Continuing my look at the Sutta Nipata, - which contains some of the oldest portion of the canon. This translation guide analyses the Mettā Sutta (Snp 1.8) which, is perhaps the most popular discourse for reciting. It is a poem on the virtues of mettā, loving-kindness. It is a brief set of ten verse which lays out the ethical foundations for good will, and shows how to develop it in meditation. The word “Metta” is derived from the Pali word “Mitta” meaning “friend”. In the English, it has been translated as kindness, loving kindness, love and goodwill.
Verse composition can throw up challenges to the amateur translator as it often employs alternate forms of words according to the needs of the metre. As such, we may find some unusual archaic endings in verse, or instances where words have been altered (vowel lengths, dropping of a niggahãta etc.) in order to meet the metre. And several examples of these can be found in the verses below.
The Sutta is found in two books of the Khuddaka Nikaya, (minor) discourses namely, the Sutta nipatha and the Khuddakapatha. Scholars have classified it under differing number schemes, e.g.
KN 5.1.8 (KN 5.8) Snp 1.8 (Karaniya) Metta Sutta Sn vs.143-152 PTS: Sn pg.25,
and also
KN 1.9 Khp 9 Mettā (Karaniya Metta) Sutta PTS: Kh pg.8
For other translations see:
SuttaCentral Snp 1.8
Access-to-Insight Snp 1.8
For metre see:
Ancient-buddhist-texts Mettasuttaṁ
You may find the following dictionaries useful:
Pali English Dictionary
(See also PED lookup tool)
Critical Pali Dictionary
(Incomplete -but very useful)
Again please note, this attempt at translation is for illustration and as such it is very literal and endeavours to remain true to the underlying grammar.
You can find more of my sutta translation exercises here.
The Mettā Sutta - Good Will.
| karaṇīya-m-attha1-kusalena |
| fpp | ins |
| n | n |
| sgl |
| ought to do | skillful in prosperity/matters
|
(This) ought to be done by the skillful in success
| yanta2
| santaṃ | padaṃ | abhisamecca3 |
| acc | acc | acc | absol |
| n | n | n | |
| sgl | sgl | sgl | |
| he who | peace; calm; | path/state | having realised
|
who having realised that still path/state
| sakko | ujū | ca | suhujū | ca |
| nom | nom | prt | nom | prt |
| m | m | | m | |
| sgl | pl | | pl | |
| capable | straight, upright | and | very upright | |
capable, upright & erect
| suvaco | ca-assa4
| mudu | anatimānī |
| nom | pr.opt.3rd | nom | nom |
| m | | m | m |
| sgl | sgl | sgl | sgl |
| well spoken | and he should be | soft, mild | free from pride
|
& well-spoken, meek, free from pride, One should be
| santussako | ca | subharo | ca |
| nom | prt | nom | prt |
| m | | m | |
| sgl | | sgl | |
| content, satisfied | and | easily supported
| |
Satisfied & easily supported
| appakicco | ca | sallahuka-vutti |
| nom | prt | | nom |
| m | | | n |
| sgl | | | sgl |
| (with) few duties | and | of frugal living
|
[with] few obligations, & living lightly
| santindriya | ca | nipako | ca |
| nom | prt | nom | |
| m | | m | |
| sgl | | sgl | |
| faculties calmed | and | astute, wise | |
faculties calmed & astute
| appagabbho | kulesv5
-ananugiddho |
| nom | loc | nom |
| m | | m |
| sgl | | sgl |
courteous; respectful;
| in family without desire |
courteous; without desire for family/support
| na | ca | khudda-m-ācare | kiñci |
| prt | prt | | pr.opt.3rd | nom |
| | | | n |
| | | sgl | sgl |
| | | | pn-indef |
| not | and | small | he should do | anything |
& One should not do any small thing,
| yena | viññū | pare | upavadeyyuṃ |
| ins | nom | nom | pr.opt.3rd |
| n | n | n | |
| sgl | pl | pl | pl |
| | | |
by which
| wise ones | others | may blame, criticize |
by which other wise ones might find fault
| sukhino | va | khemino | hontu |
| nom | prt | nom | pr.imp.3rd |
| m | | m | |
| pl | | pl | pl |
| happy | and | safe, secure | may they be |
may they be happy & secure
| sabba-sattā | bhavantu | sukhita-attā |
| | nom | pr.imp.3rd | | nom |
| m | | | m |
| pl | pl | | pl |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| all beings | may they be | happy in self |
may all beings be happy
| ye | keci | pāṇabhūta-atthi |
| nom | nom | | pr.3rd |
| m | m | | |
| pl | pl | | pl |
| pn-rel | pn-indef | | |
whatever,
| any | breathing being | there are
|
Any, whatsoever, living beings there are
| tasā | vā | thāvarā6 | va-anavasesā |
| nom | prt | nom | prt | nom |
| m | | m | | m |
| pl | | pl | | pl |
| mobile | or | immobile | or | without any remainder |
without exception, moving or stationary
| dīghā | vā | ye | va | mahantā |
| nom | | nom | | nom |
| m | | m | | m |
| pl | | pl | | pl |
| | pn-rel | | |
| long | or | whichever | or | large, extensive |
whether, long or large
| majjhimā | rassakā
| aṇuka-thūlā7 |
| nom | nom | nom |
| m | m | m |
| pl | pl | pl |
| medium | short | subtle or coarse |
medium (or) short, subtle or coarse
| diṭṭhā | vā | ye | va | adiṭṭhā |
| nom | | nom | | nom |
| m | | m | | m |
| pl | | pl | | pl |
| | pn-rel | | |
| seen | or | whatever
| or | unseen |
Whether, seen or unseen
| ye | va | dūre | vasanti | avidūre |
| nom | prt | adv | pr.3rd | adv |
| m | | | | |
| pl | | | pl | pl |
| pn-rel | | | | |
whatever
| or
| far off | they live | near |
or whether they live far off (or) near by
| bhūtā | va | sambhavesī | va |
| nom | prt | nom | prt |
| m | | m | |
| pl | | pl | |
| become, grown | or | seeking to be, | |
(those) become or seeking to be
| sabba-sattā | bhavantu | sukhita-attā |
| | nom | pr.imp.3rd | | nom |
| m | | | m |
| pl | pl | | pl |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| all beings | may they be | happy in self |
may all [these] beings be happy
| na | paro | paraṃ | nikubbetha |
| prt | nom | acc | pr.opt.3rd |
| m | m | [rfx] |
| sgl | sgl | sgl |
| not | other | another | deceives, cheats |
One should not deceive another
| nātimaññetha | katthaci | na'8 | kañci |
| pr.opt.3rd | adv | prt | acc |
| [rfx] | | | m |
| pl | | | sgl |
| | | pn-indef |
| do not despise | somewhere | him | anyone |
nor despise him anyone anywhere
| byārosanā | paṭighasaññā |
| inst | inst |
| f | f |
| sgl | sgl |
| via anger | via recognition of resentment |
[though] infuriated, repulsed
| nāñña-m-aññassa | dukkhama-iccheyya |
| prt | dat | adj | pr.opt.3rd |
| m | | |
| sgl | | sgl |
| not for one another | hard to tolerate | he may wish |
may One not wish intolerance for one to another
| mātā | yathā | niyaṃ | puttaṃ |
| nom | adv | acc | acc |
| f | | m | m |
| sgl | | sgl | sgl |
| mother | just as | one's own | son, child |
Just as a mother her own child
| āyusā | eka-putta-m-anurakkhe |
| ins | | | pr.opt.3rd |
| n | | | |
| sgl | | | sgl |
| life | single | son, child | protects, guards |
would protect as an only child with (her) life
| evaṃ-pi | sabba-bhūtesu |
| prt | | loc |
| | m |
| | pl |
| so too | all beings |
so too, towards all beings
| mānasaṃ | bhāvaye | aparimāṇaṃ |
| acc | pr.opt.3rd | acc |
| n | | n |
| sgl | sgl | sgl |
intention
| cultivate | limitless |
one should cultivate [that] intention without-limit
| mettaṃ-ca | sabba-lokasmi'9
|
| acc | | | loc |
| f | | | m |
| sgl | | | sgl |
| goodwill | | all | world |
Goodwill towards the entire world
| mānasaṃ | bhāvaye | aparimāṇaṃ |
| acc | pr.opt.3rd | acc |
| n | | n |
| sgl | sgl | sgl |
intention
| cultivate | limitless |
one should cultivate [that] intention without-limit
| uddhaṃ | adho | ca | tiriyaṃ | ca |
| adv | adv | prt | adv | prt |
| upwards | downwards | and | sideways | |
upwards, downwards and across
| asambādhaṃ | avera-m-asapattaṃ |
| acc | | acc |
| n | | n |
| sgl | | sgl |
| unrestricted | free of ill-will & enmity |
without barriers, ill-will or hostility
| tiṭṭhaṃ | caraṃ | nisinno | va |
| nom | nom | nom | prt |
| m | m | m | |
| sgl | sgl | sgl | |
| pr.p. | pr.p. | p.p. | |
| standing | walking | sat down | or |
Standing, walking, sat or
| sayāno | yāvatā-assa | vita-middho |
| nom | | pr.opt.3rd | | nom |
| m | | | | n>m |
| sgl | | sgl | | sgl |
| pr.p. | | | |
| lying down | as far as | he may be | un-drowsy |
lying down, as long as One can be alert
| etaṃ | satiṃ | adhiṭṭheyya |
| acc | acc | pr.opt.3rd |
| f | f | |
| sgl | sgl | sgl |
| this | remembering, mindful | he should resolve |
recalling this, One should be resolved
| brahma-m-etaṃ | vihāra-m-idha-m-āhu10
|
| nom | | | perf.3rd |
| m | | | | |
| sgl | | | pl |
| brahma | this | abode/life | here | they said |
this, is called, a (brahma abode) divine life, here (in this world)
| diṭṭhiṃ-ca | anupaggamma |
| acc | prt | absol |
| f | | |
| sgl | | |
| dogma, theory, belief | and | having not approached
|
Avoiding dogma
| sīlavā | dassanena | sampanno |
| nom | ins | nom |
| m | n | m |
| sgl | sgl | sgl |
| virtuous | insight | equipped, accomplished (in) |
virtuous, endowed with insight
| kāmesu | vinaya | gedhaṃ |
| loc | pr.imp.2nd | acc |
| m | | m |
| pl | sgl | sgl |
pleasures
| dispels | greed |
dispel yearning for pleasures
| na hi | jātu-gabbha-seyya'11 | puna-r-eti 'ti |
| prt | emph | | acc | | pr.3rd |
| | | f | | |
| | | sgl | | sgl |
| certainly not | surely-womb-lying | again-goes |
[and] surely one [will] not return to lying in a womb
Notes:
1 attha has many meanings: gain, advantage, welfare, purpose, affair, matters.
Sujato points out that atthakusala can be 'skilled in meaning', eg. 'those skilled in the meaning of scripture', ie. not yet trained in practice.
2 shortened for metre; yantaṃ = yaṃ+taṃ 'the one who' or 'that which'
3 some suggest taking this in an infinitive sense: 'in order to realise'
4 Here assa might be dat of ima, 'for him' or opt.3rd of atthi 'should be'
5 adjusted for metre: kulesu loc of kula
6 tasa: the movable (animal world) & thāvara: the immovable (vegetable world); sometimes trans. as 'trembling/frail & firm'
7 can also be taken as: 'tiny or massive'
8 shortened for metre: naṃ
9 shortened: sabbalokasmiṁ loc sgl 'in the entire world'
10 perf. expressing indefinite time, 'it is said that'
11 shortened gabbhaseyyaṁ acc
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