Phungdeikung 1
1 Devit capa, phungdeikung Jerusalem siangpahrang ni a dei e lawk teh,
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Ahrawnghrang doeh, ahrawnghrang doeh. Bangpueng hai ahrawnghrang doeh.
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
3 Kanî rahim vah tami ni a tawksak e pueng bang hawinae maw kaawm.
What profit hath man of all his labor wherein he laboreth under the sun?
4 Se buet touh aloum teh se alouke bout a tâco. Hatei, talai teh a kangning.
One generation goeth, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth for ever.
5 Kanî a tâco teh bout a khup. Hatei, a tâconae koehoi bout bout a tâco.
The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.
6 Kahlî haiyah a kâheinae koe lah bout bout a kâhei.
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its course, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
7 Tuipuinaw a lawng teh talîpui dawk koung a kâcu eiteh kawi hoeh. Talîpui teh a lawngnae koelah bout bout a ban.
All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.
8 Bangpueng hai tami ni dei thai hoeh totouh patangnae a kâhmo. Mit ni a khet eiteh hmawt thai hoeh. Hnâ ni a thai eiteh boum thai hoeh.
All things are full of weariness; man cannot utter [it]: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 Hno kaawm tangcoung e hai bout kaawm hane hoi a kâvan. Atu sak e hai bout sak hane hoi a kâvan. Kanî rahim vah hno katha awm hoeh.
That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Khenhaw! hno katha buet tabang ao maw awm hoeh, ayan vah yo kaawm tangcoung e doeh.
Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been long ago, in the ages which were before us.
11 Ayan kaawm boi e hnonaw ouk pahnim thai awh. Ka tho hane naw hai ka tho hane naw ni bout a pahnim awh han.
There is no remembrance of the former [generations]; neither shall there be any remembrance of the latter [generations] that are to come, among those that shall come after.
12 Kai, phungdeikung, Jerusalem khopui dawk Isarel siangpahrang lah ka o nah,
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 Kanî rahim vah sakyoe e pueng thoumthainae lahoi pakhingpalang lungthin ka tawng. Cathut ni taminaw koe khoram sak nahanelah a patangpalai sak.
And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven: it is a sore travail that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
14 Kanî rahim e hnosak e pueng ka hmu toe. Bangpueng ahrawnghrang doeh. Kahlî ka man e hoi doeh a kâvan.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
15 Ka longkawi e teh palan thai hoeh. Kamko e hno teh touk mahoeh.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
16 Kama hoi kama ka kâdei e teh, kai teh Jerusalem kauknaw pueng hlakvah ka talue, ka lung a ang, ka lungthin ni lungangnae hah alawkpui lah a kamtu.
I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
17 Lungangnae hoi pathunae, polainae pakhingpalang ka tawn. Hot naw haiyah, kahlî man e patetlah doeh ao.
And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.
18 Lungangnae apap nah, lungreithainae a pap. Thoumthainae apapnae koe lungmathoenae hoe a pap.
For in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
