1 T hen I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they 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 have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.

فَوَجَدْتُ أنَّ الأمْواتَ أفضَلُ حالاً مِنَ الأحياءِ.

3 Y es, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is 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 T hen I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

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 ruins himself.

يَظَلُّ الأحْمَقُ مَكتُوفَ اليَدَينِ، ثُمَّ يَبدأ بِأكلِ لَحْمِ جِسمِهِ!

6 B etter is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and chasing after wind.

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

7 T hen I returned and saw vanity under the sun.

ثُمَّ عُدْتُ فَرَأيتُ شَيئاً زائلاً فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيا:

8 T here is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. “For whom then, do I labor, and deprive my soul of enjoyment?” This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business.

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 good reward for their labor.

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 who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift 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 lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone?

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

12 I f a man prevails against one who is alone, 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 B etter is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who doesn’t know how to receive admonition any more.

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

14 F or out of prison he came out to be king; yes, even in his kingdom he was born poor.

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

15 I saw all the living who walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the other, who succeeded him.

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

16 T here was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was—yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

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