< اَلْجَامِعَةِ 12 >

فَٱذْكُرْ خَالِقَكَ فِي أَيَّامِ شَبَابِكَ، قَبْلَ أَنْ تَأْتِيَ أَيَّامُ ٱلشَّرِّ أَوْ تَجِيءَ ٱلسِّنُونَ إِذْ تَقُولُ: «لَيْسَ لِي فِيهَا سُرُورٌ». ١ 1
Also call to mind your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of difficulty come, and before the years arrive when you say, “I have no pleasure in them,”
قَبْلَ مَا تَظْلُمُ ٱلشَّمْسُ وَٱلنُّورُ وَٱلْقَمَرُ وَٱلنُّجُومُ، وَتَرْجِعُ ٱلسُّحُبُ بَعْدَ ٱلْمَطَرِ. ٢ 2
do this before the light of the sun and the moon and the stars grows dark, and dark clouds return after the rain.
فِي يَوْمٍ يَتَزَعْزَعُ فِيهِ حَفَظَةُ ٱلْبَيْتِ، وَتَتَلَوَّى رِجَالُ ٱلْقُوَّةِ، وَتَبْطُلُ ٱلطَّوَاحِنُ لِأَنَّهَا قَلَّتْ، وَتُظْلِمُ ٱلنَّوَاظِرُ مِنَ ٱلشَّبَابِيكِ. ٣ 3
That will be the time when the palace guards will tremble, and strong men are bent over, and the women who grind cease because they are few, and those who look out of windows no longer see clearly.
وَتُغْلَقُ ٱلْأَبْوَابُ فِي ٱلسُّوقِ. حِينَ يَنْخَفِضُ صَوْتُ ٱلْمِطْحَنَةِ، وَيَقُومُ لِصَوْتِ ٱلْعُصْفُورِ، وَتُحَطُّ كُلُّ بَنَاتِ ٱلْغِنَاءِ. ٤ 4
That will be the time when the doors are shut in the street, and the sound of grinding stops, when men are startled at the voice of a bird, and the singing of girls' voices fades away.
وَأَيْضًا يَخَافُونَ مِنَ ٱلْعَالِي، وَفِي ٱلطَّرِيقِ أَهْوَالٌ، وَٱللَّوْزُ يُزْهِرُ، وَٱلْجُنْدُبُ يُسْتَثْقَلُ، وَٱلشَّهْوَةُ تَبْطُلُ. لِأَنَّ ٱلْإِنْسَانَ ذَاهِبٌ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ ٱلْأَبَدِيِّ، وَٱلنَّادِبُونَ يَطُوفُونَ فِي ٱلسُّوقِ. ٥ 5
That will be the time when men become afraid of heights and of dangers along on the road, and when the almond tree blossoms, and when grasshoppers drag themselves along, and when natural desires fail. Then man goes to his eternal home and the mourners go down the streets.
قَبْلَ مَا يَنْفَصِمُ حَبْلُ ٱلْفِضَّةِ، أَوْ يَنْسَحِقُ كُوزُ ٱلذَّهَبِ، أَوْ تَنْكَسِرُ ٱلْجَرَّةُ عَلَى ٱلْعَيْنِ، أَوْ تَنْقَصِفُ ٱلْبَكَرَةُ عِنْدَ ٱلْبِئْرِ. ٦ 6
Call to mind your Creator before the silver cord is cut, or the golden bowl is crushed, or the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the water wheel is broken at the well,
فَيَرْجِعُ ٱلتُّرَابُ إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ كَمَا كَانَ، وَتَرْجِعُ ٱلرُّوحُ إِلَى ٱللهِ ٱلَّذِي أَعْطَاهَا. ٧ 7
before the dust returns to the earth where it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
بَاطِلُ ٱلْأَبَاطِيلِ، قَالَ ٱلْجَامِعَةُ: ٱلْكُلُّ بَاطِلٌ. ٨ 8
“A mist of vapor,” says the Teacher, “everything is vanishing vapor.”
بَقِيَ أَنَّ ٱلْجَامِعَةَ كَانَ حَكِيمًا، وَأَيْضًا عَلَّمَ ٱلشَّعْبَ عِلْمًا، وَوَزَنَ وَبَحَثَ وَأَتْقَنَ أَمْثَالًا كَثِيرَةً. ٩ 9
The Teacher was wise and he taught the people knowledge. He studied and contemplated and set in order many proverbs.
اَلْجَامِعَةُ طَلَبَ أَنْ يَجِدَ كَلِمَاتٍ مُسِرَّةً مَكْتُوبَةً بِٱلِٱسْتِقَامَةِ، كَلِمَاتِ حَقٍّ. ١٠ 10
The Teacher sought to write using vivid, upright words of truth.
كَلَامُ ٱلْحُكَمَاءِ كَٱلْمَنَاسِيسِ، وَكَأَوْتَادٍ مُنْغَرِزَةٍ، أَرْبَابُ ٱلْجَمَاعَاتِ، قَدْ أُعْطِيَتْ مِنْ رَاعٍ وَاحِدٍ. ١١ 11
The words of wise people are like goads. Like nails driven deeply are the words of the masters in collections of their proverbs, which are taught by one shepherd.
وَبَقِيَ، فَمِنْ هَذَا يَاٱبْنِي تَحَذَّرْ: لِعَمَلِ كُتُبٍ كَثِيرَةٍ لَا نِهَايَةَ، وَٱلدَّرْسُ ٱلْكَثِيرُ تَعَبٌ لِلْجَسَدِ. ١٢ 12
My son, be aware of something more: the making of many books, which has no end and much study brings weariness to the body.
فَلْنَسْمَعْ خِتَامَ ٱلْأَمْرِ كُلِّهِ: ٱتَّقِ ٱللهَ وَٱحْفَظْ وَصَايَاهُ، لِأَنَّ هَذَا هُوَ ٱلْإِنْسَانُ كُلُّهُ. ١٣ 13
The end of the matter after everything has been heard, is that you must fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of mankind.
لِأَنَّ ٱللهَ يُحْضِرُ كُلَّ عَمَلٍ إِلَى ٱلدَّيْنُونَةِ، عَلَى كُلِّ خَفِيٍّ، إِنْ كَانَ خَيْرًا أَوْ شَرًّا. ١٤ 14
For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

< اَلْجَامِعَةِ 12 >