1 T here is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:

وَرَأيتُ ظُلْماً يُثقِلُ حَياةَ النّاسِ فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيا.

2 a man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

يُعْطِي اللهُ إنساناً ما ثَرْوَةً وَغِنَى وَكَرامَةً. فِي مُتَناوَلِ يَدَيهِ كُلُّ ما يَحتاجُ وَيَشْتَهِي. لَكِنَّ اللهَ لا يُمْهِلُهُ لِكَي يَتَمَتَّعَ بِما لَدَيهِ، وَيَأْتِي غَرِيبٌ وَيَسْتَولِي عَلَى كلِّ شَيءٍ لَهُ. هَذا أمْرٌ مُحزِنٌ جِدّاً وَزائِلٌ.

3 I f a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

قَدْ يَطُولُ العُمْرُ بِإنْسانٍ، وَقَدْ يُنجِبُ مِئَةَ ابْنٍ. لَكِنْ إنْ لَمْ يَتَمَتَّعْ بِهَذا كُلِّهِ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ قَبْرٌ بِاسْمِهِ، فَإنَّ طِفلاً ماتَ عِندَ وِلادَتِهِ أفضَلُ مِنهُ.

4 F or he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.

فَقَدْ وُلِدَ بَلا مَعنىً، وَدُفِنَ قَبْرٍ مُظلِمٍ، وَلَمْ يَحمِلْ حَتَّى اسْماً.

5 M oreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.

لَمْ يَرَ الشَّمْسَ وَلَمْ يَتَعَلَّمْ شَيئاً، لَكِنَّهُ يَجِدُ راحَةً أكْثَرَ مِنْ غَيرِهِ.

6 Y ea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?

حَتَّى لَوْ عاشَ ألفَي سَنَةٍ، وَلَمْ يَتَمَتَّعْ بِحَياتِهِ، ألَيسَتْ لِكِلَيهِما نِهايَةٌ واحِدَةٌ؟

7 A ll the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

يَعمَلُ الإنْسانُ مِنْ أجلِ بَطنِهِ. غَيرَ أنَّهُ لا يَشبَعُ أبَداً.

8 F or what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

فَبِماذا يَتَمَيَّزُ الحَكِيمُ عَنِ الأحْمَقِ فِي هَذا؟ وَماذا يَنتَفِعُ الفَقيرُ بِأنْ يَتَعَلَّمَ حُسْنَ السُّلُوكِ؟

9 B etter is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

الاكْتِفاءُ بِما يَملِكُهُ الإنْسِانُ أفْضَلُ مِنَ الرَّغْبَةِ بِالمَزِيدِ. هَذا أيضاً فارِغٌ وَكَمُطارَدَةِ الرِّيحِ.

10 T hat which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.

ما حَدَثَ تَحَدَّدَ مِنَ الأصلِ. وَلَنْ يَكُونَ الإنْسانُ إلّا ما خُلِقَ لِيَكُونَهُ. لِذلِكَ لا يَقدِرُ أنْ يُجادِلَ اللهَ فِي هَذا. فَاللهُ أقوَى مِنْهُ.

11 S eeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?

أمّا كَثْرَةُ الكَلامِ فِي هَذا الأمْرِ فَهِيَ بِلا مَعْنَى، وَلا جَدْوَى لأحَدٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ.

12 F or who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

مَنْ يَعرِفُ ما أفضَلُ شَيءٍ لِلإنْسانِ أثْناءَ حَياتِهِ الَّتِي تَمضِي بِسُرْعَةِ الظِلِّ؟ وَمَنْ يَستَطِيعُ أنْ يُخبِرَهُ بِما سَيَحدُثُ بَعْدَهُمْ فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيا؟