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 a man by all his labor with which he wearieth himself under the sun?
4 Se buet touh aloum teh se alouke bout a tâco. Hatei, talai teh a kangning.
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; while the earth abideth for ever.
5 Kanî a tâco teh bout a khup. Hatei, a tâconae koehoi bout bout a tâco.
The sun riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteneth to the place whence it arose.
6 Kahlî haiyah a kâheinae koe lah bout bout a kâhei.
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about to the north; round and round goeth the wind, and returneth 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; to the place whence the rivers come, thither they return.
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 words become weary; man cannot express 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.
The thing that 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 any thing of which one may say, “Behold, this is new”? It was long ago, in the times 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 former things, and of things that are to come there shall be no remembrance to those who live afterwards.
12 Kai, phungdeikung, Jerusalem khopui dawk Isarel siangpahrang lah ka o nah,
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel at 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 gave my mind to seek and to search out with wisdom concerning all things which are done under heaven; an evil business, which God hath given to the sons of men, in which to employ themselves.
14 Kanî rahim e hnosak e pueng ka hmu toe. Bangpueng ahrawnghrang doeh. Kahlî ka man e hoi doeh a kâvan.
I saw all the things which are done under the sun; and, behold, it was all vanity, and 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 my heart, saying, “Behold, I have gained more and greater wisdom than all who have been before me at Jerusalem; yea, my mind hath seen much wisdom and knowledge.”
17 Lungangnae hoi pathunae, polainae pakhingpalang ka tawn. Hot naw haiyah, kahlî man e patetlah doeh ao.
And I gave my mind to know wisdom, and to know senselessness and folly; I perceived that this also is striving after wind.
18 Lungangnae apap nah, lungreithainae a pap. Thoumthainae apapnae koe lungmathoenae hoe a pap.
For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
