Nyagblɔla 1
1 Esiawoe nye Nyagblɔla Solomo, Fia David si nɔ Yerusalem la ƒe viŋutsu ƒe nyawo:
The words of the preacher, the son of David, king of Jerusalem.
2 Le nye nugɔmesese nu la, viɖe aɖeke mele naneke ŋu o; nu sia nu nye tofloko ko.
Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities; all [is] vanity.
3 Viɖe kae ame kpɔna tso agbagba siwo katã wòdzena le ɣea te la me?
What profit hath a man of all his labor, which he taketh under the sun?
4 Dzidzime ɖeka nu va yina eye bubu vana, ke anyigba ya ganɔa anyi nenema ko tegbee.
[One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
5 Ɣe hã dzena eye wòɖoa to; eɖea abla yia afi si wòdze tso.
The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
6 Ya ƒona ɖoa ta dziehe eye wòtrɔna yia anyiehe. Etrɔna toa eme madzudzɔmadzudzɔe eye wògatrɔna yia afi si wòdze egɔme tsoe.
The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about to the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to its circuits.
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 run into the sea; yet the sea [is] not full; to the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return 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.
All things [are] full of labor; man cannot utter [it]: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
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.
The thing that hath been, it [is that] which shall be; and that which is done [is] that which shall be done: and [there is] no new [thing] 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 [any] thing of which it may be said, See, this [is] new? it hath been already of old time, which was 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.
[There is] no remembrance of former [things]; neither shall there be [any] remembrance of [things] that are to come with [those] that shall come after.
12 Nye, Nyagblɔla, meɖu fia ɖe Israel dzi le Yerusalem.
I the preacher was 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.
And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all [things] that are done under heaven: this grievous labor hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised with it.
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 works that are done under the sun; and behold, all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
15 Nu si glɔ̃ da ɖi la, womagate ŋu adzɔe o eye nu si meli o la, womate ŋu axlẽe o.
[That which is] crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
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 communed with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have come to great estate, and have gained more wisdom than all [they] that have been before me in Jerusalem: and my heart had great experience of 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;
And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
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 much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
