Eklezyas 1
1 Men pawòl pitit David la, filozòf la, ki te wa nan lavil Jerizalèm.
The words of the Proclaimer, 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 Proclaimer, 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 Man, in all his toil wherewith he toileth under the sun?
4 Moun fèt, moun mouri. Men sa pa deranje anyen sou latè.
Generation, goeth and, generation, cometh, but, the earth, unto times age-abiding, remaineth.
5 Solèy leve, solèy kouche. L'ap kouri tounen kote pou l' leve a ankò.
And the sun, breaketh forth, and the sun, goeth in, —yea, unto his own place, he panteth, from whence he brake forth.
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.
Going unto the south, and circling unto the north, —circling, circling continually, is, the wind, and, over its own circuits, returneth the wind.
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 streams, flow into the sea, yet, the sea, is not full, —unto the place whither the streams flow, thither, do they again flow.
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 words, are weak, unable is any man to tell, —not satisfied is the eye by seeing, nor filled is the ear 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.
That which hath been, is the same that shall be, and, that which hath been done, is the same that shall be done, —and there is, nothing new, 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 a thing, of which it can be said, See here, it is, new? Already, hath it been, for ages, [it is something] 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 the thing before, —nor, even of the things after, which shall be, will there be any remembrance, with them who shall come after.
12 Mwen menm, nèg fò, mwen te wa peyi Izrayèl nan lavil Jerizalèm.
I, the Proclaimer, 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 to search out, wisely, concerning all things which are done under the heavens, —the same, is the vexatious employment God hath given to the sons of men, to work toilsomely therein,
14 Mwen wè tou sa k'ap fèt sou latè. Anyen pa vo anyen! Anyen pa rapòte anyen.
I saw all the works which were done under the sun, —and lo! all, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
15 Ou pa ka drese sa ki fin kwochi. Ou pa ka konte sa ou pa genyen.
That which is crooked, cannot be straight, —and, that which is wanting, cannot be reckoned.
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.
Spake, I, in my heart, saying, As for me, lo! I have become great, and have gathered wisdom, beyond any one who hath been before me over Jerusalem, —and, my heart, hath seen much 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.
yea I have given my heart, to know wisdom, and to know madness, and folly, —I know that, even this, is a feeding on wind.
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 vexation, —and, he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth pain.
