Eklezyas 1
1 Pawòl predikatè a, fis a David la, Wa Jérusalem.
Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2 “Vanite sou vanite”, predikatè la di: “Vanite sou vanite! Tout se vanite.”
Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.
3 Ki avantaj yon nonm gen nan tout travay ke li fè anba solèy la?
What advantage [is] to man by all his labour that he laboureth at under the sun?
4 Yon jenerasyon ale e yon jenerasyon vini; men tè a rete pou tout tan.
A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth to the age is standing.
5 Anplis, solèy la leve e solèy la kouche; konsa li kouri al jwenn plas li pou li leve la ankò.
Also, the sun hath risen, and the sun hath gone in, and unto its place panting it is rising there.
6 Van an soufle vè sid, vire kote nò e kontinye vire fè wonn li. Sou menm kous vire won an, li retounen ankò.
Going unto the south, and turning round unto the north, turning round, turning round, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind hath returned.
7 Tout rivyè yo desann vè lanmè a; sepandan li pa vin plen. Nan plas kote rivyè yo koule a, se la yo koule ankò.
All the streams are going unto the sea, and the sea is not full; unto a place whither the streams are going, thither they are turning back to go.
8 Tout bagay sa yo fatigan; lòm pa kapab menm eksplike sa. Zye pa satisfè ak wè, ni zòrèy ak tande.
All these things are wearying; a man is not able to speak, the eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor filled is the ear from hearing.
9 Sa ki te ye, se sa ki va ye e sa ki te konn fèt, se sa k ap fèt. Konsa, nanpwen anyen ki nèf anba syèl la.
What [is] that which hath been? it [is] that which is, and what [is] that which hath been done? it [is] that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing under the sun.
10 Èske gen yon bagay sou sila a nou ta kab di: “Men sa a nèf”? Deja, li te la depi syèk ki te ekoule avan nou yo.
There is a thing of which [one] saith: 'See this, it [is] new!' already it hath been in the ages that were before us!
11 Nanpwen memwa a ansyen bagay yo, ni anplis a sila k ap vini pita, pami sila ki vini apre yo.
There is not a remembrance of former [generations]; and also of the latter that are, there is no remembrance of them with those that are at the last.
12 Mwen menm, predikatè a, te sèvi kon wa sou Israël nan Jérusalem.
I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 Mwen te konsantre tout refleksyon mwen pou chache e egzamine sou sajès tout sa ki te konn fèt anba syèl la. Sa se yon gwo tach lou ke Bondye te bay fis a lòm yo pou l ta aflije yo.
And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that hath been done under the heavens. It [is] a sad travail God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.
14 Mwen te wè tout zèv ki te fèt anba solèy la e, men vwala, tout se vanite e chache kouri dèyè van.
I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit!
15 Sa ki kwochi p ap ka drese e sa ki manke p ap ka konte.
A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.
16 Mwen te di a pwòp tèt mwen: “Men gade, mwen te fè sajès vin grandi e ogmante plis pase tout lòt wa ki te sou Jérusalem avan mwen yo. Wi, panse mwen te obsève anpil richès ak sajès avèk konesans.”
I — I spake with my heart, saying, 'I, lo, I have magnified and added wisdom above every one who hath been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart hath seen abundantly wisdom and knowledge.
17 Mwen te dirije panse mwen pou konnen sajès e pou konnen sa ki ensanse ak sa ki foli nèt. Konsa, mwen te vin wè ke sa osi se chache kouri dèyè van.
And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this [is] vexation of spirit;
18 Paske nan anpil sajès gen anpil tristès, e nan anpil konesans gen anpil doulè.
for, in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who addeth knowledge addeth pain.'
