Ecclesiastes 1
1 Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
Maloba ya Moteyi, mwana mobali ya Davidi, mokonzi na Yelusalemi.
2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.
Pamba na pamba, elobi Moteyi; pamba na pamba, nyonso ezali kaka pamba.
3 What advantage [is] to man by all his labor that he labors at under the sun?
Moto azwaka litomba nini penza na misala nyonso oyo amonelaka pasi na se ya moyi?
4 A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth is standing for all time.
Eleko moko eleki, mpe eleko mosusu eyei, kasi mabele etikalaka kaka seko na seko.
5 Also, the sun has risen, and the sun has gone in, and to its place panting it is rising there.
Moyi ebimaka mpe elalaka, bongo ezongaka na lombangu na esika oyo ebimelaka.
6 Going to the south, and turning around to the north, turning around, turning around, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind has returned.
Mopepe ekeyi na ngambo ya sude, ebaluki na ngambo ya nor, ebaluki-baluki mpe ekeyi lisusu, ezongelaka kaka banzela wana.
7 All the streams are going to the sea, and the sea is not full; to a place to where the streams are going, there they are turning back to go.
Mayi nyonso ekendaka na ebale monene, kasi ebale monene etondaka te; mpe mayi yango ezongaka lisusu epai ewutaka.
8 All these things are wearying; a man is not able to speak, the eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor is the ear filled from hearing.
Makambo nyonso elembisaka, moto oyo akoki kobeta na yango tembe azali te; nzokande, miso etondaka te na kotala, mpe matoyi etondaka te na koyoka.
9 What [is] that which has been? It [is] that which is, and what [is] that which has been done? It [is] that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing under the sun.
Oyo ezalaki ekozala lisusu, oyo esalemaki ekosalema lisusu: likambo ya sika ezalaka te na se ya moyi.
10 There is a thing of which [one] says: “See this, it [is] new!” Already it has been in the ages that were before us!
Boni, ezali penza na likambo moko oyo moto akoki koloba na tina yango: « Tala, oyo penza ezali likambo ya sika? » Te, esila komizalela kala, kala penza liboso ya eleko na biso.
11 There is not a remembrance of former [generations]; and also of the latter that are, there is no remembrance of them with those that are at the last.
Ndenge bato bayebaka lisusu bato ya kala te, ndenge wana mpe bato oyo bakoya sima bakotikala koyeba bango te na bato oyo bakolanda.
12 I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Ngai, Moteyi, nazalaki mokonzi ya Isalaele, na Yelusalemi.
13 And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that has been done under the heavens. It [is] a sad travail God has given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.
Namipesaki mpo na koyekola mpe kososola na nzela ya bwanya, makambo nyonso oyo esalemaka na se ya moyi. Nzokande, ezali na yango kaka mosala ya mpunda oyo Nzambe apesa na bana ya bato mpo ete bamonela yango pasi!
14 I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and behold, the whole [is] vanity and distress of spirit!
Namona misala nyonso oyo esalemaka na se ya moyi; nyonso wana ezali kaka pamba, ezali lokola moto azali kolanda mopepe.
15 A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.
Bakoki te kosembola eloko oyo etengama, bakoki mpe te kotanga eloko oyo ezali te.
16 I spoke with my heart, saying, “I, behold, have magnified and added wisdom above everyone who has been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart has seen wisdom and knowledge abundantly.
Namilobelaki: « Tala, nakolisi mpe nabakisi bwanya mingi koleka moto nyonso oyo azalaki liboso na ngai, na Yelusalemi. » Motema na ngai etondaki penza na bwanya mpe na boyebi ebele.
17 And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this [is] distress of spirit;
Namipesaki makasi mpo na koyekola bwanya mpe, lisusu, makambo ya bozoba mpe ya liboma; kasi nasosolaki ete yango mpe ezali kaka lokola moto azali kolanda mopepe.
18 for in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who adds knowledge adds pain.”
Pamba te kozala na bwanya mingi ememelaka moto pasi, mpe kozala na mayele mingi etungisaka motema.
