¹Rangarirawo Musiki wako pamazuva ovujaya bwako, mazuva akaipa asati asvika, namakore asati avapo; panguva yauchazoti handifariri izvozvo;

¹Remember also thy Creators in days of thy youth, While that the evil days come not, Nor the years have arrived, that thou sayest, `I have no pleasure in them.`

²zuva nechiedza, nomwedzi, nenyeredzi zvisati zvasvibiswa, makore achidzoka kana mvura yapfuura;

²While that the sun is not darkened, and the light, And the moon, and the stars, And the thick clouds returned after the rain.

³zuva iro, kana vatariri veimba vachidedera, varume vane simba vachikotama, vakuyi vachirega basa ravo, nekuti vava vashoma; navanotarira napamahwindo vasvibirwa;

³In the day that keepers of the house tremble, And men of strength have bowed themselves, And grinders have ceased, because they have become few. And those looking out at the windows have become dim,

⁴mikova ichizarirwa inobudira kunzira dzokumusha, nenzwi rokukuya richidedera; kana achimuka nenzwi reshiri, navaimbi vose vasinganzwiki zvakanaka.

⁴And doors have been shut in the street. When the noise of the grinding is low, And [one] riseth at the voice of the bird, And all daughters of song are bowed down.

⁵Zvirokwazvo vachatya zvakakwirira, nezvinotyisa zvichanzi zviri panzira; muamanda uchatumbuka maruva, nemhashu ichazvikwekweredza, uye kuda kose kuchapera; nekuti munhu anoenda kumusha wake usingaperi, vachemi vachafamba-famba panzira dzomumusha;

⁵Also of that which is high they are afraid, And of the low places in the way, And the almond-tree is despised, And the grasshopper is become a burden, And want is increased, For man is going unto his home age-during, And the mourners have gone round through the street.

⁶rwonzi rwesirivha rusati rwasunungurwa, mbiya yendarama isati yaputswa, chirongo chisati chaputswa patsime, nechichereso chinomonerwa chisati chavhunikira pachitubu,

⁶While that the silver cord is not removed, And the golden bowl broken, And the pitcher broken by the fountain, And the wheel broken at the well.

⁷guruva risati radzokera kuvhu, sezvarakanga rakaita; uye mweya usati wadzokera kuna Mwari akaupa.

⁷And the dust returneth to the earth as it was, And the spirit returneth to God who gave it.

⁸Zvanzi noMuparidzi, Hazvina maturo chose, zvose hazvina maturo!

⁸Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole [is] vanity.

⁹Zvino, Muparidzi zvaakanga ari munhu akachenjera, akapfuura achidzidzisa vanhu zivo; akarangarira, nokunzvera, nokurongedza zvirevo zvizhinji.

⁹And further, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge, and gave ear, and sought out — he made right many similes.

¹⁰Muparidzi wakatsvaka kuti awane mashoko anofadza, uye zvakanyorwa nomoyo wakarurama, ari mashoko ezvokwadi.

¹⁰The preacher sought to find out pleasing words, and, written [by] the upright, words of truth.

¹¹Mashoko avakachenjera akafanana nezvibayiso; sembambo dzakaroverwa kwazvo, ndizvo zvakaita mashoko akaunganidzwa, akapiwa noMufudzi mumwechete.

¹¹Words of the wise [are] as goads, and as fences planted [by] the masters of collections, they have been given by one shepherd.

¹²Uyezve, mwanakomana wangu, unyeverwe; kuita bhuku zhinji hakuperi, uye kudzidza kuzhinji kunonetsa muviri.

¹²And further, from these, my son, be warned; the making of many books hath no end, and much study [is] a weariness of the flesh.

¹³Zvino magumo eshoko rose ranzwikwa ndirori: Itya Mwari, uchengete mirairo yake; nekuti ndizvo zvakafanira vanhu vose.

¹³The end of the whole matter let us hear: — `Fear God, and keep His commands, for this [is] the whole of man.

¹⁴nekuti Mwari achatonga basa rimwe nerimwe, pamwechete nezvose zvakavanzika, kunyange zvakanaka, kunyange zvakaipa.

¹⁴For every work doth God bring into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or bad.`