Ecclesiastes 1
1 The wordis of Ecclesiastes, sone of Dauid, the kyng of Jerusalem.
word preacher son: child David king in/on/with Jerusalem
2 The vanyte of vanytees, seide Ecclesiastes; the vanyte of vanytees, and alle thingis ben vanite.
vanity vanity to say preacher vanity vanity [the] all vanity
3 What hath a man more of alle his trauel, bi which he traueilith vndur the sunne?
what? advantage to/for man in/on/with all trouble his which/that to toil underneath: under [the] sun
4 Generacioun passith awei, and generacioun cometh; but the erthe stondith with outen ende.
generation to go: went and generation to come (in): come and [the] land: country/planet to/for forever: enduring to stand: stand
5 The sunne risith, and goith doun, and turneth ayen to his place;
and to rise [the] sun and to come (in): come [the] sun and to(wards) place his to long for to rise he/she/it there
6 and there it risith ayen, and cumpassith bi the south, and turneth ayen to the north. The spirit cumpassynge alle thingis goith `in cumpas, and turneth ayen in to hise cerclis.
to go: walk to(wards) south and to turn: turn to(wards) north to turn: surround to turn: surround to go: walk [the] spirit: breath and upon around him to return: return [the] spirit: breath
7 Alle floodis entren in to the see, and the see fletith not ouer the markis set of God; the floodis turnen ayen to the place fro whennus tho comen forth, that tho flowe eft.
all [the] torrent: river to go: walk to(wards) [the] sea and [the] sea nothing he full to(wards) place which/that [the] torrent: river to go: walk there they(masc.) to return: return to/for to go: walk
8 Alle thingis ben hard; a man may not declare tho thingis bi word; the iye is not fillid bi siyt, nether the eere is fillid bi hering.
all [the] word: thing weary not be able man: anyone to/for to speak: speak not to satisfy eye to/for to see: see and not to fill ear from to hear: hear
9 What is that thing that was, that that schal come? What is that thing that is maad, that that schal be maad?
what? which/that to be he/she/it which/that to be and what? (which/that to make: do *L(abh)*) he/she/it which/that to make: do and nothing all new underneath: under [the] sun
10 No thing vndir the sunne is newe, nether ony man may seie, Lo! this thing is newe; for now it yede bifore in worldis, that weren bifore vs.
there word: thing which/that to say to see: behold! this new he/she/it already to be to/for forever: antiquity which to be from to/for face: before our
11 Mynde of the formere thingis is not, but sotheli nether thenkyng of tho thingis, that schulen come afterward, schal be at hem that schulen come in the last tyme.
nothing memorial to/for first: previous and also to/for last which/that to be not to be to/for them memorial with which/that to be to/for last
12 I Ecclesiastes was king of Israel in Jerusalem;
I preacher to be king upon Israel in/on/with Jerusalem
13 and Y purposide in my soule to seke and enserche wiseli of alle thingis, that ben maad vndur the sunne. God yaf this werste ocupacioun to the sones of men, that thei schulden be ocupied therynne.
and to give: put [obj] heart my to/for to seek and to/for to spy in/on/with wisdom upon all which to make: do underneath: under [the] heaven he/she/it task bad: harmful to give: put God to/for son: child [the] man to/for be occupied in/on/with him
14 I siy alle thingis that ben maad vndur the sunne, and lo! alle thingis ben vanyte and turment of spirit.
to see: see [obj] all [the] deed: work which/that to make: do underneath: under [the] sun and behold [the] all vanity and longing spirit: breath
15 Weiward men ben amendid of hard; and the noumbre of foolis is greet with outen ende.
to pervert not be able to/for be straight and deficiency not be able to/for to count
16 I spak in myn herte, and Y seide, Lo! Y am made greet, and Y passide in wisdom alle men, that weren bifore me in Jerusalem; and my soule siy many thingis wiseli, and Y lernede.
to speak: speak I with heart my to/for to say I behold to magnify and to add wisdom upon all which to be to/for face: before my upon Jerusalem and heart my to see: examine to multiply wisdom and knowledge
17 And Y yaf myn herte, that Y schulde knowe prudence and doctryn, and errours and foli. And Y knew that in these thingis also was trauel and turment of spirit;
and to give: put [emph?] heart my to/for to know wisdom and to know madness and folly to know which/that also this he/she/it striving spirit: breath
18 for in myche wisdom is myche indignacioun, and he that encressith kunnyng, encreessith also trauel.
for in/on/with abundance wisdom many vexation and to add knowledge to add pain
