Verbatim Translation:
pamádam anuyuñjanti bálá dummedhino janá
appamádañ ca medháví dhanam settham’va rakkhatipamádam: negigence; indolence; remissness
anuyuñjanti: engage in; indulge in
bálá: immature; unwise
dummedhino: foolish
janá: person; peopleappamádañ: mindfulness; vigilance; earnestness
ca: and
medháví: the wise
dhanam: wealth; riches
settham’va: excellent; foremost; great
rakkhati: to protect; to guard; to cherish
Translations:
Beck
Fools follow after vanity, are ignorant and careless. The wise keep awareness as their best treasure.
Buddharakkhita
The foolish and ignorant indulge in heedlessness, but the wise one keeps his heedfulness as his best treasure.
Davids
The simpletons, the unsagacious folk are ever given o’er to wantonness. Wardeth his seriousness sagacious man, (wardeth) as wealth in which is highest worth.
Kaviratna
Thoughtless men of great ignorance sink into negligence. But the wise man guards vigilance as his supreme treasure.
Muller
Fools follow after vanity, men of evil wisdom. The wise man keeps earnestness as his best jewel.
Narada
The ignorant, foolish folk indulge in heedlessness; the wise man guards heedfulness as the greatest treasure.
Richards
Foolish, ignorant people indulge in careless lives, whereas a clever man guards his attention as his most precious possession.
Sarada
Foolish folk of little wit in heedlessness indulge, the one who’s wise guards heedfulness kin to the greatest wealth.
Tin
The foolish and the ignorant give themselves over to negligence; whereas the wise treasure mindfulness as a precious jewel.
