1 ¶ So I returned and considered all the violence that is done under the sun and behold the tears of such as are oppressed, and they have no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but the oppressed had no comforter.

وَتَأمَّلْتُ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى ما يَحدُثُ فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيا مِنْ ظُلْمٍ. رَأيتُ دُمُوعَ المَظلُومِينَ، وَلَيْسَ مَنْ يُعَزِّيهِمْ. وَرَأيتُ القُساةَ أصحابَ النُّفُوذِ يُذِيقُونَهُمُ العَذابَ، وَلَيسَ مَنْ يُعَزِّيهِمْ.

2 T herefore I praised the dead who are already dead more than the living who are yet alive.

فَوَجَدْتُ أنَّ الأمْواتَ أفضَلُ حالاً مِنَ الأحياءِ.

3 A nd I thought that better is he than both of them who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil works that are done under the sun.

وَأفضَلُ مِنْ هَذا وَذاكَ، الَّذِينَ يَمُوتُونَ عِنْدَ وِلادَتِهِمْ، لِأنَّهُمْ لا يَشهَدُونَ الشُّرُورَ الَّتِي يَعمَلُها النّاسُ فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيا. لِماذا العَمَلُ الشّاق؟

4 ¶ Again, I considered all travail and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

ثُمَّ رأيْتُ أنَّ النّاسَ مَدفُوعُونَ إلَى العَمَلِ وَالرَّغبَةِ فِي النَّجاحِ بِسَبَبِ غَيرَتِهِمْ مِنَ الآخَرِينَ. وَهَذا أيضاً زائِلٌ وَكَمُطارَدَةِ الرِّيحِ.

5 T he fool folds his hands together and eats his own flesh.

يَظَلُّ الأحْمَقُ مَكتُوفَ اليَدَينِ، ثُمَّ يَبدأ بِأكلِ لَحْمِ جِسمِهِ!

6 B etter is a handful with rest than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.

حِفنَةٌ واحِدَةٌ أفضَلُ مِنْ حِفنَتَينِ مَعَ مَشَقَّةٍ شَدِيدَةٍ وَمَعَ مُطارَدَةِ الرِّيحَ.

7 ¶ Then I returned, and I saw another vanity under the sun.

ثُمَّ عُدْتُ فَرَأيتُ شَيئاً زائلاً فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيا:

8 I t is the man who is alone, without a successor, who has neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity and sore travail.

رَجُلاً وَحيداً بلا رَفيقٍ وَلا ابْنٍ وَلا أخٍ. لَكِنَّهُ لا يَتَوَقَّفُ عَنِ العَمَلِ. لا يَشْبَعُ مِنَ المالِ، وَلا يَقُولُ لِنَفْسِهِ لِمَنْ أتعَبُ وَأحرِمُ نَفسِي مِنَ التَّمَتُّعِ بِالحَياةِ؟ هَذا أيضاً شَقاءٌ وَزائِلٌ. الأصدِقاءُ وَالعائِلَةُ مَصدَرُ قُوَّة

9 T wo are better than one because they have a better reward for their labour.

اثْنانِ يَعْمَلانِ مَعاً أفضَلُ مِنْ واحِدٍ، إذْ يَحصُلانِ عَلَى ثَمَرٍ أكبَرَ.

10 F or if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falls, for he has not another to help him up.

وَإنْ ضَعُفَ أحَدُهُما، يَسنِدُهُ الآخَرُ. لَكِنْ ما أسوَأ حالَ مَنْ يَكُونُ وَحدَهُ وَيَسْقُطُ! إذْ لَيسَ هُناكَ مَنْ يُعِينُهُ.

11 A gain, if two sleep together, then they have heat, but how can one be warm alone?

إنْ نامَ اثْنانِ مَعاً، فَأحَدُهُما يُدَفِئُ الآخَرَ. أمّا الَّذِي يَنامُ وَحدَهُ، فَمِنْ أينَ يَأْتِيهِ الدِّفءُ؟

12 A nd if one prevails against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

قَدْ يَقوَى عَدُوٌّ عَلَى واحِدٍ بِمُفرَدِهِ، لَكِنَّهُ لا يَقوَى عَلَى اثْنَينِ مَعاً. وَالحَبلُ المَثلُوثُ لا يَنقَطِعُ بِسُهُولَةٍ. النّاسُ وَالسِّياسَةُ وَالشَّعْبِيَّة

13 ¶ Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king who will no longer be admonished.

قائِدٌ شابٌّ فَقِيرٌ لَكِنْ حَكِيمٌ خَيرٌ مِنْ مَلِكٍ شَيخٍ لَكِنْ أحْمَقَ لا يُعطِي آذاناً صاغِيَةً لِلتَّحذِيراتِ.

14 F or he came out of prison to reign, even though he was born poor into his kingdom.

رُبَّما وُلِدَ ذَلِكَ الشّابُّ فَقِيراً فِي المَملَكَةِ، وَرُبَّما خَرَجَ مِنَ السِّجنِ لِيَتَوَلَّى قِيادَةَ البَلَدِ.

15 I saw all the living who are under the sun walking with the child, the successor that shall stand up in his stead.

لَكِنِّي رَأيْتُ جَمِيعَ البَشَرَ فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيا، يَتبَعُونَ ذَلِكَ القائِدَ الشّابَّ، وَسَيصِيرُ المَلِكَ الجَدِيدَ.

16 T here is no end of all the people that have been before them; those also that come after shall not be content in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

وَسَتَتبَعُهُ أعدادٌ لا تُحصَى مِنَ النّاسِ. لَكِنْ فِيما بَعْدُ، لَنْ يَعُودَ هَؤُلاءِ النّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ. فَهَذا أيضاً زائِلٌ وَكَمُطارَدَةِ الرِّيحِ.