Thuituen 10
1 Dueknah pilyang loh thungnom situi thaa te a rhim sak bangla vel lunghmangnah vik te cueihnah lakah khaw, thangpomnah lakah khaw nul.
[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 Aka cueih kah lungbuei tah a bantang la mael tih aka ang kah lungbuei tah a banvoei la mael.
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 Longpuei ah pataeng lunghmang tah lunghmang bangla a lungbuei a talh hil pongpa tih a lunghmang te a cungkuem taengah a thui.
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 Aka taemrhai kah mueihla loh nang taengah pai mai cakhaw na hmuen phawt boeh. Hoeihnah long ni tholhnah a len khaw a duem sak.
Do not quit working for a ruler when he is angry with you; if you remain calm, he will [probably] stop being angry.
5 Boei mikhmuh lamloh tohtamaeh la aka thoeng ka hmuh te khomik hmuiah a thae la om.
There is something [else] that I have seen here on this earth, something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
6 Pavai te hmuensang la muep a khueh vaengah hlanglen tah mathoe la kho a sak.
They appoint foolish people to have important positions, while they appoint rich [people] to have unimportant positions.
7 Marhang dongkah sal rhoek ka hmuh vaengah mangpa rhoek tah diklai ah sal bangla pongpa uh.
They allow slaves [to ride] on horses [like rich people usually do], [but] they force officials to walk [like slaves usually do].
8 Rhom aka too khaw a khuila cungku tih vongtung aka phae khaw rhul loh amah a tuk.
[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 Lungto aka puen khaw amah ah a kothae tih thing aka phaek khaw te nen te tohngah saeh.
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 Thi te duu tih a ha te a haat pawt atah thadueng khaw vak. Tedae rhoeikhangnah tah cueihnah long ni a khui sak.
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 Calthai a om pawt ah rhul loh a tuk atah cal kung ham rhoeikhangnah moenih.
If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
12 Hlang cueih ka dongkah ol tah mikdaithen om tih aka ang kah hmuilai long tah amah a dolh.
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 A ka dongkah ol tongnah te lunghmangnah la om tih a ka dongkah ol bawtnah khaw boethae angvawknah la om.
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 Lunghmang tah ol pung tih metla a om khaw hlang loh ming pawh. A hnuk ah metla a om ham khaw a taengah ulong a thui pah voel?
They talk (too much/without ceasing). None of us knows what will happen in the future, or what will happen after we die.
15 Hlang ang kah thakthaenah loh amah a kohnue sak tih khopuei la caeh ham khaw ming pawh.
Foolish people become [so] exhausted by the work that they do that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
16 Na manghai khaw camoe tih na mangpa rhoek loh mincang ah nah a caak uh te, khohmuen nang ngawn tah khomap.
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 Na manghai te hlangcoelh capa van tih, na mangpa rhoek long khaw rhuihahnah ham pawt tih thayung thamal hamla a tue vaengah aka ca khohmuen nang tah na yoethen.
[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 Ngaknah lamloh tul pae hmawn tih kut poemnah lamloh im cae.
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 Nueihbu ham buh a khueh tih misurtui loh hingnah ko a hoe sak. Tedae tangka loh a cungkuem te a doo.
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 Na cangnah nen khaw manghai te tap boeh. Imkhui kah na thingkong dongah khaw hlanglen te tap boeh. Vaan kah vaa loh ol te khuen vetih ol te a phae loh a kungmah taengah thui ve.
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].
