Cingthuilawk 26
1 Kawmpoi e tadamtui hoi canganae kho patetlah, tamipathu hoi barinae kamcu hoeh.
Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.
2 Kamleng rumram e pusu hoi pingpit patetlah, a khuekhaw awm laipalah thoebo e teh api koehai bawt mahoeh.
As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.
3 Marang hanelah ruibongpai, la hanelah kammoumrui, tamipathu e keng hanelah bongpai teh a kamcu doeh.
A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.
4 Tamipathu teh a pathunae patetlah pato hanh, hoehpawiteh ama patetlah na awm payon vaih.
Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.
5 Tamipathu teh a pathunae patetlah pato, hoehpawiteh a lungkaang lah kâpouk payon vaih.
Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.
6 Tamipathu koe lawk ka thui e tami teh amae khok ka tâtueng ni teh rawknae tui ka net e lah ao.
He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.
7 Khokkhem e khoktakan a kânging hoeh e patetlah, tamipathu e pahni dawk cingthuilawk teh ao.
The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.
8 Tamipathu bari e teh tâyaicung dawk hluemhluem kawm e patetlah doeh ao.
Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.
9 Tamipathunaw ni dei e cingthuilawk teh yamuhri kut dawk ka um e pâkhing hoi a kâvan.
Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.
10 Bangpuengpa kasakkung lentoe Cathut ni tamipathu hoi kâtapoe kung aphu a poe.
Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.
11 Ui ni a palo bout a ca e patetlah tamipathu ni a pathunae hah a kamnue sak.
Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.
12 Ama pouknae dawk tamilungkaang lah ka kâpouk e na hmu ou. Hote tami koehoi hlak teh tamipathu koehoi ngaihawinae bet aohnawn.
Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.
13 Tami pangak ni, lam dawk sendek ao, thongma vah sendek ao telah a ti.
The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
14 Tho teh takhang dawk a kâhei e patetlah tami pangak teh ikhun dawk a kâhei.
A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.
15 Tami pangak ni rawca a kâyap teh a kâtu hane boehai ngai hoeh.
The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.
16 Ka pangak e ni, kahawicalah khopouk thai e tami sari touh hlak ka lunganghnawn telah a kâpouk.
The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.
17 Yuengyoe cei lahoi ayânaw e kong dawk ka bawk e tami teh ui hnâ ka kuen e hoi a kâvan.
He who gets mixed up in a fight which is not his business, is like one who takes a dog by the ears while it is going by.
18 Na pacai e doeh na a tihoi, a imri ka dum e tami teh,
As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,
19 hmaito, pala, duenae hoi ka ka e tamipathu hoi a kâvan.
So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?
20 Thing awm hoehpawiteh hmai a roum e patetlah, tamcueklawk deinae awm hoehpawiteh kâyuenae hai a roum.
Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.
21 Hmaisaan ni hmaisaei a kamtawi sak, thing ni hmai a kak sak e patetlah, kâoun ka ngai e ni kâyuenae a kamtawi sak.
Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.
22 Tamcueklawk teh katuipounge rawca patetlah ao teh, von thung a kâen.
The words of one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, they go down into the inner parts of the stomach.
23 Apâhni pâhnan hoi lungthinkathout e tami teh, talai hlaam ngun hoi pâbing e hoi a kâvan.
Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.
24 Tami hmuhmanae ka tawn e tami ni a pahni hoi a hro teh, a lung thung dumyennae hah a hro.
With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;
25 Pahren lahoi, ati ei nakunghai yuem hanh, bangkongtetpawiteh a lungthung vah panuettho e sari touh ao.
When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:
26 A hmuhmanae hah dumnae lahoi ka hrawk nakunghai, thoenae teh tamimaya ni panuenae koe kamnue sak lah ao han.
Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.
27 Tangkom kataikung teh a tai e tangkom dawk a bo han, talung kapaletkung koe talung bout a kamlei han.
He who makes a hole in the earth will himself go falling into it: and on him by whom a stone is rolled the stone will come back again.
28 Laithoe ka dei e ni a rektap e naw hah ouk a hmuhma, oupnae kaphawk ni rawknae a tâcokhai.
A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.
