< Nyagblɔla 2 >
1 Megblɔ na ɖokuinye be, “Enyo, kpɔ dzidzɔ eye nàɖu agbe azɔ, abe ale si nàte ŋui ene.” Ke mekpɔe be esia hã nye tofloko ko
I SAID in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also was vanity.
2 elabena megblɔ be enye movidzɔdzɔ be woanɔ nu kom ɖaa; nyui kae doa go tso eme?
I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
3 Ale le tamebubu geɖe megbe la, meɖo be matsɔ ahanono ado dzidzɔ na ɖokuinye, gake maganɔ nunya yome tim. Medi be malé bometsitsi ɖe asi goŋgoŋgoŋ va se ɖe esime madze si nu si anyo na amegbetɔwo be woawɔ le dziƒoa te le woƒe ŋkeke sue si me woanɔ agbe la.
I searched in mine heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, mine heart yet guiding [me] with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
4 Mewɔ nu gãwo na ɖokuinye: metu xɔwo, mede waingblewo,
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
5 mewɔ abɔwo kple yaxɔƒewo, medo atiwo kple kutsetseti ɖe sia ɖe ƒomevi ɖe wo me.
I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit:
6 Meɖe tsitawo ale be mate ŋu aku tsi tso wo me ade ati siwo medo ɖe ave aɖe me.
I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the forest where trees were reared:
7 Meƒle kluviwo kple kosiwo, eye wodzi ɖewo le nye ŋutɔ nye aƒe me. Nyiwo kple alẽwo sɔ gbɔ ɖe asinye fũu wu fia siwo nɔ Yerusalem do ŋgɔ nam la si.
I bought menservants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Jerusalem:
8 Mena fiawo kple dutatɔwo dzɔ klosalo kple sika nam. Meɖo ŋutsuwo kple nyɔnuwo ƒe hadzihawo, kpẽkuhawo kple ʋuƒohawo da ɖi. Hekpe ɖe esiawo ŋu la, nye ahiãviwo dze tugbe, eye wosɔ gbɔ fũu.
I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, concubines very many.
9 Ale mexɔ ŋkɔ wu Fia bubu ɖe sia ɖe si nɔ Yerusalem kpɔ. Gawu la, meke ŋku ɖi be mate ŋu ade dzesi nu siawo katã ƒe asixɔxɔ.
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
10 Mewɔ nu sia nu si dze ŋunye eye nyemehe ɖokuinye ɖa tso dzidzɔkpɔkpɔ aɖeke ƒomevi gbɔ o. Dɔ sesẽ wɔwɔ gɔ̃ hã do dzidzɔ nam. Le nyateƒe me la, dzidzɔkpɔkpɔ sia koe nye nye agbagbadzedzewo katã ƒe fetu.
And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them: I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labour; and this was my portion from all my labour.
11 Ke esi melé ŋku ɖe nu siwo katã mete kpɔ ŋu la, medze sii be wo katã nye tofloko kple yamenu ko, eye viɖe aɖeke mele naneke ŋu le afi aɖeke o.
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 Azɔ la, meɖo be malé ŋku ɖe nunya, tsukuku kple bometsitsi ŋu, elabena nu bubu ka ame si ava ɖe fia yome la ate ŋu awɔ? Nu si tututu wowɔ va yi la koe!
And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness and folly; for what [can] the man [do] that cometh after the king? [even] that which hath been already done.
13 Mekpɔe be viɖe le nunya ŋu wu bometsitsi abe ale si kekeli nyo wu viviti ene.
Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
14 Nunyala kpɔa nu le esime bometsila zɔa viviti me. Ke mede dzesii be nu ɖeka ma ke koe dzɔna ɖe nunyala kple bometsila siaa dzi.
The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness: and yet I perceived that one event happeneth to them all.
15 Eya ta megblɔ le nye dzi me be ale si bometsila aku la, nenema tututue nye hã makue, eya ta viɖe kae le nunya ŋu nam? Medze sii azɔ be nunya gɔ̃ hã, toflokoe;
Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also was vanity.
16 elabena nunyala kple bometsila siaa le kuku ge eye woaŋlɔ wo ame eveawo be keŋkeŋ le ŋkeke siwo gbɔna la me.
For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will have been already forgotten. And how doth the wise man die even as the fool!
17 Eya ta azɔ la, melé fu agbenɔnɔ blibo la, elabena susu aɖeke mele nu siwo wowɔna le ɣea te la dometɔ aɖeke me o, elabena wo katã nye tofloko kple dagbadagba ɖe yame ko.
So I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me: for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
18 Nu si gate ɖe dzinyee nye magblẽ nye dagbadagbawo katã ƒe metsonu ɖi na ame bubuwo.
And I hated all my labour wherein I laboured under the sun: seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
19 Ame kae anya do ŋgɔ ne vinye ŋutsu anye nunyala loo alo bometsila? Evɔa, ele be woatsɔ nu sia nu si le asinye la nɛ! Esia hã nye tofloko ko!
And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity.
20 Ale metrɔ be mana dzi naɖe le ƒonye le dɔ siwo katã mewɔ le ɣea te la ŋu,
Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour wherein I had laboured under the sun.
21 elabena ame aɖe li si tsɔ nunya kple gɔmesese kple aɖaŋu wɔ eƒe dɔe, ke ele nɛ be wòagblẽ nu siwo wòkpɔ tso dɔwɔwɔ me la ɖi na ame aɖe si mewɔ naneke kura tso dɔ la ŋu o la, woazu etɔ. Esia hã anye tofloko kple nu vɔ̃ɖi aɖe
For there is a man whose labour is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skilfulness; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 elabena nu ka ame kpɔna tso eƒe dagbadagba kple eƒe dzi ƒe agbagbadzedze le dɔ siwo katã wòwɔna le ɣea te ŋu la me?
For what hath a man of all his labour, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboureth under the sun?
23 Kpɔ ɖa, eƒe ŋkekewo katã nye vevesese ko eye eƒe dɔwɔwɔwo katã nye nuxaxa ko. Le zã me gɔ̃ hã la, eƒe dzi mekpɔa gbɔdzɔe o. Esia gɔ̃ hã nye tofloko ko.
For all his days are [but] sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.
24 Ale metso nya me be naneke meli si nyo na amegbetɔ wu be wòaɖu nu, ano nu eye wòana eƒe luʋɔ nakpɔ dzidzɔ le eƒe agbagbadzedzewo ŋu o. Mekpɔe be esia hã, Mawu ƒe asimee wòtsona,
There is nothing better for a man [than] that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
25 elabena ame kae ate ŋu ato Mawu megbe aɖu nu alo aɖu agbe?
For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?
26 Elabena Mawu naa nunya, gɔmesese kple dzidzɔ ame siwo ŋu wòkpɔ ŋudzedze le, ke etsɔa dɔ sesẽ wɔwɔ na nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo be woaƒo ƒu nu alo ali kɔ nu, ale be Mawu natsɔ wo ana ame si dze eŋu. Ale eme kɔ ƒãa be esia hã nye tofloko kple dagbadagba ɖe yame ko ƒe kpɔɖeŋu.
For to the man that pleaseth him [God] giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that pleaseth God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.