¹There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy on men:

¹ Laala fo go no kaŋ ay di beena cire, a ga baa mo Adam-izey do.

²a man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him no power to eat of it, but an alien eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

² Nga neeya: boro kaŋ Irikoy no arzaka nda duure da gaakuri hal a bina mana jaŋ hay kulu kaŋ a ga ba, amma kulu nda yaadin Irikoy man'a no hina a m'i ŋwa, amma yaw no g'i ŋwa. Woodin mo koyne, yaamo no da doori laalo.

³If a man fathers a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial; I say, that a stillborn child is better than he:

³ Baa boro na ize zangu hay, a to jiiri boobo mo, hal a jiirey jirbey baa, amma a bina mana kungu nda hari hanno, woodin banda a si baa du fijiyaŋ hanno -- haciika gunde hasaraw bisa bora din.

⁴for it comes in vanity, and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.

⁴ Zama se a kaa yaamo, a ye kubay ra mo. A maa mo go ga tugu kubay ra.

⁵Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather than the other.

⁵ Woodin banda, a mana di wayna, a man'a bay mo, woone bisa afa din.

⁶Yes, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet fails to enjoy good, don’t all go to one place?

⁶ Zama baa afa din te jiiri zambar hala sorro hinka, amma a si maa albarka kaani, manti i kulu nangu folloŋ no i ga koy?

⁷All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

⁷ Boro taabi kulu mo, a meyo se no a g'a te. Kulu nda yaadin, bine si kungu nda duure.

⁸For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?

⁸ Ifo no ga ti laakalkooni nafa binde kaŋ a gonda ka bisa saamo? Wala nafa woofo no talka se, Kaŋ a ga bay mate kaŋ nga ga hima ka dira nd'a fundikooney jine?

⁹Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

⁹ Haŋ kaŋ mo ga di ga bisa haŋ kaŋ bine ga ba. Woodin mo yaamo no nda haw gaarayyaŋ.

¹⁰Whatever has been, its name was given long ago; and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is mightier than he.

¹⁰ Hay kulu kaŋ go no, I na maa daŋ a gaa za doŋ, I bay mo haŋ kaŋ ga ti boro. A sinda hin ka kakaw da boro kaŋ bisa nga hina.

¹¹For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?

¹¹ Za kaŋ sanni boobo go no kaŋ ga yaamo tonton, Yaadin gaa ifo no ga ti i nafa boro se?

¹²For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?

¹² Amma may no ga bay haŋ kaŋ ga boori boro se a zamana ra, a fundo jirbi kayna yaama ra? I go ga bisa danga tuuri bi cine. Zama may no ga ci boro se haŋ kaŋ no ga te a banda beena cire?