1.1“Passa cittakataṁ bimbaṁ,“See this fancy puppet,1.2arukāyaṁ samussitaṁ;a body built of sores,1.3Āturaṁ bahusaṅkappaṁ,diseased, obsessed over,1.4yassa natthi dhuvaṁ ṭhiti.in which nothing lasts at all.

2.1Passa cittakataṁ rūpaṁ,See this fancy figure,2.2maṇinā kuṇḍalena ca;with its gems and earrings;2.3Aṭṭhiṁ tacena onaddhaṁ,it is bones swathed in skin,2.4saha vatthehi sobhati.made pretty by its clothes.

3.1Alattakakatā pādā,Rouged feet3.2mukhaṁ cuṇṇakamakkhitaṁ;and powdered face3.3Alaṁ bālassa mohāya,may be enough to beguile a fool,3.4no ca pāragavesino.but not a seeker of the far shore.

4.1Aṭṭhapadakatā kesā,Hair in eight braids4.2nettā añjanamakkhitā;and eyeshadow4.3Alaṁ bālassa mohāya,may be enough to beguile a fool,4.4no ca pāragavesino.but not a seeker of the far shore.

5.1Añjanīva navā cittā,A rotting body all adorned5.2pūtikāyo alaṅkato;like a freshly painted makeup box5.3Alaṁ bālassa mohāya,may be enough to beguile a fool,5.4no ca pāragavesino.but not a seeker of the far shore.

6.1Odahi migavo pāsaṁ,The hunter laid his snare,6.2nāsadā vāguraṁ migo;but the deer didn’t spring the trap.6.3Bhutvā nivāpaṁ gacchāma,I’ve eaten the bait and now I go,6.4kandante migabandhake.leaving the trapper to lament.

7.1Chinno pāso migavassa,The hunter’s snare is broken,7.2nāsadā vāguraṁ migo;but the deer didn’t spring the trap.7.3Bhutvā nivāpaṁ gacchāma,I’ve eaten the bait and now I go,7.4socante migaluddake.leaving the deer-hunter to grieve.”

8.1Passāmi loke sadhane manusse,“I see rich people in the world who,8.2Laddhāna vittaṁ na dadanti mohā;because of delusion, <j>give not the wealth they’ve earned.8.3Luddhā dhanaṁ sannicayaṁ karonti,Greedily, they hoard their riches,8.4Bhiyyova kāme abhipatthayanti.yearning for ever more sensual pleasures.

9.1Rājā pasayhappathaviṁ vijetvā,A king who conquered the earth by force,9.2Sasāgarantaṁ mahimāvasanto;ruling the land from sea to sea,9.3Oraṁ samuddassa atittarūpo,unsatisfied with the near shore of the ocean,9.4Pāraṁ samuddassapi patthayetha.would still yearn for the further shore.

10.1Rājā ca aññe ca bahū manussā,Not just the king, but others too,10.2Avītataṇhā maraṇaṁ upenti;reach death not rid of craving.10.3Ūnāva hutvāna jahanti dehaṁ,They leave the body still wanting,10.4Kāmehi lokamhi na hatthi titti.for in this world sensual pleasures never satisfy.

11.1Kandanti naṁ ñātī pakiriya kese,Relatives lament, their hair disheveled,11.2Aho vatā no amarāti cāhu;saying ‘Ah! Alas! They’re not immortal!’11.3Vatthena naṁ pārutaṁ nīharitvā,They take out the body wrapped in a shroud,11.4Citaṁ samodhāya tato ḍahanti.heap up a pyre, and burn it there.

12.1So ḍayhati sūlehi tujjamāno,It’s poked with stakes while being burnt,12.2Ekena vatthena pahāya bhoge;in just a single cloth, all wealth gone.12.3Na mīyamānassa bhavanti tāṇā,Relatives, friends, and companions12.4Ñātī ca mittā atha vā sahāyā.can’t help you when you’re dying.

13.1Dāyādakā tassa dhanaṁ haranti,Heirs take your riches,13.2Satto pana gacchati yena kammaṁ;while beings fare on according to their deeds.13.3Na mīyamānaṁ dhanamanveti kiñci,Riches don’t follow you when you die;13.4Puttā ca dārā ca dhanañca raṭṭhaṁ.nor do children, wife, wealth, nor kingdom.

14.1Na dīghamāyuṁ labhate dhanena,Longevity isn’t gained by riches,14.2Na cāpi vittena jaraṁ vihanti;nor does wealth banish old age;14.3Appaṁ hidaṁ jīvitamāhu dhīrā,for the attentive say this life is short,14.4Asassataṁ vippariṇāmadhammaṁ.it’s perishable and not eternal.

15.1Aḍḍhā daliddā ca phusanti phassaṁ,The rich and the poor feel its touch;15.2Bālo ca dhīro ca tatheva phuṭṭho;the fool and the attentive one feel it too.15.3Bālo hi bālyā vadhitova seti,But the fool lies stricken by their own folly,15.4Dhīro ca no vedhati phassaphuṭṭho.while the attentive don’t tremble at the touch.

16.1Tasmā hi paññāva dhanena seyyā,Therefore wisdom’s much better than wealth,16.2Yāya vosānamidhādhigacchati;since by wisdom <j>you reach consummation in this life.16.3Abyositattā hi bhavābhavesu,But if because of delusion <j>you don’t reach consummation,16.4Pāpāni kammāni karoti mohā.you’ll do evil deeds in life after life.

17.1Upeti gabbhañca parañca lokaṁ,One who enters a womb and the world beyond,17.2Saṁsāramāpajja paramparāya;will transmigrate from one life to the next.17.3Tassappapañño abhisaddahanto,While someone of little wisdom, <j>placing faith in them,17.4Upeti gabbhañca parañca lokaṁ.also enters a womb and the world beyond.

18.1Coro yathā sandhimukhe gahīto,As a bandit caught in a window18.2Sakammunā haññati pāpadhammo;is punished for his own bad deeds;18.3Evaṁ pajā pecca paramhi loke,so after departing, in the world beyond,18.4Sakammunā haññati pāpadhammo.people are punished for their own bad deeds.

19.1Kāmā hi citrā madhurā manoramā,Sensual pleasures are diverse, sweet, delightful;19.2Virūparūpena mathenti cittaṁ;appearing in disguise they disturb the mind.19.3Ādīnavaṁ kāmaguṇesu disvā,Seeing danger in sensual stimulations,19.4Tasmā ahaṁ pabbajitomhi rāja.I went forth, O King.

20.1Dumapphalānīva patanti māṇavā,As fruit falls from a tree, so the sons of Manu fall,¹20.2Daharā ca vuḍḍhā ca sarīrabhedā;young and old, when the body breaks up.20.3Etampi disvā pabbajitomhi rāja,Seeing this, too, I went forth, O King;20.4Apaṇṇakaṁ sāmaññameva seyyo.it’s a sure bet that the ascetic life is better.”

21.1Saddhāyāhaṁ pabbajito,“I went forth out of faith21.2upeto jinasāsane;joining the victor’s dispensation.21.3Avañjhā mayhaṁ pabbajjā,My going forth wasn’t wasted;21.4anaṇo bhuñjāmi bhojanaṁ.I enjoy my food free of debt.

22.1Kāme ādittato disvā,I saw sensual pleasures as burning,22.2Jātarūpāni satthato;gold as a cutting blade,22.3Gabbhavokkantito dukkhaṁ,conception in a womb as suffering,22.4Nirayesu mahabbhayaṁ.and the hells as very fearful.

23.1Etamādīnavaṁ ñatvā,Knowing this danger,23.2saṁvegaṁ alabhiṁ tadā;I was struck with a sense of urgency.23.3Sohaṁ viddho tadā santo,I was stabbed, but then I found peace,23.4sampatto āsavakkhayaṁ.attaining the end of defilements.

24.1Pariciṇṇo mayā satthā,I’ve served the Teacher24.2kataṁ buddhassa sāsanaṁ;and fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.24.3Ohito garuko bhāro,The heavy burden is laid down,24.4bhavanetti samūhatā.the leash to existence is eradicated.

25.1Yassatthāya pabbajito,I’ve attained the goal25.2agārasmānagāriyaṁ;for the sake of which I went forth25.3So me attho anuppatto,from the lay life to homelessness—25.4sabbasaṁyojanakkhayo”ti.the ending of all fetters.”

25.5… Raṭṭhapālo thero ….