1Hīnaṁ dhammaṁ na seveyya,
Don’t resort to lowly things,
2pamādena na saṁvase;
don’t abide in negligence,
3Micchādiṭṭhiṁ na seveyya,
don’t resort to wrong views,
4na siyā lokavaḍḍhano.
don’t perpetuate the world.
5Uttiṭṭhe nappamajjeyya,
Get up, don’t be heedless,
6dhammaṁ sucaritaṁ care;
live by principle, with good conduct.
7Dhammacārī sukhaṁ seti,
For one of good conduct sleeps at ease,
8asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.
in this world and the next.
9Dhammaṁ care sucaritaṁ,
Live by principle, with good conduct,
10na naṁ duccaritaṁ care;
don’t conduct yourself badly.
11Dhammacārī sukhaṁ seti,
For one of good conduct sleeps at ease,
12asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.
in this world and the next.
13Yathā pubbuḷakaṁ passe,
Look upon the world
14yathā passe marīcikaṁ;
as a bubble
15Evaṁ lokaṁ avekkhantaṁ,
or a mirage,
16maccurājā na passati.
then the King of Death won’t see you.
17Etha passathimaṁ lokaṁ,
Come, see this world decked out
18cittaṁ rājarathūpamaṁ;
like a fancy royal chariot.
19Yattha bālā visīdanti,
Here fools founder,
20natthi saṅgo vijānataṁ.
but the discerning are not chained.
21Yo ca pubbe pamajjitvā,
He who once was heedless,
22pacchā so nappamajjati;
but turned to heedfulness,
23Somaṁ lokaṁ pabhāseti,
lights up the world
24abbhā muttova candimā.
like the moon freed from clouds.
25Yassa pāpaṁ kataṁ kammaṁ,
Someone whose bad deed
26kusalena pidhīyati;
is supplanted by the good,
27Somaṁ lokaṁ pabhāseti,
lights up the world,
28abbhā muttova candimā.
like the moon freed from clouds.
29Andhabhūto ayaṁ loko,
Blind is the world,
30tanukettha vipassati;
few are those who clearly see.
31Sakuṇo jālamuttova,
Only a handful go to heaven,
32appo saggāya gacchati.
like a bird freed from a net.
33Haṁsādiccapathe yanti,
Swans fly by the sun’s path,
34ākāse yanti iddhiyā;
psychic sages fly through space.
35Nīyanti dhīrā lokamhā,
The attentive leave the world,
36jetvā māraṁ savāhiniṁ.
having vanquished Māra with his legions.
37Ekaṁ dhammaṁ atītassa,
When a personage, spurning the hereafter,
38musāvādissa jantuno;
transgresses in just one thing—
39Vitiṇṇaparalokassa,
lying—
40natthi pāpaṁ akāriyaṁ.
there is no evil they would not do.
41Na ve kadariyā devalokaṁ vajanti,
The miserly don’t ascend to heaven,
42Bālā have nappasaṁsanti dānaṁ;
it takes a fool to not praise giving.
43Dhīro ca dānaṁ anumodamāno,
The attentive celebrate giving,
44Teneva so hoti sukhī parattha.
and so find happiness in the hereafter.
45Pathabyā ekarajjena,
The fruit of stream-entry is better
46saggassa gamanena vā;
than being the one king of the earth,
47Sabbalokādhipaccena,
than going to heaven,
48sotāpattiphalaṁ varaṁ.
than lordship over all the world.