伝道者の書 6
1 我觀るに日の下に一件の患あり是は人の間に恒なる者なり
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy on men:
2 すなはち神富と財と貴を人にあたへて その心に慕ふ者を一件もこれに缺ることなからしめたまひながらも 神またその人に之を食ふことを得せしめたまはずして 他人のこれを食ふことあり 是空なり惡き疾なり
a man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him no power to eat of it, but an alien eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
3 假令人百人の子を擧けまた長壽してその年齢の日多からんも 若その心景福に滿足せざるか又は葬らるることを得ざるあれば 我言ふ流產の子はその人にまさるたり
If a man fathers a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he;
4 夫流產の子はその來ること空しくして黑暗の中に去ゆきその名は黑暗の中にかくるるなり
for it comes in vanity, and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.
5 又是は日を見ることなく物を知ることなければ彼よりも安泰なり
Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather than the other.
6 人の壽命千年に倍するとも福祉を蒙れるにはあらず 皆一所に往くにあらずや
Yes, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet fails to enjoy good, don’t all go to one place?
7 人の勞苦は皆その口のためなり その心はなほも飽ざるところ有り
All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
8 賢者なんぞ愚者に勝るところあらんや また世人の前に歩行ことを知ところの貧者も何の勝るところ有んや
For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?
9 目に觀る事物は心のさまよひ歩くに愈るなり 是また空にして風を捕ふるがごとし
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
10 嘗て在し者は久しき前にすでにその名を命られたり 即ち是は人なりと知る 然ば是はかの自己よりも力強き者と爭ふことを得ざるなり
Whatever has been, its name was given long ago; and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is mightier than he.
11 衆多の言論ありて虚浮き事を増す然ど人に何の益あらんや
For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?
12 人はその虚空き生命の日を影のごとくに送るなり 誰かこの世において如何なる事か人のために善き者なるやを知ん 誰かその身の後に日の下にあらんところの事を人に告うる者あらんや
For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?
