Nyagblɔla 4

1 Emegbe la, melé ŋku ɖe ameteteɖeanyi siwo katã le xexea me la ŋu. Mekpɔ ame siwo wote ɖe anyi la ƒe aɖatsiwo; kpeɖeŋutɔ aɖeke meli na wo o, le esime kpeɖeŋutɔ siwo nye ŋusẽtɔwo la le ameteɖeanyilawo ƒe akpa dzi.

And I turned about, and beheld all the oppressed that are made so under the sun: and, behold, there are the tears of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and from the hand of their oppressors they suffer violence; and they have no comforter.

2 Ale mebu be ame kukuwo tɔ nyo sãa wu agbagbeawo tɔ

Thereupon praised I the dead that are already dead, more than the living who are still alive;

3 eye ame siwo nye dzɔgbenyuitɔwo wu la, woawoe nye ame siwo womedzi o eye womekpɔ vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi kple nu vɔ̃ siwo xɔ xexea me katã la kpɔ o.

And as happier than both of them, him who hath not yet come into being, who hath not seen the evil-doing that is done under the sun.—

4 Megadze sii hã be nu si dɔa amewo ɖa be woaku kutri awɔ dɔ hena dzidzedzekpɔkpɔ la tso ŋubiabiã ɖe amehavi ŋu gbɔ. Ke esia hã nye bometsitsi kple dagbadagba ɖe yame ko.

Again, I beheld all the toil, and all the energy in doing, that it is [from] the envy of one man of his neighbor. Also this is vanity and a torture of the spirit.

5 Bometsila bla asi ɖe akɔnu eye wògblẽ eɖokui dome.

The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.

6 Nu asiʋlo ɖeka si ŋuti ŋutifafa le la nyo wu nu asiʋlo eve si ŋuti sreɖidzedze kple dagbadagba ɖe yame kpe ɖo.

Better is a handful of quiet, than both the hands full of toil and torture of spirit.

7 Megalé ŋku ɖe movidzɔdzɔ tɔgbi aɖe si le xexea me godoo la hã ŋu.

Then I turned about, and I saw a vanity under the sun.

8 Nu sia ku ɖe ŋutsu aɖe si si viŋutsu alo vinyɔnu aɖeke mele o la ŋu, ke ŋutsu sia wɔa dɔ sesĩe matsomatsoe, eye wòƒoa kesinɔnuwo nu ƒu. Ame kae wòagblẽ nu siawo katã ɖi na? Nu ka ta wòle nu gbem le eɖokui gbɔ nenema? Viɖe aɖeke kura mele eme o.

There is one alone, and he hath not a companion; yea, he hath neither son nor brother: yet is there no end to all his toil; his eye also is not satisfied with riches. Yet for whom do I toil, and deprive my soul of good? Also this is vanity, yea, it is a bad employment.

9 Ame eve ate ŋu awɔ dɔ wu ame ɖeka ƒe dɔwɔwɔ ƒe teƒe eve elabena woƒe nukpɔkpɔ anyo sãa wu.

Two are better than one; because they will have a good reward for their toil.

10 Ne ɖeka dze anyi la, evelia afɔe, ke ne amea nye ɖeka eye wòdze anyi la, egena ɖe fukpekpe me.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to the single one that falleth; for he hath no companion to lift him up.

11 Hekpe ɖe esia ŋu la, ame eve siwo tsyɔ kundru ɖeka le vuvɔŋɔli le zã me la kpɔa dzoxɔxɔ tso wo nɔewo gbɔ, ke aleke ame ɖeka ate ŋu ade dzo lãme na eɖokui?

Also, if two lie together, then will they become warm; but how can one person alone become warm?

12 Gawu la, woate ŋu aɖu ame ɖeka dzi bɔbɔe gake ame eve ate ŋu anɔ akpa ɖeka eye woaɖu dzi. Nu si ganyo wu esiae nye, ame etɔ̃ nanɔ akpa ɖeka elabena ka si wotsɔ ka sue etɔ̃ lɔ̃e la menya lãna bɔbɔe o.

And if a man could overpower him, the single one, two would stand up against him: and a threefold cord cannot quickly be torn asunder.

13 Enyo be ame nanye ɖekakpui nyanu si da ahe wu be wòanye fia tsitsi aɖe si nye bometsila, eye wògbea aɖaŋu ɖe sia ɖe xɔxɔ.

Better is a poor and a wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to be admonished any more.

14 Ɖekakpui ma tɔgbi ate ŋu ado go le gaxɔ me eye xexea me adze edzi nɛ. Ate ŋu aɖu fia gɔ̃ hã togbɔ be wodzii ɖe ahedada me hã.

For out of the prison cometh the one to reign: whereas also in his kingdom the other becometh poor.

15 Ame sia ame tsia dzi be yeakpe ɖe ɖekakpui ma tɔgbi ŋu, woadi be yewoakpe ɖe eŋu wòaxɔ fiazikpui la sesẽtɔe gɔ̃ hã.

I have seen all the living who walk under the sun, being with the second child that is to stand up in his stead.

16 Ate ŋu azu kplɔla na ame akpe akpewo eye ame sia ame alɔ̃e. Ke ne dzidzime yeye la me viwo va tsi la, woɖenɛ le fiazikpui la dzi! Ale esia hã ganye bometsitsi kple dagbadagba ɖe yame ko.

There was no end to all the people, [belonging] to all that have been before them: they also that come after will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a torture of the spirit.—