Ven Narada Thera - An Elementary Pali Course Lesson XI

Exercise 11-A: Translate into English.

1. Sabba~n~nuu bhikkhuuna.m dhamma.m desetu!

all-knowing one / to mendicants / doctrine / preach!

May the all-knowing one preach the doctrine to the mendicants!


2. Dhenu ti.na.m khaadatu!

cow / grass / eat!

Let the cow eat the grass!


3. Aavuso, a.taviyaa daaru.m aaharitvaa aggi.m karohi.

friend / from forest / fire-wood / having brought / fire / build!

Friend, bring fire-wood from the forest and build a fire.


4. Gahapatayo, bhikkhuusu maa kujjhatha.

householders / (with) monks / do not get angry!

Householders, do not get angry with the monks.


5. Bhikkhave, aha.m dhamma.m desessaami, saadhuka.m su.naatha.

monks / I / doctrine / will preach / well / listen!

Monks, I will preach the doctrine, listen well.


6. "Dhunaatha maccuno sena.m - na.laagaara.m'va ku~njaro."

destroy! / death's / army / house built of reeds-like / elephant

"Destroy the army of death - like the elephant a house built of reeds."


7. Yaavaa'ha.m gacchaami taava idha ti.t.thatha.

till-I / go / until / here / stand!

You stand here till I go.


8. Bhikkhuu pa~nha.m saadhuka.m bujjhantu!

monks / question / well / understand!

May the monks understand the question well!


9. Sissaa, sadaa kata~n~nuu hotha.

students / always / grateful / be!

Students, always be grateful.


10. Kata~n~nuno, tumhe aayu.m labhitvaa cira.m jiivatha!

grateful people / you / age / having attained / long / live!

Grateful people, may you attain (good old) age and live long!


11. "Dhamma.m pibatha, bhikkhavo."

Dhamma / drink! / monks

"Drink/Consume/Imbibe the Dhamma, monks."


12. Mayha.m cakkhuuhi paapa.m na passaami, Bhante.

my / with eyes / evil / do not see! / Venerable Sir

Let me not see evil with my eyes, Venerable Sir.


13. Dhenuyaa khiira.m gahetvaa madhunaa pibaama.*

cow's / milk / having gotten / with honey / drink!

Let us get the cow's milk and drink (it) with honey.


14. Aavuso, bhikkhuuna.m purato maa ti.t.thatha.

friends / of the monks / in front / do not stand!

Friends, do not stand before the monks.


15. Bhante, bhikkhumhaa maya.m pa~nha.m pucchaama.

Venerable Sir / from monk / we / question / ask!

Venerable Sir, let's (let us) ask the monk the question.


16. Naraa ca naariyo ca bhikkhuuhi dhamma.m saadhuka.m sutvaa pu~n~na.m katvaa sugatiisu uppajjantu!

men and / women and / from monks / Dhamma / well / having heard / good / having done / in happy states / are born!

May men and women listen well to the Dhamma from the monks, do good, and be born in happy states.


* The word 'saddhi.m' from the original question has been removed. A better form of writing is "Dhenuyaa khiira.m gahetvaa madhunaa missaka.m pibaama.", in which "madhunaa missaka.m" = "mixed with honey".


Exercise 11-B: Translate into Pali.

1. Let him salute the mendicants!

so / vandatu / bhikkhavo

So bhikkhavo vandatu!


2. May you live long, O All-Knowing One!

tva.m / jiiva / cira.m / sabba~n~nuu

Sabba~n~nuu, cira.m jiiva!


3. Do not give grass to the cows in the afternoon.

maa dehi / ti.na.m / dhenuuna.m / apara.nhe

Apara.nhe dhenuuna.m ti.na.m maa dehi.


4. Friend, do not go till I come.

aavuso / maa gaccha / yaava…taava / aha.m / aagacchaami

Aavuso, yaavaa'ha.m aagacchaami taava maa gaccha.


5. Reverend Sirs, may you see no evil with your eyes!

Bhante / tumhe / passatha / na paapa.m / tumhaaka.m / cakkhuuhi

Bhante, tumhaaka.m cakkhuuhi na paapa.m passatha!


6. Let us sit on the ground and listen to the advice of the Bhikkhus.

maya.m / nisiiditvaa / bhuumiyaa / su.naama / ovaada.m / bhikkhuuna.m

Maya.m bhuumiyaa nisiiditvaa Bhikkhuuna.m ovaada.m su.naama.


7. May you be grateful persons!

tumhe / hotha / kata~n~nuvo

Kata~n~nuvo hotha!


8. Let them stay here till we bring firewood from the forest.

te / ti.t.thantu / idha / yaava…taava / maya.m / aaharaama / daaru.m / a.taviyaa

Yaava maya.m a.taviyaa daaru.m aaharaama taava te idha ti.t.thantu.


9. O young wives, do not get angry with your husbands.

vadhuyo / maa kujjhatha / (tumhaaka.m) / patiihi

Vadhuyo, patiihi maa kujjhatha.


10. May I destroy the army of death!

aha.m / dhunaami / sena.m / maccuno

Aha.m maccuno sena.m dhunaami!


11. May I drink rice-gruel with honey!

aha.m / pibaami / yaagu.m / madhunaa

Aha.m madhunaa yaagu.m pibaami!


12. May we know your age, O bhikkhu!

maya.m / jaanaama / tava / aayu.m / bhikkhu

Bhikkhu, maya.m tava aayu.m jaanaama!


13. Do not stand in front of the elephant.

maa ti.t.thaahi / purato / ku~njarassa

Maa ku~njarassa purato ti.t.thaahi.


14. O householders, treat your mothers and fathers well.

gahapatayo / sa`nga.nhaatha / tumhaaka.m / jananiyo ca / janake ca / saadhuka.m

Gahapatayo, saadhuka.m tumhaaka.m jananiyo ca janake ca sa`nga.nhaatha.


15. Friends, do not offer rice-gruel to the Bhikkhus till we come.

mittaa / maa puujetha / yaagu.m / Bhikkhuuna.m / yaava…taava / maya.m / aagacchaama

Mittaa, yaava maya.m aagacchaama taava maa Bhikkhuuna.m yaagu.m puujetha.


16. Do not drink honey, child.

maa pibaahi / madhu.m / daaraka

Maa madhu.m pibaahi, daaraka.