
12 Chih thusei ho pachat achanguve, hinlah ngolna thuseiho athusei-uva akipal jiuve.
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 Mingol ho lunggel chu ngolhoi thua akipanin, hiti chun athungah lhahnau jong chu gitlouna tah ngolna hung hiding ahi.
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 Mingol hon thu aseibe beuvin, khonunga ipi hunglhung ding ahi koiman ahepon, asei chenthei pouvin ahi.
They talk (too much/without ceasing). None of us knows what will happen in the future, or what will happen after we die.
15 Mingol hon neocha atoh nauva chun athangui pai uvin, in iti hunglhun ding ham tijong akihetji pouve.
Foolish people become [so] exhausted by the work that they do that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
16 Gamsunga vaihom hon jingpia golvah abolluva, gamsung vaihomma pang soh chu lunghem umtah ahi.
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 Lenga pang milunglen lamkai nei gamsung chule aphatcha golvahbol vaipi popa chu pachat umtah ahi.
[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 Mithase inchung chu govatna theijin anem lha suh jin, thaset jeh’a inchung vangchet chut jia ahi.
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 Golnop bol hin nuipohlahna asodohjin, lengpitwi jin kipana apei, chule sum in ijakai achojin ahi.
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 Lengpa chu imacha louvin gel-hihbeh in, chule athuneipa chu nalupna jenga jong nuisat hih in. Ajeh chu vacha neocha chun nathusei chu agalhutna naseiho chu aseipeh ding ahi.
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].
