Mpitoriteny 4
1 Aa le niharaharaeko indraike ze forekekeñe iaby ambane’ i àndroy: hehe ty ranomaso’ o forekekeñeo, ie tsy amam-pañohò; naho am-pità’ o mpamorekekeo ty hafatrarañe; f’ie tsy amam-pañimba.
I thought some more about all the suffering that people are caused to experience on the earth [MTY]. I saw the tears of people who were (oppressed/treated cruelly) and who had no one to comfort/encourage them. Those who oppressed them had power, and there was absolutely no one who was able to comfort those who were being oppressed.
2 Aa le nandrenge o vilasy fa nihomakeo iraho, ambone’ o veloñe mbe amañ’aiñeo.
[So] I thought that those who are already dead are more fortunate than those who are still alive.
3 Eka, lombolombo i roe rey ty mbe lia’e tsy eo, ie mbe tsy nahaoniñe ty sata-raty anoeñe ambane’ i àndroy.
And those who have not been born yet are more fortunate than those who are still alive and those who have died, [because] those who have not been born have not seen all the evil things that are done on the earth.
4 Nitreako indraike te o fitoloñañe iabio naho ze tolon-draha mahatafetetse, le voka’ ty fifampitsikiriha’ ondaty naho i rañe’ey. Hakafoahañe naho fañeañan-tioke ka zao.
I also thought about all the hard work that people do and the skills that they have. And I thought about how they compete with each other because they are envious of others, [and I concluded that] this also is something that is not accomplishing anything useful, [like] chasing the wind.
5 Mamihim-pitañe ty dagola, vaho abotse’e ty nofo’e.
Foolish people [refuse to work]; they sit idly, with their hands folded, [and do not work]. [So] they ruin themselves.
6 Hàmake ty fianjiñañe mahapea-pitàñe, ta ty fitàn-droe pea fitromahañe naho fañeañan-tioke.
[So I say], “It is better to be content with not having much money, than to work very hard and try to get a lot of money, which is [as useless as] chasing the wind.”
7 Nenteako indraike o hakafoahañe ambane’ i àndroy.
I thought about something else that happens on the earth [MTY] that seems senseless.
8 Teo ty raike tsy amam-paha-roe; toe tsy nanañ’ anake, tsy aman-drahalahy: fe tsy mbia tsy heneke o fitoloña’eo; vaho tsy mahaene-pihaino’e ty vara; Tsie, hoe re, Ia ze o itoloñako zao, malorè ty fiaiko tsy hanjo ty soa? hakafoahañe ka zao mbore fifanehafañe mahaore.
There are men who live alone; they do not have a wife or children or any brothers living with them; every day they work [very hard], without stopping, to get a lot of money, but they are never satisfied with the things that they have. They never ask [themselves], “Why am I working very hard to earn more money? Why am I not doing things that would cause me to be happy?” What they do also seems senseless.
9 Hàmake te roe ta t’ie raike; amy te soa fitombo ty fitoloña’ iareo.
Having someone [work] with you is better than being by yourself [all the time]. If you have a friend, he can help you to do your work.
10 Ie mikorovoke ty raike, honjone’ i rañe’ey; fe feh’ohatse te mikorovoke ty bangìñe tsy manañ’ ila hampitroatse aze.
If you fall down, he can help you get up again. But if you fall down when you are alone, it will be difficult for you, because there will be no one to help you stand up.
11 Tovo izay, ie mitrao-pandreañe ty roe le mafana: fa ino ty hampafana aze t’ie raike?
Similarly, if two people sleep together, they can keep each other warm. But someone who sleeps alone will certainly not [RHQ] be warm.
12 Mete hiambotraha’ t’indaty ty raike ie miereñereñe, fe hijohañe hiatrek’ aze ty roe; tsy rofondrofoteñe aniany ty taly telo-randra.
Someone who is alone can easily be attacked and defeated by another person, but two people can help each other and (resist/defend themselves against) someone who attacks them. [Three people can defend themselves even more easily], [like] a rope that is made from three cords is harder to break [than a rope made from two cords].
13 Ndra kitra’e ajalahy rarake mahihitse ta t’ie mpanjaka antetse gege tsy mañaoñe hatahata.
A young man who is poor but wise is a better person than a foolish old king who refuses to pay attention when people try to give him good advice.
14 Toe niboak’am-balabey ao re ho mpanjaka; ie nirarake te nitoly am-pifehea’e ao.
It is possible for a young man like that to succeed and some day become king, even if his parents were poor or even if he was in prison some of the time.
15 Nitreako te niarimboe’ ze hene veloñe ambane’ i àndroy, i ajalahy tsinara valoha’ey, i handimbe azey,
But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone (starts to support/is pleased with) him.
16 naho te tsifotofoto ondaty am-boriza’e ao, f’ie tsy ho loho onjone’ o manonjohy azeo. Toe hakafoahañe ka zao vaho fañeañan-tioke.
Large crowds of people crowd around him. But after a few years, they will reject him, [too]. So it is all senseless, [like] chasing after the wind.
