1Ko imaṁ pathaviṁ vicessati,
Who bestirs this earth,
2Yamalokañca imaṁ sadevakaṁ;
and the Yama realm with its gods?
3Ko dhammapadaṁ sudesitaṁ,
Who sets out the well-taught word of truth,
4Kusalo pupphamiva pacessati.
as an expert a flower?
5Sekho pathaviṁ vicessati,
A trainee bestirs this earth,
6Yamalokañca imaṁ sadevakaṁ;
and the Yama realm with its gods.
7Sekho dhammapadaṁ sudesitaṁ,
A trainee sets out the well-taught word of truth,
8Kusalo pupphamiva pacessati.
as an expert a flower.
9Pheṇūpamaṁ kāyamimaṁ viditvā,
Knowing this body’s like foam,
10Marīcidhammaṁ abhisambudhāno;
realizing it’s all just a mirage,
11Chetvāna mārassa papupphakāni,
and cutting off Māra’s blossoming,
12Adassanaṁ maccurājassa gacche.
vanish from the King of Death.
13Pupphāni heva pacinantaṁ,
As a mighty flood sweeps off a sleeping village,
14byāsattamanasaṁ naraṁ;
death steals away a man
15Suttaṁ gāmaṁ mahoghova,
even as he gathers flowers,
16maccu ādāya gacchati.
his mind caught up in them.
17Pupphāni heva pacinantaṁ,
The terminator gains control of the man
18byāsattamanasaṁ naraṁ;
who has not had his fill of pleasures,
19Atittaññeva kāmesu,
even as he gathers flowers,
20antako kurute vasaṁ.
his mind caught up in them.
21Yathāpi bhamaro pupphaṁ,
A bee takes the nectar
22vaṇṇagandhamaheṭhayaṁ;
and moves on, doing no damage
23Paleti rasamādāya,
to the flower’s beauty and fragrance;
24evaṁ gāme munī care.
and that’s how a sage should walk in the village.
25Na paresaṁ vilomāni,
Don’t find fault with others,
26na paresaṁ katākataṁ;
with what they’ve done or left undone.
27Attanova avekkheyya,
You should only watch yourself,
28katāni akatāni ca.
what you’ve done or left undone.
29Yathāpi ruciraṁ pupphaṁ,
Just like a glorious flower
30vaṇṇavantaṁ agandhakaṁ;
that’s colorful but lacks fragrance;
31Evaṁ subhāsitā vācā,
eloquent speech is fruitless
32aphalā hoti akubbato.
for one who does not act on it.
33Yathāpi ruciraṁ pupphaṁ,
Just like a glorious flower
34Vaṇṇavantaṁ sagandhakaṁ;
that’s both colorful and fragrant,
35Evaṁ subhāsitā vācā,
eloquent speech is fruitful
36Saphalā hoti kubbato.
for one who acts on it.
37Yathāpi puppharāsimhā,
Just as one would create many garlands
38kayirā mālāguṇe bahū;
from a heap of flowers,
39Evaṁ jātena maccena,
when a person has come to be born,
40kattabbaṁ kusalaṁ bahuṁ.
they should do many skillful things.
41Na pupphagandho paṭivātameti,
The fragrance of flowers doesn’t spread upwind,
42Na candanaṁ tagaramallikā vā;
nor sandalwood, pinwheel, or jasmine;
43Satañca gandho paṭivātameti,
but the fragrance of the good spreads upwind;
44Sabbā disā sappuriso pavāyati.
a true person’s virtue spreads in every direction.
45Candanaṁ tagaraṁ vāpi,
Among all the fragrances—
46uppalaṁ atha vassikī;
sandalwood or pinwheel
47Etesaṁ gandhajātānaṁ,
or lotus or jasmine—
48sīlagandho anuttaro.
the fragrance of virtue is supreme.
49Appamatto ayaṁ gandho,
Faint is the fragrance
50yāyaṁ tagaracandanī;
of sandal or pinwheel;
51Yo ca sīlavataṁ gandho,
but the fragrance of the virtuous
52vāti devesu uttamo.
floats to the highest gods.
53Tesaṁ sampannasīlānaṁ,
For those accomplished in ethics,
54appamādavihārinaṁ;
meditating diligently,
55Sammadaññāvimuttānaṁ,
freed through the highest knowledge,
56māro maggaṁ na vindati.
Māra cannot find their path.
57Yathā saṅkāradhānasmiṁ,
From a heap of trash
58ujjhitasmiṁ mahāpathe;
discarded on the highway,
59Padumaṁ tattha jāyetha,
a lotus might blossom,
60sucigandhaṁ manoramaṁ.
fragrant and delightful.
61Evaṁ saṅkārabhūtesu,
So too, among those thought of as trash,
62andhabhūte puthujjane;
a disciple of the perfect Buddha
63Atirocati paññāya,
outshines with their wisdom
64sammāsambuddhasāvako.
the blind ordinary folk.