¹يوجد شر قد رأيته تحت الشمس وهو كثير بين الناس.

¹There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it [is] great on man:

²رجل اعطاه الله غنى ومالا وكرامة وليس لنفسه عوز من كل ما يشتهيه ولم يعطه الله استطاعة على ان يأكل منه بل يأكله انسان غريب. هذا باطل ومصيبة رديئة هو

²A man to whom God giveth wealth, and riches, and honour, and there is no lack to his soul of all that he desireth, and God giveth him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eateth it; this [is] vanity, and it [is] an evil disease.

³ان ولد انسان مئة وعاش سنين كثيرة حتى تصير ايام سنيه كثيرة ولم تشبع نفسه من الخير وليس له ايضا دفن فاقول ان السقط خير منه.

³If a man doth beget a hundred, and live many years, and is great, because they are the days of his years, and his soul is not satisfied from the goodness, and also he hath not had a grave, I have said, `Better than he [is] the untimely birth.`

⁴لانه في الباطل يجيء وفي الظلام يذهب واسمه يغطّى بالظلام.

⁴For in vanity he came in, and in darkness he goeth, and in darkness his name is covered,

⁵وايضا لم ير الشمس ولم يعلم. فهذا له راحة اكثر من ذاك.

⁵Even the sun he hath not seen nor known, more rest hath this than that.

⁶وان عاش الف سنة مضاعفة ولم ير خيرا أليس الى موضع واحد يذهب الجميع.

⁶And though he had lived a thousand years twice over, yet good he hath not seen; to the same place doth not every one go?

⁷كل تعب الانسان لفمه ومع ذلك فالنفس لا تمتلئ.

⁷All the labour of man [is] for his mouth, and yet the soul is not filled.

⁸لانه ماذا يبقى للحكيم اكثر من الجاهل. ماذا للفقير العارف السلوك امام الاحياء

⁸For what advantage [is] to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who knoweth to walk before the living?

⁹رؤية العيون خير من شهوة النفس. هذا ايضا باطل وقبض الريح.

⁹Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the going of the soul. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.

¹⁰الذي كان فقد دعي باسم منذ زمان وهو معروف انه انسان ولا يستطيع ان يخاصم من هو اقوى منه.

¹⁰What [is] that which hath been? already is its name called, and it is known that it [is] man, and he is not able to contend with him who is stronger than he.

¹¹لانه توجد امور كثيرة تزيد الباطل. فاي فضل للانسان.

¹¹For there are many things multiplying vanity; what advantage [is] to man?

¹²لانه من يعرف ما هو خير للانسان في الحياة مدة ايام حياة باطله التي يقضيها كالظل. لانه من يخبر الانسان بما يكون بعده تحت الشمس

¹²For who knoweth what [is] good for a man in life, the number of the days of the life of his vanity, and he maketh them as a shadow? for who declareth to man what is after him under the sun?