Nyagblɔla 1
1 Esiawoe nye Nyagblɔla Solomo, Fia David si nɔ Yerusalem la ƒe viŋutsu ƒe nyawo:
These are the words of the Teacher, the descendant of David and king in Jerusalem.
2 Le nye nugɔmesese nu la, viɖe aɖeke mele naneke ŋu o; nu sia nu nye tofloko ko.
The Teacher says this. “Like a vapor of mist, like a breeze in the wind, everything vanishes, leaving many questions.
3 Viɖe kae ame kpɔna tso agbagba siwo katã wòdzena le ɣea te la me?
What profit does mankind gain from all the work that they labor at under the sun?
4 Dzidzime ɖeka nu va yina eye bubu vana, ke anyigba ya ganɔa anyi nenema ko tegbee.
One generation goes, and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
5 Ɣe hã dzena eye wòɖoa to; eɖea abla yia afi si wòdze tso.
The sun rises, and it goes down and hurries back to the place where it rises again.
6 Ya ƒona ɖoa ta dziehe eye wòtrɔna yia anyiehe. Etrɔna toa eme madzudzɔmadzudzɔe eye wògatrɔna yia afi si wòdze egɔme tsoe.
The wind blows south and circles around to the north, always going around along its pathway and coming back again.
7 Tɔsisiwo katã sina yia atsiaƒu me, ke atsiaƒu la meyɔna gbeɖe o. Tsi la gatrɔna yia tɔsisiawo me eye wògatsana yia atsiaƒu la me.
All the rivers flow into the sea, but the sea is never full. To the place where the rivers go, there they go again.
8 Nuwo katã le dagbadagba dzi eye amegbetɔ mate ŋu aƒo nu le eŋu wòade edeƒe o: nukpɔkpɔ meɖia kɔ na ŋku o abe ale si nyasese meɖia ƒo na to o ene.
Everything becomes wearisome, and no one can explain it. The eye is not satisfied by what it sees, nor is the ear fulfilled by what it hears.
9 Nu siwo nɔ anyi va yi la, woawo ke koe agatrɔ ava eye nu siwo wowɔ kpɔ la, woawo ke ko woagawɔ. Nu yeye aɖeke mele ɣe la te o.
Whatever has been is what will be, and whatever has been done is what will be done. There is nothing new under the sun.
10 Nane koŋ li si ŋu woate ŋu agblɔ le be, “Kpɔ ɖa, nu sia ya nye nu yeye” mahã? Enɔ anyi kpɔ le blema ke, do ŋgɔ na mí.
Is there anything about which it may be said, 'Look, this is new'? Whatever exists has already existed for a long time, during ages which came long before us.
11 Womegaɖoa ŋku blematɔwo dzi o; nenema ke ame siwo woava dzi la, maɖo ŋku nu siwo dzɔ do ŋgɔ na woƒe dzidzi dzi o.
No one seems to remember the things that happened in ancient times, and the things that happened much later and that will happen in the future will not likely be remembered either.”
12 Nye, Nyagblɔla, meɖu fia ɖe Israel dzi le Yerusalem.
I am the Teacher, and I have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 Medze agbagba be manya nu tso nu siwo katã wowɔna le ɣea te la ŋu. Medze sii be dzidzɔkpɔkpɔ aɖeke mele nu si Mawu ɖo na amegbetɔ be wòawɔ la me o.
I applied my mind to study and to search out by wisdom everything that is done under heaven. That search is a burdensome task that God has given to the children of mankind to be busy with.
14 Mekpɔ dɔ siwo katã wowɔna le ɣea te eye kpɔ ɖa, esiawo katã nye tofloko kple dagbadagba ɖe yame ko.
I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun, and look, they all amount to vapor and chasing the wind.
15 Nu si glɔ̃ da ɖi la, womagate ŋu adzɔe o eye nu si meli o la, womate ŋu axlẽe o.
The twisted cannot be straightened! The missing cannot be counted!
16 Megblɔ le nye dzi me be, “Kpɔ ɖa, menya nu wu ame siwo katã ɖu fia le Yerusalem do ŋgɔ nam. Ɛ̃, nuteƒekpɔkpɔ, nunya kple gɔmesese yɔ nye dzi me fũu wu wo.”
I have spoken to my heart saying, “Look, I have acquired greater wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My mind has seen great wisdom and knowledge.”
17 Meɖo ta me be madze si nunya, eye manya nu tso tsukuku kple bometsitsi ŋu, ke meva dze sii be esiawo katã nye dagbadagba dzodzro ɖe yame ko;
So I applied my heart to know wisdom and also madness and folly. I came to understand that this also was an attempt to shepherd the wind.
18 elabena nuxaxa sɔ gbɔ ɖe nunya geɖe me, eye ame sia ame si dzia sidzedze ɖe edzi la, dzia nuxaxa ɖe edzi.
For in the abundance of wisdom there is much frustration, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
