Long is the night to the wakeful,
Long is the Yojana to the weary,
Long is Samsara to the foolish
Who know not the true doctrine.

If, as he fares, he finds no companion
Who is better or equal,
Let him firmly pursue his solitary course;
There is no fellowship with the foot.

'I have some, I have wealth';
So thinks the food and is troubled.
He himeself is not his own.
How then are sons,how wealth?

A fool aware of his stupidity
Is in so far wise,
But the fool thinking himself wise
Is called a fool indeed.

Though through all his life
A fool associates with a wise man,
He yet understands not the Dhamma,
As the spoon the flavour of soup.

Though,for a moment only,
An intelligent man associates with a wise man,
Quickly he understands the Dhamma,
As the tougue the flavour of soup.

Fools of little wit
Behave to themselves as enemies,
Doing evil deeds
The fruits wherof are bitter.

That deed is not well done,
After doing which one feels remorse
And the fruit whereof is received
With tears and lamentations.

Well done is thst deed
which, done, brings no regret;
The fruit whereof is received
The fruit whereof is received
With delight and satisfaction.

An evil deed seems sweet to the fool
so long as it does not bear fruit;
but when it ripens,
The fool comes to grief.

Month after month the fool may eat his food
With the tip of Kusa srass;
Nonetheless he is not worth the sixteenth part
Of those who have well understoood the Truth.

An evil deed committed
Does not immediately bear fruit,
Just as milk curdles not at once;
Smouldering life covered by ashes,
It follows the fool.

The fool gains knowledge
Only for his ruin;
It destroys his good actions
And cleaves his head.

A foolish monk desires undue reputation,
Precedence among monks,
Authority in the monasterics,
Honour among other families.

'Let both laymen and monks think,
By me only was this done;
In every work,great or small,
Let them refer to me .'
Such is the ambitin of the fool;
His desire and pride increase.

One is the way to worldly gain;
To Nibbana another leads.
Clearly realizing this,
The bhikkh,disciple of the Buddha,
Should not delight in worldly favour,
But devote himself to solitude.