Patukkung 4
1 Ni tlim ah sak ih pacaekthlaekhaihnawk to ka khet moe, ka poek let bae naah; khenah, pacaekthlaekhaih tongh kaminawk loe qah o, toe pathloepkung tawn o ai; kami pacaekthlaek kaminawk loe sakthaihaih tha to tawnh o, toe pacaelthlaek ih kaminawk loe pathloepkung tawn o ai.
And again I saw all the cruel things which are done under the sun; there was the weeping of those who have evil done to them, and they had no comforter: and from the hands of the evil-doers there went out power, but they had no comforter.
2 To pongah kadueh tangcae kaminawk loe, kahing kaminawk pongah tahamhoih o kue, tiah ka thuih.
So my praise was for the dead who have gone to their death, more than for the living who still have life.
3 Ue, kaom vai ai, ni tlim ah sak ih sethaih hmuen hnu vai ai kami loe to kaminawk pongah tahamhoih kue.
Yes, happier than the dead or the living seemed he who has not ever been, who has not seen the evil which is done under the sun.
4 Kami mah a imtaeng kami to ut pongah ni, patanghaih hoiah tok a sak, tiah ka hnuk. Hae hmuen doeh azom pui ni, takhi hnuk tapom rumramhaih ah ni oh.
And I saw that the cause of all the work and of everything which is done well was man's envy of his neighbour. This again is to no purpose and a desire for wind.
5 Kamthu loe a ban to pakhuem moe, angmah ih angan to caak.
The foolish man, folding his hands, takes the flesh of his body for food.
6 Patanghaih hoiah toksak moe, ban hnetto koiah hmuen tawnh pacoengah, takhi hnukah patom rumram pongah loe, kamding rue ah toksak moe, ban tamsum maeto hmuen tawnh to hoih kue.
One hand full of rest is better than two hands full of trouble and desire for wind.
7 To pacoengah ni tlim ah kaom azom pui hmuen to ka hnuk let bae vop.
Then I came back, and I saw an example of what is to no purpose under the sun.
8 Kami maeto loe ampui tawn ai, caa sah ai moe, nawkamya doeh tawn ai, angmabueng khosak, toe toksak patanghaih to boeng thai ai; a tawnh ih hmuennawk to khet boep thai ai; kai loe kaimah hoi kaimah pacaekthlaek kami ah ni ka oh moe, kaimah ih khosak hoihaih to poek ai ah, minawk han ih maw patanghaih hoiah tha ka pathok moeng, tiah anih mah poek vai ai. Hae hmuen doeh azom pui ni, patangkhang rumramhaih ah ni oh.
It is one who is by himself, without a second, and without son or brother; but there is no end to all his work, and he has never enough of wealth. For whom, then, am I working and keeping myself from pleasure? This again is to no purpose, and a bitter work.
9 Hnetto loe maeto pongah hoih kue; nihnik mah toksak azom hoi nahaeloe, toksakhaih atho to hnu hoi hmaek tih.
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their work.
10 Maeto amtim nahaeloe ampui mah anih to pathawk tih; toe bomkung tawn ai ah angmabueng ah amtimh kami loe khosak bing!
And if one has a fall, the other will give him a hand; but unhappy is the man who is by himself, because he has no helper.
11 Kami hnetto nawnto angsong hoi nahaeloe, bae um tih! Toe angmabueng ah angsong nahaeloe, kawbangmaw bae thai tih?
So again, if two are sleeping together they are warm, but how may one be warm by himself?
12 Kalah kami mah maeto han hmaang naah nihnik loe angbomh hoi tih; aqui thumto ah zet ih qui loe apet han rai.
And two attacked by one would be safe, and three cords twisted together are not quickly broken.
13 Thuitaekhaih koeh ai siangpahrang kamthu mitong pongah loe, palungha mithoe nawkta to hoih kue.
A young man who is poor and wise is better than a king who is old and foolish and will not be guided by the wisdom of others.
14 Kami loe thongkrah cadoeh, siangpahrang ah angcoeng thaih; siangpahrang imthung ah tapen cadoeh amtang thaih.
Because out of a prison the young man comes to be king, though by birth he was only a poor man in the kingdom.
15 Ni tlim ah kahing khosah kaminawk loe, siangpahrang qawktoep han kazing, kami hnukah ni bang o boih, tiah ka poek.
I saw all the living under the sun round the young man who was to be ruler in place of the king.
16 Anih loe angmah hmaa ih kroeklaek ai kami nuiah siangpahrang ah oh, toe angzo han koi kaminawk loe siangpahrang nuiah anghoe o poe mak ai. Hae hmuen doeh azom pui ah ni oh tangtang, takhi hnukah patom ramrum baktiah ni oh.
There was no end of all the people, of all those whose head he was, but they who come later will have no delight in him. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.
