Phungdeikung 10
1 Kâhluk e hmuitui hah bitsei ro ni a hmuikawk sak e patetlah, pathunae titca e ni a lungkaang e hoi bari kaawm e tami hah hot boiboe lah ao sak.
[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 Tami lungkaang e a lungthin teh amae aranglae kut dawk ao. Tamipathu e a lungthin teh avoilae kut dawk ao.
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 Tamipathu teh lam a cei lahun nah pouknae a tawn hoeh dawkvah, kai teh tamipathu doeh telah tami pueng koe ouk a dei.
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 Bawi buet touh ni nang koe a lungphuen pawiteh, nama e hmuen cettakhai hanh. Panguepnae ni yon kalen e hai ouk a roum 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 Bawi ni a payon e kecu dawk kanî rahim vah hnokahawi hoeh ka hmu e teh,
There is something [else] that I have seen here on this earth, something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
6 kapathunaw ni a rasangnae koe, ka tangrengnaw ni a rahnoumnae koe a tahung awh e,
They appoint foolish people to have important positions, while they appoint rich [people] to have unimportant positions.
7 sannaw ni marang a kâcui awh teh, bawinaw ni sannaw patetlah khok hoi a cei awh e hah ka hmu.
They allow slaves [to ride] on horses [like rich people usually do], [but] they force officials to walk [like slaves usually do].
8 Tangkom ka tai e tami teh hote tangkom dawk a bo han. Takha ka raphoe e tami teh tahrun ni a khue han.
[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 Talungnaw ka takhoe e tami teh ama a ratet han, thing ka tâtueng tami haiyah hmâtanca hoi ao han.
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 Cakâ a hâ a kim nah na kata hoeh pawiteh, tha hoe patung han. Thoumthainae ni tânae hoi yawhawinae a coe 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 Ân hoehnahlan tahrun ni tami khuek pawiteh, Taânkasinnaw teh banghai hawinae awm hoeh.
If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
12 Tami lungkaang e lawk teh a radip. Hatei, tamipathu e pahni teh amahoima a kâpayawp thai.
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 Lawkdei a kamtawng nah pathunae lah a o, apoutnae koe lah teh ka mathout poung e pathunae lah ao.
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 Tamipathu teh lawk apap. Hateiteh, kaawm hane hno tami ni dei thai awh hoeh. Ahnie a hnuklah bangtelamaw a tho han tie apimaw ka dei thai.
They talk (too much/without ceasing). None of us knows what will happen in the future, or what will happen after we die.
15 Tamipathunaw teh khothung a cei awh han e lamthung pateng a panue awh hoeh dawkvah, ahnimae kâyawmnae teh ayâ patang sak.
Foolish people become [so] exhausted by the work that they do that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
16 Camo rae siangpahrang ni a uknaeram teh, Ukkungnaw ni amom patenghai a ngai patetlah a canei dawkvah yawthoenae lah ao.
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 ram dawk e siangpahrang teh ka talue e a miphun lah ao dawkvah, ukkungnaw ni yamuhrinae laipalah thao nahanelah atueng khoe e dawk catnet pawiteh yawhawinae lah o.
[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 Ekvoi pangak dawkvah lemphu a hmawn thai kut hoi pathoup hoehpawiteh kho a yu thai.
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 Nawm nahanelah pawi ouk to awh. Misur ni hai na nawm sak thai. Tangka ni bangpueng a sak thai.
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 lungthin hoi siangpahrang hah thoebo hanh. Na inae hmuen koehai kacue e hah thoebo hanh. Kalvan kamleng e tava ni hote lawk hah a kamlengkhai han. A kamleng lahun nah hote tava ni hote kong hah a pathang han.
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].
