Eklezyas 1
1 Men pawòl pitit David la, filozòf la, ki te wa nan lavil Jerizalèm.
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Nan lavi a anyen pa vo anyen. Se sa filozòf la di. Non, anyen pa vo anyen nan lavi a. Tout bagay gen pou pase.
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all [is] vanity.
3 Yon moun te mèt pase tout lavi l' ap travay di, ap bay kò l' traka sou latè beni, kisa sa rapòte l'?
What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
4 Moun fèt, moun mouri. Men sa pa deranje anyen sou latè.
[One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
5 Solèy leve, solèy kouche. L'ap kouri tounen kote pou l' leve a ankò.
The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
6 Van an soufle soti nan nò desann nan sid. Apre sa, li vire soti nan sid moute nan nò. Konsa, l'ap vire tounen nan menm chemen an san rete.
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
7 Tout dlo larivyè desann nan lanmè, men lanmè pa janm plen. Dlo a tounen kote larivyè a te soti a. Konsa, larivyè a pa janm sispann koule.
All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea [is] not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
8 Tout bagay ap vire won san rete. Pa gen pawòl ki ka di jan sa ye. Je pa janm bouke wè. Zòrèy pa janm bouke tande.
All things [are] full of labour; man cannot utter [it: ] the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 Sa ki te rive anvan, se sa ki va rive apre. Sa yo te fè anvan an, se sa y'ap toujou fè. Pa gen anyen ki chanje sou latè beni.
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 Menm lè nou di: Gade! Men yon bagay ki nèf, bagay la te la deja depi nan tan lontan anvan nou te fèt.
Is there [any] thing whereof it may be said, See, this [is] new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
11 Pesonn pa chonje sa ki te pase nan tan lontan. Konsa tou, pita, pesonn p'ap chonje sa k'ap pase koulye a.
[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 Mwen menm, nèg fò, mwen te wa peyi Izrayèl nan lavil Jerizalèm.
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 Mwen te soti pou m' te fouye, pou m' te egzaminen tou sa k'ap fèt sou latè nan tout ti detay yo. Travay Bondye bay moun fè sou latè a pa manke rèd.
And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all [things] that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
14 Mwen wè tou sa k'ap fèt sou latè. Anyen pa vo anyen! Anyen pa rapòte anyen.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
15 Ou pa ka drese sa ki fin kwochi. Ou pa ka konte sa ou pa genyen.
[That which is] crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
16 Mwen di nan kè mwen: Mwen vin grannèg. Mwen vin pi fò pase tout wa ki t'ap gouvènen lavil Jerizalèm anvan m' yo. Mwen konnen sa ki rele gen konprann ak konesans.
I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all [they] that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
17 Mwen te soti pou m' te konnen diferans ki genyen ant moun ki gen konprann ak moun egare, ant moun ki gen konesans ak moun sòt. Men, la ankò, mwen wè anyen pa rapòte anyen.
And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
18 Paske plis ou gen konprann, se plis ou nan tèt chaje. Plis ou konnen, se plis ou soufri.
For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
