1Dīghā jāgarato ratti,
Long is the night for the wakeful;
2dīghaṁ santassa yojanaṁ;
long is the league for the weary;
3Dīgho bālāna saṁsāro,
long transmigrate the fools
4saddhammaṁ avijānataṁ.
who don’t understand the true teaching.
5Carañce nādhigaccheyya,
If while wandering you find no partner
6Seyyaṁ sadisamattano;
equal or better than yourself,
7Ekacariyaṁ daḷhaṁ kayirā,
then firmly resolve to wander alone—
8Natthi bāle sahāyatā.
there’s no fellowship with fools.
9Puttā matthi dhanaṁ matthi,
“Sons are mine, wealth is mine”—
10iti bālo vihaññati;
thus the fool frets.
11Attā hi attano natthi,
For even your self is not your own,
12kuto puttā kuto dhanaṁ.
let alone your sons or wealth.
13Yo bālo maññati bālyaṁ,
The fool who thinks they’re a fool
14paṇḍito vāpi tena so;
is wise at least to that extent.
15Bālo ca paṇḍitamānī,
But the true fool is said to be one
16sa ve “bālo”ti vuccati.
who imagines that they are wise.
17Yāvajīvampi ce bālo,
Though a fool attends to the wise
18paṇḍitaṁ payirupāsati;
even for the rest of their life,
19Na so dhammaṁ vijānāti,
they still don’t understand the teaching,
20dabbī sūparasaṁ yathā.
like a spoon the taste of the soup.
21Muhuttamapi ce viññū,
If a clever person attends to the wise
22paṇḍitaṁ payirupāsati;
even just for an hour or so,
23Khippaṁ dhammaṁ vijānāti,
they swiftly understand the teaching,
24jivhā sūparasaṁ yathā.
like a tongue the taste of the soup.
25Caranti bālā dummedhā,
Fools and simpletons behave
26amitteneva attanā;
like their own worst enemies,
27Karontā pāpakaṁ kammaṁ,
doing wicked deeds
28yaṁ hoti kaṭukapphalaṁ.
that ripen as bitter fruit.
29Na taṁ kammaṁ kataṁ sādhu,
It’s not good to do a deed
30yaṁ katvā anutappati;
that plagues you later on,
31Yassa assumukho rodaṁ,
for which you weep and wail,
32vipākaṁ paṭisevati.
as its effect stays with you.
33Tañca kammaṁ kataṁ sādhu,
It is good to do a deed
34yaṁ katvā nānutappati;
that doesn’t plague you later on,
35Yassa patīto sumano,
that gladdens and cheers,
36vipākaṁ paṭisevati.
as its effect stays with you.
37Madhuṁvā maññati bālo,
The fool imagines that evil is sweet,
38yāva pāpaṁ na paccati;
so long as it has not yet ripened.
39Yadā ca paccati pāpaṁ,
But as soon as that evil ripens,
40atha dukkhaṁ nigacchati.
they fall into suffering.
41Māse māse kusaggena,
Month after month a fool may eat
42bālo bhuñjeyya bhojanaṁ;
food from a grass-blade’s tip;
43Na so saṅkhātadhammānaṁ,
but they’ll never be worth a sixteenth part
44kalaṁ agghati soḷasiṁ.
of one who has appraised the teaching.
45Na hi pāpaṁ kataṁ kammaṁ,
For a wicked deed that has been done
46Sajjukhīraṁva muccati;
does not curdle quickly like milk.
47Ḍahantaṁ bālamanveti,
Smoldering, it follows the fool,
48Bhasmacchannova pāvako.
like a fire smothered over with ash.
49Yāvadeva anatthāya,
Whatever fame a fool may get,
50ñattaṁ bālassa jāyati;
it only gives rise to harm.
51Hanti bālassa sukkaṁsaṁ,
Whatever good features they have it ruins,
52muddhamassa vipātayaṁ.
and blows their head into bits.
53Asantaṁ bhāvanamiccheyya,
They’d seek the esteem that they lack,
54Purekkhārañca bhikkhusu;
and status among the mendicants;
55Āvāsesu ca issariyaṁ,
authority over monasteries,
56Pūjaṁ parakulesu ca.
and honor among other families.
57Mameva kata maññantu,
“Let both layfolk and renunciants think
58gihī pabbajitā ubho;
the work was done by me alone.
59Mamevātivasā assu,
In anything at all that’s to be done,
60kiccākiccesu kismici;
let them fall under my sway alone.”
61Iti bālassa saṅkappo,
So thinks the fool,
62icchā māno ca vaḍḍhati.
their greed and pride only growing.
63Aññā hi lābhūpanisā,
For the means to profit and the path to quenching
64aññā nibbānagāminī;
are two quite different things.
65Evametaṁ abhiññāya,
A mendicant disciple of the Buddha,
66bhikkhu buddhassa sāvako;
understanding what this really means,
67Sakkāraṁ nābhinandeyya,
would never delight in honors,
68vivekamanubrūhaye.
but rather would foster seclusion.