Ven Narada Thera - An Elementary Pali Course Lesson XIX

Exercise 19-A: Translate into English.

1. "Etad* avoca** satthaa."

this / spoke / teacher

"This the teacher spoke."


2. "Bhagavaa etam'aaha."

the Blessed One / this / spoke

"The Blessed One spoke this."


3. "Idam'avoca Bhagavaa."

this / spoke / the Blessed One

"This the Blessed One spoke."


4. "Aacariyaa evam'aaha."

teachers / thus / spoke

"The teachers spoke thus."


5. "Attha.m hi naatho sara.na.m avoca."***

meaning / indeed / lord / refuge / spoke

"The meaning (is) truly the refuge", spoke the Lord.


6. "Satthaa ta.m itthi.m aaha - 'etissaa tava putta.m dehii'ti."

teacher / [to] that / [to] woman / said / to her / your / son / give

"The teacher said to that woman: 'Give your son to her.' "


7. Eko go tamasi khetta.m agamaa.

one / bull / in darkness / [to] field / went

One bull went to the field in darkness.


8. Vayasaa aha.m pa~nca viisati vassaani.

by age / I / twenty five / years

I am twenty five years of age.


9. "Manasaa sa.mvaro saadhu."

with mind / restraint / good

"Restraint of the mind is good."


10. "Ta.m saadhuka.m su.naahi, manasi karohi."

it / well / hear / on mind / work

"Listen well (and) pay attention****."


11. Amhaaka.m sattuno paade maya.m sirasaa avandamhaa.

our / teacher's / at foot / we / with head / paid homage

We paid homage at our teacher's foot with (our) head.


12. Tava vacasaa vaa manasaa vaa maa ki~nci paapaka.m kamma.m karohi.

your / with word / or / with mind / or / do not / any / wicked / deed / do!

Do not do any wicked deed with your word(s) or mind.


13. Aya.m naavaa ayasaa kataa.

this / ship / with iron / was built

This ship was built with iron.


14. Satta ahaani maya.m ki~nci'pi aahaara.m na abhu~njamhaa.

seven / throughout days / we / any-at all / food / did not eat

We did not eat any food at all for seven days.


15. Mayha.m bhaataa gona.m ti.na.m adaa.

my / brother / to bulls / grass / gave

My brother gave grass to the bulls.


* eta.m + avoca = etad avoca


** See PED vatti.


*** This passage comes from the Ka`nkhaavitara.nii, Buddhaghosa's atthakathaa to the two Paatimokkhas. For more details, see the following message by Ven. Dhammanando: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Pali/message/7352


**** See PED p.521, under entry for mano/manas.


Exercise 19-B: Translate into Pali.

1. There is no dust in this street.

n'atthi / raja.m / imaaya.m / visikhaaya.m

Imaaya.m visikhaaya.m raja.m n'atthi.


2. The consent of the sick monks should be taken.

chandaa / giilaanaana.m / bhikkhuuna.m / gahetabbaa

Giilaanaana.m bhikkhuuna.m chandaa gahetabbaa.


3. Fathers carry their sons on their shoulders.

pitaro / haranti / tesa.m / putte / tesa.m / uresu

Pitaro (tesa.m) uresu tesa.m putte haranti.


4. My father is 45 years of age.

mayha.m / pitaa / pa~nca-cattaa.liisati / vassaani / vayasaa

Vayasaa mayha.m pitaa pa~nca-cattaa.liisati vassaani.


5. The World was in darkness for four days.

loko / ahesu.m / tame / cattaaro / ahaani

Loko cattaaro ahaani tame ahesu.m.


6. We should purify our own mind.

maya.m / visujjhaapenti / amhaaka.m / attaana.m / manaani

Maya.m (amhaaka.m) attaana.m manaani visujjhaapenti.


7. A fruit from the tree fell on my head.

eka.m / phala.m / rukkhamhaa / pati / mayha.m / sirasi

Eka.m phala.m rukkhamhaa mayha.m sirasi pati.


8. The farmers caused their sons to give grass to the cattle and went to the city.

kassakaa / daapetvaa / tesa.m / putte / ti.na.m / gava.m / agami.msu / nagara.m

Tesa.m putte gava.m ti.na.m daapetvaa kassakaa nagara.m agami.msu.


9. People revere him on account of his asceticism.

manussaa / puujenti / ta.m / tassa / tapaso

Manussaa (tassa) tapaso ta.m puujenti.


10. In glory may you shine like the moon.

yasaa / tva.m / dippaahi / viya / cando

Yasaa cando viya (tva.m) dippaahi.


11. The king by his majesty conquered all the people.

raajaa / tassa / tejaa / jinii / sabbe / manusse

Raajaa (tassa) tejaa sabbe manusse jinii.


12. They have no anger in their minds.

te / n'atthi / kodho / tesa.m / manesu

(Te) tesa.m manesu kodho n'atthi.


13. The cattle do not drink the water of this lake.

gaavo / na pibanti / udaka.m / imassa / sarassa

Gaavo imassa sarassa udaka.m na pibanti.


14. There is no essence in this milk.

n'atthi / oja.m / imasmi.m / payasmi.m

Imasmi.m payasmi.m oja.m n'atthi.