1.1“Cirarattaṁ vatātāpī,For a long time, sadly,1.2dhammaṁ anuvicintayaṁ;though I keenly contemplated the teaching,1.3Samaṁ cittassa nālatthaṁ,I gained no peace of mind.1.4pucchaṁ samaṇabrāhmaṇe.So I asked this of ascetics and brahmins:

2.1‘Ko so pāraṅgato loke,“Who in the world have crossed over?2.2ko patto amatogadhaṁ;Whose attainment has freedom from death <j>as its objective?2.3Kassa dhammaṁ paṭicchāmi,Whose teaching do I accept2.4paramatthavijānanaṁ’.to understand the ultimate goal?

3.1Antovaṅkagato āsi,I was hooked inside,3.2macchova ghasamāmisaṁ;like a fish gulping bait;3.3Baddho mahindapāsena,bound like the titan Vepaciti3.4vepacityasuro yathā.in Mahinda’s trap.¹

4.1Añchāmi naṁ na muñcāmi,Dragging it along, I’m not free4.2asmā sokapariddavā;from grief and lamentation.4.3Ko me bandhaṁ muñcaṁ loke,Who will free me from bonds in the world,4.4sambodhiṁ vedayissati.so that I may know awakening?

5.1Samaṇaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ vā kaṁ,What ascetic or brahmin5.2ādisantaṁ pabhaṅgunaṁ;points out what is frail?5.3Kassa dhammaṁ paṭicchāmi,Whose teaching do I accept5.4jarāmaccupavāhanaṁ.to rinse off old age and death?

6.1Vicikicchākaṅkhāganthitaṁ,Tied up with uncertainty and doubt,6.2sārambhabalasaññutaṁ;secured by the power of aggression,6.3Kodhappattamanatthaddhaṁ,stiff as a mind beset by anger;6.4abhijappappadāraṇaṁ.the arrow of covetousness,

7.1Taṇhādhanusamuṭṭhānaṁ,propelled by the bow of craving,7.2dve ca pannarasāyutaṁ;is stuck in my twice-fifteen ribcage—²7.3Passa orasikaṁ bāḷhaṁ,see how it stands in my breast,7.4bhetvāna yadi tiṭṭhati.breaking my strong heart.

8.1Anudiṭṭhīnaṁ appahānaṁ,Theories are not abandoned,8.2saṅkappaparatejitaṁ;they are sharpened by memories and intentions;³8.3Tena viddho pavedhāmi,and pierced by this I tremble,8.4pattaṁva māluteritaṁ.like a leaf blowing in the gale.

9.1Ajjhattaṁ me samuṭṭhāya,Having arisen within,9.2khippaṁ paccati māmakaṁ;what belongs to me burns quickly,9.3Chaphassāyatanī kāyo,in that place where the body always heads9.4yattha sarati sabbadā.with its six sense-fields of contact.

10.1Taṁ na passāmi tekicchaṁ,I don’t see a healer10.2yo metaṁ sallamuddhare;who can pull out my dart of doubt10.3Nānārajjena satthena,without a lance10.4nāññena vicikicchitaṁ.or some other blade.

11.1Ko me asattho avaṇo,Without knife or wound,11.2Sallamabbhantarapassayaṁ;who will pull out this dart11.3Ahiṁsaṁ sabbagattāni,that’s stuck inside me,11.4Sallaṁ me uddharissati.without harming any part of my body?

12.1Dhammappati hi so seṭṭho,He really would be the Lord of the Dhamma,12.2visadosappavāhako;the best one to cure the damage of poison;12.3Gambhīre patitassa me,when I have fallen into deep waters,12.4thalaṁ pāṇiñca dassaye.he would show me his hand and the shore.

13.1Rahadehamasmi ogāḷho,I’ve plunged into a lake,13.2ahāriyarajamattike;and I can’t wash off the mud and dirt.13.3Māyāusūyasārambha,It’s full of deceit, jealousy, aggression,13.4thinamiddhamapatthaṭe.and dullness and drowsiness.

14.1Uddhaccameghathanitaṁ,Like a thundering cloud of restlessness,14.2saṁyojanavalāhakaṁ;like a stormcloud of fetters;14.3Vāhā vahanti kuddiṭṭhiṁ,lustful thoughts are winds14.4saṅkappā rāganissitā.that sweep off a person with bad views.

15.1Savanti sabbadhi sotā,The streams flow everywhere;15.2latā ubbhijja tiṭṭhati;a weed springs up and remains.15.3Te sote ko nivāreyya,Who will block the streams?15.4taṁ lataṁ ko hi checchati.Who will cut the weed?”

16.1Velaṁ karotha bhaddante,“Venerable sir, build a dam16.2sotānaṁ sannivāraṇaṁ;to block the streams.16.3Mā te manomayo soto,Don’t let your mind-made streams16.4rukkhaṁva sahasā luve.cut you down suddenly like a tree.”

17.1Evaṁ me bhayajātassa,That is how, when I was full of fear,17.2apārā pāramesato;seeking the far shore from the near,17.3Tāṇo paññāvudho satthā,my shelter was the Teacher whose weapon is wisdom,17.4isisaṅghanisevito.frequented by the Saṅgha of seers.

18.1Sopāṇaṁ sugataṁ suddhaṁ,As I was being swept away,18.2dhammasāramayaṁ daḷhaṁ;he gave me a strong, simple ladder,18.3Pādāsi vuyhamānassa,made of the heartwood of Dhamma,18.4‘mā bhāyī’ti ca mabravi.and he said to me: “Do not fear.”

19.1Satipaṭṭhānapāsādaṁ,I climbed the tower of mindfulness meditation,19.2āruyha paccavekkhisaṁ;and checked back down19.3Yaṁ taṁ pubbe amaññissaṁ,at people delighting in substantial reality,19.4sakkāyābhirataṁ pajaṁ.as I had obsessed over in the past.

20.1Yadā ca maggamaddakkhiṁ,When I saw the path,20.2nāvāya abhirūhanaṁ;as I was embarking on the ship,20.3Anadhiṭṭhāya attānaṁ,without fixating on the self,20.4titthamaddakkhimuttamaṁ.I saw the supreme landing-place.

21.1Sallaṁ attasamuṭṭhānaṁ,The dart that arises in oneself,21.2bhavanettippabhāvitaṁ;and that which stems from the leash to existence:21.3Etesaṁ appavattāya,he taught the supreme path21.4desesi maggamuttamaṁ.for the canceling of these.

22.1Dīgharattānusayitaṁ,For a long time it had lain within me;22.2cirarattamadhiṭṭhitaṁ;for a long time it was fixed in me:22.3Buddho mepānudī ganthaṁ,the Buddha cast aside the knot,22.4visadosappavāhano”ti.curing the damage of poison.

22.5… Telakāni thero ….