¹ثم رجعت ورأيت كل المظالم التي تجرى تحت الشمس فهوذا دموع المظلومين ولا معزّ لهم ومن يد ظالميهم قهر. اما هم فلا معزّ لهم.

¹And I have turned, and I see all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and lo, the tear of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and at the hand of their oppressors [is] power, and they have no comforter.

²فغبطت انا الاموات الذين قد ماتوا منذ زمان اكثر من الاحياء الذين هم عائشون بعد

²And I am praising the dead who have already died above the living who are yet alive.

³وخير من كليهما الذي لم يولد بعد الذي لم ير العمل الرديء الذي عمل تحت الشمس

³And better than both of them [is] he who hath not yet been, in that he hath not seen the evil work that hath been done under the sun.

⁴ورأيت كل التعب وكل فلاح عمل انه حسد الانسان من قريبه. وهذا ايضا باطل وقبض الريح.

⁴And I have seen all the labour, and all the benefit of the work, because for it a man is the envy of his neighbour. Even this [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.

⁵الكسلان ياكل لحمه وهو طاو يديه.

⁵The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh:

⁶حفنة راحة خير من حفنتي تعب وقبض الريح

⁶`Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than two handfuls [with] labour and vexation of spirit.`

⁷ثم عدت ورأيت باطلا تحت الشمس.

⁷And I have turned, and I see a vain thing under the sun:

⁸يوجد واحد ولا ثاني له وليس له ابن ولا اخ ولا نهاية لكل تعبه ولا تشبع عينه من الغنى. فلمن اتعب انا واحرم نفسي الخير. هذا ايضا باطل وامر رديء هو.

⁸There is one, and there is not a second; even son or brother he hath not, and there is no end to all his labour! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and [he saith not], `For whom am I labouring and bereaving my soul of good?` This also is vanity, it is a sad travail.

⁹اثنان خير من واحد لان لهما اجرة لتعبهما صالحة.

⁹The two [are] better than the one, in that they have a good reward by their labour.

¹⁰لانه ان وقع احدهما يقيمه رفيقه. وويل لمن هو وحده ان وقع اذ ليس ثان ليقيمه.

¹⁰For if they fall, the one raiseth up his companion, but wo to the one who falleth and there is not a second to raise him up!

¹¹ايضا ان اضطجع اثنان يكون لهما دفء. اما الوحد فكيف يدفأ.

¹¹Also, if two lie down, then they have heat, but how hath one heat?

¹²وان غلب احد على الواحد يقف مقابله الاثنان والخيط المثلوث لا ينقطع سريعا

¹²And if the one strengthen himself, the two stand against him; and the threefold cord is not hastily broken.

¹³ولد فقير وحكيم خير من ملك شيخ جاهل الذي لا يعرف ان يحذر بعد.

¹³Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who hath not known to be warned any more.

¹⁴لانه من السجن خرج الى الملك والمولود ملكا قد يفتقر.

¹⁴For from a house of prisoners he hath come out to reign, for even in his own kingdom he hath been poor.

¹⁵رأيت كل الاحياء السائرين تحت الشمس مع الولد الثاني الذي يقوم عوضا عنه.

¹⁵I have seen all the living, who are walking under the sun, with the second youth who doth stand in his place;

¹⁶لا نهاية لكل الشعب لكل الذين كان امامهم. ايضا المتأخرون لا يفرحون به. فهذا ايضا باطل وقبض الريح

¹⁶there is no end to all the people, to all who were before them; also, the latter rejoice not in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.