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Visākhāyasahāyikānaṁvatthu

Ko nu hāso kimānando,
What is joy, what is laughter,
Who can laugh, who can delight,

niccaṁ pajjalite sati;
when the flames are ever burning?
since this is always on fire?

Andhakārena onaddhā,
Shrouded by darkness,
Obscured by darkness,

padīpaṁ na gavesatha.
would you not seek a light?
you do not search for light.

Sirimāvatthu

Passa cittakataṁ bimbaṁ,
See this fancy puppet,
See that the mind has been made a puppet,

arukāyaṁ samussitaṁ;
a body built of sores,
damaged with arrogance,

Āturaṁ bahusaṅkappaṁ,
diseased, obsessed over,
afflicted with excessive thought,

yassa natthi dhuvaṁ ṭhiti.
in which nothing lasts at all.
lacking stability and composure.

Uttarātherīvatthu

Parijiṇṇamidaṁ rūpaṁ,
This body is decrepit and frail,
This body is decrepit,

roganīḷaṁ pabhaṅguraṁ;
a nest of disease.
fragile, a nest of disease,

Bhijjati pūtisandeho,
This foul carcass falls apart,
a putrid heap that falls apart,

maraṇantañhi jīvitaṁ.
for life ends in death.
since life ends in death.

Sambahulaadhimānikabhikkhuvatthu

Yānimāni apatthāni,
These dove-grey bones
Set aside

alābūneva sārade;
are tossed away like
like gourds in autumn -

Kāpotakāni aṭṭhīni,
dried gourds in the autumn—
when seeing these faded bones,

tāni disvāna kā rati.
what joy is there in such a sight?
what delight can there be?

Janapadakalyāṇīrūpanandātherīvatthu

Aṭṭhīnaṁ nagaraṁ kataṁ,
In this city built of bones,
Like a city made of bones,

maṁsalohitalepanaṁ;
plastered with flesh and blood,
wrapped in meat and blood,

Yattha jarā ca maccu ca,
old age and death are stashed away,
a place of decay and death,

māno makkho ca ohito.
along with conceit and contempt.
conceit and contempt.

Mallikādevīvatthu

Jīranti ve rājarathā sucittā,
Fancy chariots of kings wear out,
Even splendid royal chariots wear out;

Atho sarīrampi jaraṁ upeti;
and even this body gets old.
so too, this body decays.

Satañca dhammo na jaraṁ upeti,
But the truth of the good never gets old—
But the true Dhamma never decays:

Santo have sabbhi pavedayanti.
so the good proclaim to the good.
it is made known by those who are peaceful and virtuous.

Lāḷudāyītheravatthu

Appassutāyaṁ puriso,
A person of little learning
A person who has learned little

balībaddhova jīrati;
ages like an ox—
ages like an ox:

Maṁsāni tassa vaḍḍhanti,
their flesh grows,
their muscles grow

paññā tassa na vaḍḍhati.
but not their wisdom.
but their wisdom does not.

Udānavatthu

Anekajātisaṁsāraṁ,
Transmigrating through countless rebirths,
Wandering through many lives,

sandhāvissaṁ anibbisaṁ;
I’ve journeyed without reward,
seeking but not finding

Gahakāraṁ gavesanto,
searching for the house-builder;
the builder of this house -

dukkhā jāti punappunaṁ.
painful is birth again and again.
repeatedly experiencing the suffering of birth.

Gahakāraka diṭṭhosi,
I’ve seen you, house-builder!
House-builder, you have been seen!

puna gehaṁ na kāhasi;
You won’t build a house again!
You will build no house again.

Sabbā te phāsukā bhaggā,
Your rafters are all broken,
All your rafters are broken,

gahakūṭaṁ visaṅkhataṁ;
your roof-peak is demolished.
the roof-peak dismantled.

Visaṅkhāragataṁ cittaṁ,
My mind, set on demolition,
The mind has gone to the unconditioned -

taṇhānaṁ khayamajjhagā.
has reached the end of craving.
the elimination of craving has been reached.

Mahādhanaseṭṭhiputtavatthu

Acaritvā brahmacariyaṁ,
When young they spurned the spiritual path
Those who have neither lived a spiritual life

aladdhā yobbane dhanaṁ;
and failed to earn any wealth.
nor acquired wealth during their youth,

Jiṇṇakoñcāva jhāyanti,
Now they languish like old cranes
Waste away like old herons

khīṇamaccheva pallale.
in a pond bereft of fish.
by a fishless pond.

Acaritvā brahmacariyaṁ,
When young they spurned the spiritual path
Those who have neither lived a spiritual life

aladdhā yobbane dhanaṁ;
and failed to earn any wealth.
nor acquired wealth during their youth,

Senti cāpātikhīṇāva,
Now they lie like spent arrows,
lay around like wasted arrows,

purāṇāni anutthunaṁ.
bemoaning over things past.
lamenting the past.

Jarāvaggo ekādasamo.