Eklezyas 2
1 Mwen di nan kè mwen: Bon! Ann al pran plezi nou! Ann al mennen lavi dous! Men, mwen jwenn sa a tou, sa pa vo anyen!
I said in my heart, Come now, I will try thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure. But behold, this also is vanity.
2 Ala bagay sòt se lè yon moun ap plede ri! Pran plezi, sa pa rapòte anyen!
I said of laughter, Madness! and of mirth, What availeth it?
3 Tèlman mwen t'ap chache gen konprann, mwen pran desizyon lage kò m' nan bwè bweson, nan viv tankou moun fou. Mwen di nan kè m': Ou pa janm konnen, se ka sa ki pi bon pou yon moun fè pandan de twa jou l'ap pase sou tè a.
I searched in my heart how to cherish my flesh with wine, while practising my heart with wisdom; and how to lay hold on folly, till I should see what was that good for the children of men which they should do under the heavens all the days of their life.
4 Mwen fè gwo zafè: Mwen bati yon bann kay, mwen plante anpil jaden rezen.
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
5 Mwen fè jaden ak bèl lakou, mwen plante tout kalite pyebwa ki ka donnen ladan yo.
I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of every kind of fruit;
6 Mwen fouye basen pou m' pran dlo, konsa m'a ka wouze tout pyebwa yo.
I made me ponds of water, to water therewith the wood, where the trees are reared.
7 Mwen achte fi kou gason pou sèvi m' esklav, san konte moun ki fèt esklav lakay mwen. Mwen te gen bèt ak zannimo pase tout moun ki janm viv nan lavil Jerizalèm.
I acquired servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that had been in Jerusalem before me.
8 Mwen ranmase anpil bagay fèt an ajan ak an lò ansanm ak richès lòt chèf k'ap dirije nan pwovens yo. Mwen te gen moun pou chante pou mwen, fi kou gason. Mete sou sa, bagay gason pi renmen, mwen te gen fanm mezi mwen te bezwen.
I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces; I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the children of men, a wife and concubines.
9 Wi, pou grannèg mwen te grannèg, pi grannèg pase tout lòt moun ki janm viv nan lavil Jerizalèm. Men, mwen pa janm kite sa vire tèt mwen.
And I became great, and increased more than all that had been before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
10 Mwen te gen tou sa mwen te vle. Mwen pa janm refize tèt mwen ankenn plezi. Mwen te kontan wè tou sa mwen te travay fè. Se kè kontan sa a ki tout rekonpans mwen.
And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them: I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour, and this was my portion from all my labour.
11 Apre sa, mwen kalkile sou tou sa m' te fè ak men m', sou tout traka mwen te bay kò m' pou m' te fè yo. Enben! Mwen jwenn sa pa t' vo anyen. Anyen pa rapòte anyen. Konsa, pa gen ankenn pwofi pou tou sa ou fè sou latè beni.
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that it had cost me to do [them]; and behold, all was vanity and pursuit of the wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 Lè ou gade byen, kisa yon wa ka fè pase sa wa ki te anvan l' yo te fè? Apre sa, mwen pran kalkile sa sa vle di lè yon moun gen konprann, osinon lè yon moun sòt, ou ankò lè yon moun fou.
And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly; for what shall the man [do] that cometh after the king? — that which hath already been done.
13 Mwen wè menm jan pito ou nan limyè pase ou nan fènwa, pito ou gen konprann pase ou pa genyen.
And I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as light excelleth darkness.
14 Moun ki gen konprann yo, se pa je pete klere yo ye. Moun ki pa gen konprann yo ap mache nan fènwa. Men, mwen konnen tou de ap fini menm jan.
The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness; but I myself also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.
15 Mwen di nan kè mwen: Sa ki rive moun fou yo ap rive m' tou. Nan kondisyon sa a, sa m' te bezwen gen tout konprann sa yo? Kisa sa ap pwofite m'? Mwen di nan kè m': Sa a tou, sa pa vo anyen!
And I said in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool so will it happen even to me; and why was I then so wise? Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.
16 Pesonn p'ap janm chonje moun ki gen konprann yo ni tou yo p'ap chonje moun sòt yo. Pi devan, n'ap bliye yo tout. Nou tout gen pou mouri, kit nou gen bon konprann kit nou sòt.
For there shall be no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; because everything is already forgotten in the days which come. And how dieth the wise even as the fool?
17 Se konsa lavi pa di m' anyen ankò. Tou sa mwen fè sou latè se traka li ban mwen. Paske anyen pa vo anyen, anyen pa rapòte anyen.
And I hated life; for the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
18 Tout travay mwen te fè sou latè pa di m' anyen ankò, paske mwen konnen mwen gen pou m' kite yo pou sa k'ap vin dèyè.
And I hated all my labour wherewith I had been toiling under the sun, because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
19 Se ka yon moun lespri, se ka yon moun sòt. Pesonn pa konnen. Men, se pou li m'ap kite tou sa mwen te travay di fè ak lespri mwen. Sa a ankò, sa pa vo anyen.
And who knoweth whether he will be a wise [man] or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour at which I have laboured, and wherein I have been wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
20 Se konsa mwen vin konprann tout travay di mwen te fè sou latè p'ap rapòte m' anyen. Sa vin dekouraje m'.
Then I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour wherewith I had laboured under the sun.
21 Wi, yon nonm fè travay li avèk lespri, avèk konesans, avèk ladrès. Apre sa, se pou l' pati kite l' pou yon lòt ki pa leve ni lou ni lejè nan travay la. Sa a tou, sa pa vo anyen. Sa pa bon menm.
For there is a man whose labour hath been with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill, and who leaveth it to a man that hath not laboured therein, to be his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 Ou travay di, ou pran kont tèt chaje ou, ou pa dòmi pou ou ka fè sa w'ap fè a. Apre sa, kisa sa rapòte ou?
For what will man have of all his labour and of the striving of his heart, wherewith he hath wearied himself under the sun?
23 Ou pase tout lavi ou nan lapenn, nan chagren. Menm lannwit lespri ou ap travay. Sa a tou, sa pa sèvi ou anyen.
For all his days are sorrows, and his travail vexation: even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.
24 Pi bon bagay yon moun ka fè, se manje, se bwè, se jwi sa travay ou rapòte ou. Men la tou, mwen wè sa se travay Bondye.
There is nothing good for man, but that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
25 Paske, san Bondye, ki moun ki ka manje? Ki moun ki ka bwè.
For who can eat, or who be eager, more than I?
26 Bondye bay moun ki fè l' plezi bon konprann, konesans ak kè kontan. Konsa tou, li fè mechan yo travay fè lajan sere pou l' ka bay moun ki fè l' plezi. La tou, sa pa vo anyen. Sa pa rapòte anyen.
For he giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth travail to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good in God's sight. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
