Four Immeasurables Prayer

Prayer in phonetic Tibetan and English

Sem chen tham che dewa dang dewai gyu dang den par gyur chig
‘May all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.'

Sem chen tham che duk ngel dang duk ngel gyi gyu dang drel war gyur chig
‘May all sentient beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.'

Sem chen tham che duk ngel me pai dewa dang mi drel war gyur chig
‘May all sentient beings not be separated from the happiness that is free from suffering.'

Sem chen tham che nye ring chak dang nyi dang drel wai tang nyöm la ne par gyur chig
‘May all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free from bias, attachment and anger.'

Word-By-Word Translation

First Line

Sem chen tham che 'all sentient beings'

Sem chen 'sentient being'

Sem = mind

Tham che = all

Dewa = happiness

Dang = and

Dewai gyu 'cause[s] of happiness'

Gyu = cause

Dang den par gyur chig 'may [sentient beings] have'

Dang den par = have

Gyur chig = (may it be)

Second Line

Duk ngel = suffering

Duk ngel gyi gyu = 'cause[s] of suffering'

Dang drel war gyur chig = 'may [sentient beings] be free from'

Dang drel war = 'be free from'

Third Line

Duk ngel me pai dewa = 'happiness without suffering'

Duk ngel me pai = 'without suffering'

Dang mi drel war gyur chig = 'may [sentient beings] not be separated from'

Dang mi drel war = 'not be separated from'

Fourth Line

Nye ring = bias

Nye = near

Ring = far

Chak dang nyi = 'these two, attachment and anger'

Chak = attachment

Dang = anger

Nyi = two

Dang drel wai = being free from

Tang nyöm la ne par gyur chig = 'may [sentient beings] abide in equanimity'

Tang nyöm la = 'in equanimity

Tang nyöm = equanimity

La = in, at, to

Ne par = from nepa 'to abide, dwell in'

Many Tibetan words have multiple meanings and definitions, and can be translated in various ways. Thanks to John Tasevski for this material.