1 و َقُلْتُ لِنَفسِي: «لِمَ لا أُجَرِّبُ اللَّذّاتِ وَأتَمَتَّعُ بِالحَياةِ.» فَوَجَدْتُ أنَّ هَذا أيضاً فارِغٌ.

I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with things that are fun. So have a good time.” But see, this also was for nothing.

2 م ِنَ الحُمقِ أنْ يَضحَكَ الإنسانُ طَوالَ الوَقتِ. وَلا فائِدَةَ مِنَ التَّمَتُّعِ الدّائِمِ بِالمَلَذّاتِ.

I said of laughing, “It is crazy,” and of fun, “What use is it?”

3 و َقَرَّرْتُ أنْ أُنعِشَ جَسَدِي بِالخَمْرِ بَينَما أملأُ قَلبِيَ بِالحِكْمَةِ. جَرَّبْتُ الحَماقَةَ، لأُحَقِّقَ أقصَى قَدْرٍ مِنَ السَّعادَةِ يُمكِنُ أنْ يُحَقِّقَهُ إنسانٌ طَوالَ حَياتِهِ فِي هَذا العالَمِ. هَلْ يَجلِبُ العَمَلُ الشّاقُّ السَّعادَةَ؟

I tried to find in my mind how to make my body happy with wine, yet at the same time having my mind lead me with wisdom. I tried to find how to take hold of what is foolish, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven during the few years of their lives.

4 ث ُمَّ بَدَأْتُ أعمَلُ أعمالاً عَظِيمَةً. فَبَنَيتُ بُيُوتاً. وَغَرَسْتُ كُرُوماً لِنَفسِي.

I did great things. I built houses for myself. I planted grape-fields for myself.

5 غ َرَسْتُ بَساتِينَ، وَأنشَأْتُ حَدائِقَ. غَرَسْتُ كُلَّ أنواعِ الشَّجَرِ المُثمِرِ.

I made gardens and beautiful places for myself, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees.

6 ع َمِلْتُ بِرَكَ ماءٍ لِنَفسِي، وَسَقَيتُ مِنْها بَساتِينِي.

I made pools of water for myself from which to water many new trees.

7 ا قتَنَيتُ عَبِيداً وَجَوارِيَ. وَصارَ أبناؤُهُمُ الَّذِينَ وُلِدُوا لَهُمْ عَبِيداً فِي بَيتِي أيضاً. مَلَكْتُ الكَثِيرَ. كانَتْ لِي قُطعانٌ مِنَ البَقَرِ وَالمَواشِيَ. فَامتَلَكْتُ أكثَرَ مِنْ كُلِّ المُلُوكِ الَّذِينَ حَكَمُوا فِي القُدْسِ قَبلِي.

I bought men and women servants, and had other servants who were born in my house. I had more flocks and cattle than anyone before me in Jerusalem.

8 ك َوَّمْتُ فِضَّةً وَذَهَباً لِنَفسِي. وَمِنَ المُلُوكِ وَالشُّعُوبِ تَلَقَّيتُ كُنُوزاً وَهَدايا. وَكانَتْ لَدَيَّ الجَوارِي وَالمُغَنِّياتُ. وَتَمَتَّعْتُ بِكُلِّ ما يُمكِنُ أنْ يَتَمَتَّعَ بِهِ مَلِكٌ.

I gathered for myself silver and gold and the riches of kings and lands. I got for myself male and female singers, and kept many women who acted as my wives, the joy of man.

9 ص ِرْتُ عَظِيماً وَتَفَوَّقْتُ عَلَى جَمِيعِ الَّذِينَ عاشُوا فِي القُدْسِ قَبلِي. وَظَلَّتْ حِكمَتِي مَعِي لِتُعِينَنِي.

Then I became great, greater than all who lived before me in Jerusalem. And my wisdom stayed with me.

10 ك ُلَّما اشْتَهَتْ عَينايَ شَيئاً، سارَعْتُ إلَى الحُصُولِ عَلَيهِ. وَلَمْ أبخَلْ عَلَى نَفسِي بِكُلِّ ما يُفرِحُها. فَكانَتْ تِلكَ السَّعادَةُ ثَمَرَ كُلِّ تَعَبِي.

Whatever my eyes wanted I did not keep away from them. I did not keep my heart from anything that was pleasing, for my heart was pleased with all my work. This was my reward for all my work.

11 ث ُمَّ تَفَحَّصْتُ كُلَّ ما عَمِلْتُهُ، وَالثَّروَةَ الَّتِي جَمَعْتُها، فَوَجَدْتُ أنَّ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ زائِلٌ وَكَمُطارَدَةِ الرِّيحِ. وَما مِنْ فائِدَةٍ فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيا. هَلِ الحِكْمَةُ هِيَ الجَواب؟

Then I thought about all that my hands had done, and the work I had done. I saw that it was all for nothing. It was like trying to catch the wind, and there was nothing to get for it under the sun. The End of the Wise Man or Fool

12 ف َقَرَّرْتُ أنْ أخُوضَ فِي مَعانِي الحِكمَةِ وَالجُنُونِ وَالحَماقَةِ. فَماذا يَقدِرُ المَلِكُ الَّذِي يَحْكُمُ بَعْدَ أبيهِ أنْ يَفعَلَ؟ فَلَيسَ مِنْ جَدِيدٍ يَفعَلُهُ.

So I turned to think about wisdom and what is crazy and foolish. For what can the man do who comes after the king, except what has already been done?

13 ث ُمَّ رِايْتُ أنَّ الحِكْمَةَ أفضَلُ مِنَ الحَماقَةِ، كَما أنَّ النُّورَ أفضَلُ مِنَ الظُّلمَةِ.

And I saw that wisdom is better than what is foolish, as light is better than darkness.

14 ف َالحَكِيمُ عَيناهُ يَقِظَتانِ فِي رَأسِهِ، أمّا الأحْمَقُ فَكَمَنْ يَمشِي فِي العَتْمَةِ. لَكِنِّي أدرَكتُ أنَّ الأحْمَقَ وَالحَكِيمَ يَنتَهِيانِ إلَى مَصِيرٍ واحِدٍ.

The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I know that one thing will happen to both of them.

15 ف َقُلْتُ لِنَفسِي: «لَنْ يَختَلِفَ مَصِيرِي عَنْ مَصِيرِ الجاهِلِ. فَلِماذا أتعَبُ فِي السَّعِيِ إلَى الحِكْمَةِ؟» وَقُلْتُ لِنَفسِي: «هَذا أيضاً زائِلٌ.

Then I said to myself, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” So I said to myself, “This also is for nothing.”

16 ا لاثنانِ يَمُوتانِ، الحَكِيمُ وَالأحْمَقُ! وَلَنْ يَذكُرَ النّاسُ أيّاً مِنْهُما إلَى الأبَدِ. سَرْعانَ ما سَيَنسَى النّاسُ كُلَّ ما فَعَلاهُ. وَهَكَذا لا فَرقَ بَينَ الحَكِيمِ وَالأحْمَقِ.» هَلِ السَّعادَةُ مُمكِنَةٌ فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيا؟

For the wise man will not be remembered forever any more than the fool. All will be forgotten in the days to come. The wise man dies just like the fool!

17 ف َكَرِهْتُ الحَياةَ. أحْزَنَنِي جَميعُ ما عَمِلَهُ النّاسُ فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيا، لأنَّهُ زائِلٌ وَكَمُطارَدَةِ الرِّيحِ.

So I hated life. For the work which had been done under the sun brought sorrow to me. Because everything is for nothing and is like trying to catch the wind.

18 و َكَرَهتُ كُلَّ ما أنجَزْتُهُ وَجَمَعْتُهُ نَتِيجَةَ تَعَبِي فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيا، إذْ رَأيتُ أنَّنِي سَأتْرُكُ كُلَّ شَيءٍ لِمَنْ هُمْ بَعْدِي.

I hated what came from all my work which I had done under the sun. For I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

19 س َيَأْتِي آخَرُونَ لِيَسْتَولُوا عَلَى كُلِّ ما تَعِبْتُ فِيهِ وَخَطَّطَتُ لَهُ بِحِكْمَةٍ فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيا. وَلا أدرِي إنْ كانُوا سَيكُونُونَ حُكَماءَ أمْ حَمْقَى. هَذا أيْضاً فارِغٌ.

And who knows if he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will rule over all that I have worked for by acting with wisdom under the sun. This also is for nothing.

20 ف َعُدَّتُ وَسَلَّمْتُ قَلبِي لِليَأسِ، وَنَدِمْتُ عَلَى كُلِّ جَهْدٍ بَذَلْتُهُ فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيا.

So I was filled with sorrow for all I had worked for under the sun.

21 ر ُبَّما يَنجَحُ إنْسانٌ حِينَ يَستَخدِمُ حِكمَتَهُ وَمَهارَتَهُ. غَيرَ أنَّهُ يَمُوتُ تارِكاً كُلَّ ثِمارِ تَعَبِهِ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَتعَبُ فِيها. وَهَذا أيضاً مُحْزِنٌ وَفارِغٌ.

For here is a man who has worked with wisdom, much learning, and an able hand. Yet he must give this to one who has not worked for it. This also is for nothing, and very wrong.

22 م ا الَّذِي يَجنِيهِ الإنسانُ حَقّاً بَعْدَ كُلِّ تَعَبِهِ وَجِهادِهِ فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيا؟

For what does a man get from all his work and trouble under the sun?

23 ن َصِيبُهُ مِنَ الأيّامِ أحزانٌ وَإحْباطاتٌ وَأعْمالٌ شاقَّةٌ. حَتَّى فِي اللَّيلِ يَظَلُّ القَلَقُ يُلاحِقُهُ. هَذا أيضاً زائِلٌ.

For his work brings pain and sorrow all his days. Even during the night his mind does not rest. This also is for nothing.

24 أ َلَيسَ أفضَلُ لِلإنْسانِ أنْ يَأْكُلَ وَيَشْرَبَ وَيَتَمَتَّعَ بِما يَنْبَغِيُ عَلَيهِ عَمَلُهُ؟ فَهَذا فَضلٌ مِنَ اللهِ.

There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and find joy in his work. I have seen that this also is from the hand of God.

25 ف َمَنْ قَطَفَ مِنْ مُتَعِ الحَياةِ وَمَلَذّاتِها أكثَرَ مِنِّي؟

For who can eat and who can find joy without Him?

26 إ نْ فَعَلَ أحَدٌ صَلاحاً وَأرْضَى اللهَ، حِينَئِذٍ، يُعطِيهِ اللهُ حِكمَةً وَمَعرِفَةً وَفَرَحاً. أمّا الخاطِئُ فَلا يُعطِيهِ اللهُ إلّا جَمْعَ الأشياءِ وَتَكوِيمَها. فَيَأْخُذُها اللهُ مِنْهُ وَيُعطِيها لإنْسانٍ يُرضِيهِ. فَهَذا كُلُّهُ زائِلٌ وَكَمُطارَدَةِ الرِّيحِ.

For God has given wisdom and much learning and joy to the person who is good in God’s eyes. But to the sinner He has given the work of gathering and getting many riches together to give to the one who pleases God. This also is for nothing, like trying to catch the wind.