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 returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors was power, and they had no comforter.

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

²Then I praised the dead who are already dead more than the living who are yet alive;

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

³and more fortunate than both is he who hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

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

⁴And I saw all labour, and all success of work, that it is man's jealousy of his neighbour. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

⁵الكسلان ياكل لحمه وهو طاو يديه.

⁵The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.

⁶حفنة راحة خير من حفنتي تعب وقبض الريح

⁶Better is a handful with quietness, than both hands full with labour and pursuit of the wind.

⁷ثم عدت ورأيت باطلا تحت الشمس.

⁷And I returned and saw vanity 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 [alone] and without a second; also he hath neither son nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour, neither is his eye satisfied with riches, and [he saith not], For whom then am I labouring, and depriving my soul of good? This also is vanity and a grievous occupation.

⁹اثنان خير من واحد لان لهما اجرة لتعبهما صالحة.

⁹Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

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

¹⁰For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and who hath not another to lift him up!

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

¹¹Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one alone be warm?

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

¹²And if a [man] overpower the one, the two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

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

¹³Better is a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth no more how to be admonished.

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

¹⁴For out of the prison-house he came forth to reign, although he was born poor in his kingdom.

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

¹⁵I saw all the living that walk under the sun, with the child, the second, that should stand up in his stead.

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

¹⁶[There is] no end of all the people, of all that stood before them; those however that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after the wind.