伝道者の書 1
1 ダビデの子 ヱルサレムの王 傅道者の言
The wordis of Ecclesiastes, sone of Dauid, the kyng of Jerusalem.
2 傅道者言く 空の空 空の空なる哉 都て空なり
The vanyte of vanytees, seide Ecclesiastes; the vanyte of vanytees, and alle thingis ben vanite.
3 日の下に人の労して爲ところの諸の動作はその身に何の益かあらん
What hath a man more of alle his trauel, bi which he traueilith vndur the sunne?
4 世は去り世は來る 地は永久に長存なり
Generacioun passith awei, and generacioun cometh; but the erthe stondith with outen ende.
5 日は出で日は入り またその出し處に喘ぎゆくなり
The sunne risith, and goith doun, and turneth ayen to his place;
6 風は南に行き又轉りて北にむかひ 旋轉に旋りて行き 風復その旋轉る處にかへる。
and there it risith ayen, and cumpassith bi the south, and turneth ayen to the north. The spirit cumpassynge alle thingis goith `in cumpas, and turneth ayen in to hise cerclis.
7 河はみな海に流れ入る 海は盈ること無し 河はその出きたれる處に復還りゆくなり
Alle floodis entren in to the see, and the see fletith not ouer the markis set of God; the floodis turnen ayen to the place fro whennus tho comen forth, that tho flowe eft.
8 萬の物は労苦す 人これを言つくすことあたはず 目は見に飽ことなく耳は聞に充ること無し
Alle thingis ben hard; a man may not declare tho thingis bi word; the iye is not fillid bi siyt, nether the eere is fillid bi hering.
9 曩に有りし者はまた後にあるべし 曩に成し事はまた後に成べし 日の下には新しき者あらざるなり
What is that thing that was, that that schal come? What is that thing that is maad, that that schal be maad?
10 見よ是は新しき者なりと指て言べき物あるや 其は我等の前にありし世々に既に久しくありたる者なり
No thing vndir the sunne is newe, nether ony man may seie, Lo! this thing is newe; for now it yede bifore in worldis, that weren bifore vs.
11 己前のものの事はこれを記憶ることなし 以後のものの事もまた後に出る者これをおぼゆることあらじ
Mynde of the formere thingis is not, but sotheli nether thenkyng of tho thingis, that schulen come afterward, schal be at hem that schulen come in the last tyme.
12 われ傅道者はヱルサレムにありてイスラエルの王たりき
I Ecclesiastes was king of Israel in Jerusalem;
13 我心を盡し智慧をもちひて天が下に行はるる諸の事を尋ねかつ考覈たり此苦しき事件は神が世の人にさづけて之に身を労せしめたまふ者なり
and Y purposide in my soule to seke and enserche wiseli of alle thingis, that ben maad vndur the sunne. God yaf this werste ocupacioun to the sones of men, that thei schulden be ocupied therynne.
14 我日の下に作ところの諸の行爲を見たり 嗚呼皆空にして風を捕ふるがごとし
I siy alle thingis that ben maad vndur the sunne, and lo! alle thingis ben vanyte and turment of spirit.
15 曲れる者は直からしむるあたはす欠たる者は散をあはするあたはず
Weiward men ben amendid of hard; and the noumbre of foolis is greet with outen ende.
16 我心の中に語りて言ふ 嗚呼我は大なる者となれり 我より先にヱルサレムにをりしすべての者よりも我は多くの智慧を得たり 我心は智慧と知識を多く得たり
I spak in myn herte, and Y seide, Lo! Y am made greet, and Y passide in wisdom alle men, that weren bifore me in Jerusalem; and my soule siy many thingis wiseli, and Y lernede.
17 我心を盡して智慧を知んとし狂妄と愚癡を知んとしたりしが 是も亦風を捕ふるがごとくなるを暁れり
And Y yaf myn herte, that Y schulde knowe prudence and doctryn, and errours and foli. And Y knew that in these thingis also was trauel and turment of spirit;
18 夫智慧多ければ憤激多し 知識を増す者は憂患を増す
for in myche wisdom is myche indignacioun, and he that encressith kunnyng, encreessith also trauel.
