1Attānañce piyaṁ jaññā,
If you knew your self as beloved,
2rakkheyya naṁ surakkhitaṁ;
you’d look after it so well.
3Tiṇṇaṁ aññataraṁ yāmaṁ,
In one of the night’s three watches,
4paṭijaggeyya paṇḍito.
an astute person would remain alert.
5Attānameva paṭhamaṁ,
The astute would avoid being corrupted
6patirūpe nivesaye;
by first grounding themselves
7Athaññamanusāseyya,
in what is suitable,
8na kilisseyya paṇḍito.
and then instructing others.
9Attānañce tathā kayirā,
If one were to treat oneself
10yathāññamanusāsati;
as one instructs another,
11Sudanto vata dametha,
the well-tamed indeed would tame:
12attā hi kira duddamo.
for the self, it seems, is hard to tame.
13Attā hi attano nātho,
One is indeed the lord of oneself,
14ko hi nātho paro siyā;
for who else would be one’s lord?
15Attanā hi sudantena,
By means of a well-tamed self,
16nāthaṁ labhati dullabhaṁ.
one gains a lord that’s rare indeed.
17Attanā hi kataṁ pāpaṁ,
For the evil that is done by oneself,
18Attajaṁ attasambhavaṁ;
born and produced in oneself,
19Abhimatthati dummedhaṁ,
grinds down a simpleton,
20Vajiraṁvasmamayaṁ maṇiṁ.
as diamond grinds a lesser gem.
21Yassa accantadussilyaṁ,
One choked by immorality,
22māluvā sālamivotthataṁ;
as a sal tree by a creeper,
23Karoti so tathattānaṁ,
does to themselves
24yathā naṁ icchatī diso.
what a foe only wishes.
25Sukarāni asādhūni,
It’s easy to do bad things
26attano ahitāni ca;
harmful to oneself,
27Yaṁ ve hitañca sādhuñca,
but good things that are helpful
28taṁ ve paramadukkaraṁ.
are the hardest things to do.
29Yo sāsanaṁ arahataṁ,
On account of wicked views—
30ariyānaṁ dhammajīvinaṁ;
scorning the guidance
31Paṭikkosati dummedho,
of the perfected ones,
32diṭṭhiṁ nissāya pāpikaṁ;
the noble ones living righteously—
33Phalāni kaṭṭhakasseva,
the idiot begets their own self’s demise,
34attaghātāya phallati.
like the bamboo bearing fruit.
35Attanā hi kataṁ pāpaṁ,
For it is by oneself that evil’s done,
36attanā saṅkilissati;
one is corrupted by oneself.
37Attanā akataṁ pāpaṁ,
It’s by oneself that evil’s not done,
38attanāva visujjhati;
one is purified by oneself.
39Suddhī asuddhi paccattaṁ,
Purity and impurity are personal matters,
40nāñño aññaṁ visodhaye.
no one can purify another.
41Attadatthaṁ paratthena,
Never neglect what is good for yourself
42bahunāpi na hāpaye;
for the sake of another, however great.
43Attadatthamabhiññāya,
Knowing well what is good for yourself,
44sadatthapasuto siyā.
be intent upon your heart’s goal.