Lallaba 6
1 Ani aduudhaa gaditti waan hamaa biraa argeera; kunis akka malee namatti ulfaata:
Here was an evil, I had seen under the sun, —and it is, common, among men:
2 Waaqni akka namni waan garaa isaatti hawwu tokko iyyuu hin dhabneef qabeenya, badhaadhummaa fi ulfina isaaf kenne; Waaqni garuu akka inni itti gammadu hin goone; qooda namichaa nama ormaatu itti gammada. Kun waan faayidaa hin qabnee dha; hammina nama gaddisiisuudhas.
A man to whom God giveth riches and gains and honour, so that nothing doth he lack for his soul—of all that he craveth, and yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but, a man unknown, eateth it, —this, was vanity, and, an incurable evil, it was.
3 Namni tokko ijoollee dhibba qabaatee waggoota baayʼee jiraachuu dandaʼa; inni hamma fedhe jiraatu illee yoo qabeenya isaatti gammaduu baatee awwaala gaariis argachuu baate, ani, “Isaa mannaa gatata wayya” nan jedha.
Though a man should beget a hundred children, and live, many years, so that many should be the days of his years but, his own soul, should not be satisfied with the good, and he should not even have, a burial, I said, Better than he, is an untimely birth!
4 Inni akkasumaan dhufa; dukkana keessa bada; maqaan isaas dukkanaan haguugama.
For, in vain, it came in, and, in darkness, it departeth, —and, with darkness, its name, is covered:
5 Inni yoo aduu arguu baate iyyuu yookaan yoo homaa beekuu baate iyyuu boqonnaa namichi sun argatu caalaa boqonnaa qabaata.
even the sun, it never saw, nor aught did it know, —more quietness, hath this than the other.
6 Inni waggaa kuma yeroo lama jiraatu illee yoo jireenya gaarii hin jiraatin, namni hundi idduma tokko dhaqa mitii?
Even though one hath lived a thousand years twice told, yet, good, hath he not seen, —is it not, unto one place, that, all, are going?
7 Dadhabbiin nama hundaa afaanuma isaatiif; fedhiin isaa garuu yoom iyyuu hin guutu.
All the toil of man, is for his mouth, —though, even the desire, is not satisfied!
8 Ogeessi maaliin gowwaa caala? Hiyyeessi akka itti fuula namootaa dura jiraatu beekuudhaan faayidaa maalii argata?
For what profit hath the wise man, over the dullard? What can, the poor man, know—so as to walk before the living?
9 Hawwiidhaan jooruu mannaa waan iji argu wayya. Kunis bubbee ariʼuu malee faayidaa hin qabu.
Better what the eyes behold, than the wandering of desire, —even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
10 Waan jiru hundaaf duraanuu maqaan baʼeera; maalummaan namaas beekamaa dha; namni tokko iyyuu nama isa caalaa humna qabuun morkachuu hin dandaʼu.
Whatsoever one may be, long ago, was he called by his name, and it is known that it is—Son of Earth, —he cannot, therefore, contend with one stronger than he.
11 Dubbiin akkuma baayʼatuun faayidaa dhaba; yoos wanni sun akkamiin nama kam iyyuu fayyada?
Seeing there are things in abundance which make vanity abound, what profit hath man?
12 Bara jireenya namaa kan inni akkuma gaaddisaatti keessa baʼee darbu gabaabaa faayidaa hin qabne kana keessa eenyutu waan namaaf gaarii taʼe beeka? Waan erga inni deemee booddee aduudhaa gaditti taʼus eenyutu isatti himuu dandaʼa?
For who knoweth what is good for a man throughout his life, for the number of the days of his life of vanity, seeing he will make them, like a shadow, —for who can tell a man, what shall be after him, under the sun?
