1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
1 Dawda ize, bonkoono kaŋ go Urusalima*, Waazukwa sanno neeya:
2Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity.
2 Waazukwa ne: «Yaamo no, yaamo no, hari kulu yaamo day no.»
3What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?
3 Riiba woofo dumi no boro ga du nga goyey kulu kaŋ a te ra beena cire?
4[One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh, but the earth standeth for ever.
4 Zamana fo ga bisa, afo mo ga kaa, Amma ndunnya wo go no duumi.
5The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.
5 Koyne, wayna ga fun, a ga koy ka kaŋ, A ga waasu mo ka ye nango kaŋ a ga fun koyne.
6The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about towards the north: it turneth about continually, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
6 Haw kar ka ne dandi kamba nda zuray, A ye ka bare ka koy azawa kambe. A ga bare ka windi no-haray waati kulu nga fonda ra, Ka ye ka kaa naŋ kaŋ a fun din.
7All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.
7 Isey kulu goono ga zuru ka koy teeko ra, Kulu nda yaadin teeko mana to. Nangu kaŋ isey fun, Noodin no i ga ye koyne.
8All things are full of toil; none can express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
8 Hay kulu ga to da farga ka bisa haŋ kaŋ i ga ci. Mo si kungu nda diyaŋ, Hanga mo si to da maayaŋ.
9That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun.
9 Haŋ kaŋ jin ka go no, nga no ga ye ka bara. Haŋ kaŋ i jin ka te, nga mo no i ga ye ka te koyne. Yaadin gaa, hari taji fo si no beena cire.
10Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already in the ages which were before us.
10 Wala hay fo go no kaŋ boro ga du ka salaŋ a boŋ ka ne: «Guna, haya din hari taji no.»? A go no za doŋ me, waato zamaney kaŋ na iri jin ra.
11There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards.
11 I si fongu nda waato harey, Wala nda wo kaŋ yaŋ g'i banda gana. Borey kaŋ ga kaa kokor banda, ngey mo si fongu i gaa.
12I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
12 Ay, Waazukwa, ay ya Israyla bonkooni no Urusalima ra.
13And I applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith.
13 Ay n'ay boŋ daŋ ay ma ceeci laakal do ay ma hay kulu kaŋ i ga te beena cire fintal. Taabi korno hari no, goyo kaŋ Irikoy no Adam-izey se zama a m'i gooji nd'a.
14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
14 Ay di goy kulu kaŋ i te beena cire. Guna, i kulu yaamo day no, da haw kaŋ ga faaru gaarayyaŋ.
15That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
15 A si du ka te i ma haŋ kaŋ jin ka siiri kayandi. Haŋ kaŋ si no mo si lasaabu.
16I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of wisdom and knowledge.
16 Ay na saaware te d'ay bina ka ne: «Guna, ay je laakal ra ka bisa borey kulu kaŋ yaŋ n'ay jin ka Urusalima may. Ay bina du laakal da bayray boobo.»
17And I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind.
17 Ay n'ay laakal daŋ ay ma laakal bay, ay ma follokomtaray nda saamotaray mo bay. Ay di woodin mo haw gaarayyaŋ day no.
18For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
18 Zama laakal boobo ga kande laakal tunay boobo, Boro kaŋ tonton da bayray mo, a tonton da bine saray.