Ecclesiastes 4
1 [Verti me ad alia, et vidi calumnias quæ sub sole geruntur, et lacrimas innocentium, et neminem consolatorem, nec posse resistere eorum violentiæ, cunctorum auxilio destitutos,
I turnede me to othere thingis, and Y siy fals chalengis, that ben don vndur the sunne, and the teeris of innocentis, and no man coumfortour; and that thei forsakun of the help of alle men, moun not ayenstonde the violence of hem.
2 et laudavi magis mortuos quam viventes;
And Y preiside more deed men than lyuynge men;
3 et feliciorem utroque judicavi qui necdum natus est, nec vidit mala quæ sub sole fiunt.
and Y demyde hym, that was not borun yit, and siy not the yuels that ben don vndur the sunne, to be blisfulere than euer eithir.
4 Rursum contemplatus sum omnes labores hominum, et industrias animadverti patere invidiæ proximi; et in hoc ergo vanitas et cura superflua est.
Eft Y bihelde alle the trauelis of men, and bisynesses; and Y perseyuede that tho ben opyn to the enuye of neiybore; and therfor in this is vanyte, and superflu bisynesse.
5 Stultus complicat manus suas, et comedit carnes suas, dicens:
A fool foldith togidere hise hondis, and etith hise fleischis,
6 Melior est pugillus cum requie, quam plena utraque manus cum labore et afflictione animi.
and seith, Betere is an handful with reste, than euer either hondful with trauel and turment of soule.
7 Considerans, reperi et aliam vanitatem sub sole.
I bihelde and foond also another vanytee vndir the sunne;
8 Unus est, et secundum non habet, non filium, non fratrem, et tamen laborare non cessat, nec satiantur oculi ejus divitiis; nec recogitat, dicens: Cui laboro, et fraudo animam meam bonis? In hoc quoque vanitas est et afflictio pessima.]
oon is, and he hath not a secounde; not a sone, not a brother; and netheles he ceesith not for to trauele, nether hise iyen ben fillid with richessis; nether he bithenkith, and seith, To whom trauele Y, and disseyue my soule in goodis? In this also is vanyte, and the worste turment.
9 [Melius est ergo duos esse simul quam unum; habent enim emolumentum societatis suæ.
Therfor it is betere, that tweyne be togidere than oon; for thei han profite of her felouschipe.
10 Si unus ceciderit, ab altero fulcietur. Væ soli, quia cum ceciderit, non habet sublevantem se.
If oon fallith doun, he schal be vndurset of the tothere; wo to hym that is aloone, for whanne he fallith, he hath noon reisynge him.
11 Et si dormierint duo, fovebuntur mutuo; unus quomodo calefiet?
And if tweyne slepen, thei schulen be nurschid togidere; hou schal oon be maad hoot?
12 Et si quispiam prævaluerit contra unum, duo resistunt ei; funiculus triplex difficile rumpitur.
And if ony man hath maistri ayens oon, tweyne ayen stonden hym; a threfolde corde is brokun of hard.
13 Melior est puer pauper et sapiens, rege sene et stulto, qui nescit prævidere in posterum.
A pore man and wijs is betere than an eld kyng and fool, that kan not bifore se in to tyme to comynge.
14 Quod de carcere catenisque interdum quis egrediatur ad regnum; et alius, natus in regno, inopia consumatur.
For sum tyme a man goith out bothe fro prysoun and chaynes to a rewme; and anothir borun in to a rewme is wastid bi nedynesse.
15 Vidi cunctos viventes qui ambulant sub sole cum adolescente secundo, qui consurget pro eo.
I siy alle men lyuynge that goen vndur the sunne, with the secounde yong wexynge man, that schal rise for hym.
16 Infinitus numerus est populi omnium qui fuerunt ante eum, et qui postea futuri sunt non lætabuntur in eo; sed et hoc vanitas et afflictio spiritus.]
The noumbre of puple, of alle that weren bifore hym, is greet with outen mesure, and thei that schulen come aftirward, schulen not be glad in hym; but also this is vanyte and turment of the spirit.
