Ecclesiastes 6
1 Also another yuel is, which Y siy vndur the sunne; and certis it is oft vsid anentis men.
[Est et aliud malum quod vidi sub sole, et quidem frequens apud homines:
2 A man is, to whom God yaf richessis, and catel, and onour; and no thing failith to his soule of alle thingis which he desirith; and God yyueth not power to hym, that he ete therof, but a straunge man shal deuoure it. This is vanyte, and a greet wretchidnesse.
vir cui dedit Deus divitias, et substantiam, et honorem, et nihil deest animæ suæ ex omnibus quæ desiderat; nec tribuit ei potestatem Deus ut comedat ex eo, sed homo extraneus vorabit illud: hoc vanitas et miseria magna est.
3 If a man gendrith an hundrid fre sones, and lyueth many yeris, and hath many daies of age, and his soule vsith not the goodis of his catel, and wantith biriyng; Y pronounce of this man, that a deed borun child is betere than he.
Si genuerit quispiam centum liberos, et vixerit multos annos, et plures dies ætatis habuerit, et anima illius non utatur bonis substantiæ suæ, sepulturaque careat: de hoc ergo pronuntio quod melior illo sit abortivus.
4 For he cometh in veyn, and goith to derknessis; and his name schal be don a wei bi foryetyng.
Frustra enim venit, et pergit ad tenebras, et oblivione delebitur nomen ejus.
5 He siy not the sunne, nether knew dyuersyte of good and of yuel;
Non vidit solem, neque cognovit distantiam boni et mali.
6 also thouy he lyueth twei thousynde yeeris, and vsith not goodis; whether alle thingis hasten not to o place?
Etiam si duobus millibus annis vixerit, et non fuerit perfruitus bonis, nonne ad unum locum properant omnia?
7 Al the trauel of a man is in his mouth, but the soule of hym schal not be fillid with goodis.
Omnis labor hominis in ore ejus; sed anima ejus non implebitur.
8 What hath a wijs man more than a fool? and what hath a pore man, no but that he go thidur, where is lijf?
Quid habet amplius sapiens a stulto? et quid pauper, nisi ut pergat illuc ubi est vita?
9 It is betere to se that, that thou coueitist, than to desire that, that thou knowist not; but also this is vanyte, and presumpcioun of spirit.
Melius est videre quod cupias, quam desiderare quod nescias. Sed et hoc vanitas est, et præsumptio spiritus.
10 The name of hym that schal come, is clepid now, and it is knowun, that he is a man, and he mai not stryue in doom ayens a strongere than hym silf.
Qui futurus est, jam vocatum est nomen ejus; et scitur quod homo sit, et non possit contra fortiorem se in judicio contendere.
11 Wordis ben ful manye, and han myche vanyte in dispuytinge.
Verba sunt plurima, multamque in disputando habentia vanitatem.]
12 What nede is it to a man to seke grettere thingis than hym silf; sithen he knowith not, what schal bifalle to hym in his lijf, in the noumbre of daies of his pilgrimage, and in the tyme that passith as schadowe? ether who may schewe to hym, what thing vndur sunne schal come aftir hym?
[Quid necesse est homini majora se quærere, cum ignoret quid conducat sibi in vita sua, numero dierum peregrinationis suæ, et tempore quod velut umbra præterit? aut quis ei poterit indicare quod post eum futurum sub sole sit?
