Liber Ecclesiastes, 1

1. Verba Ecclesiastes filii David regis Ierusalem.”

1. The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2. “Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes, vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas”.

2. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

3. Quid lucri est homini de universo labore suo, quo laborat sub sole?

3. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?

4. Generatio praeterit, et generatio advenit, terra autem in aeternum stat.

4. A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains for ever.

5. Oritur sol, et occidit sol et ad locum suum anhelat ibique renascitur.

5. The sun rises and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises.

6. Gyrat per meridiem et flectitur ad aquilonem, lustrans universa in circuitu pergit spiritus et in circulos suos revertitur.

6. The wind blows to the south, and goes round to the north; round and round goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns.

7. Omnia flumina pergunt ad mare, et mare non redundat; ad locum, unde exeunt, flumina illuc revertuntur in cursu suo.

7. All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.

8. Cunctae res difficiles; non potest eas homo explicare sermone. Non saturatur oculus visu, nec auris auditu impletur.

8. All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

9. Quod fuit, ipsum est, quod futurum est. Quod factum est, ipsum est, quod faciendum est:

9. What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.

10. nihil sub sole novum. Si de quadam re dicitur: “Ecce hoc novum est”, iam enim praecessit in saeculis, quae fuerunt ante nos.

10. Is there a thing of which it is said, "See, this is new"? It has been already, in the ages before us.

11. Non est priorum memoria, sed nec eorum quidem, qui postea futuri sunt, erit recordatio apud eos, qui futuri sunt in novissimo.

11. There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to happen among those who come after.

12. Ego Ecclesiastes fui rex Israel in Ierusalem

12. I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13. et proposui in animo meo quaerere et investigare sapienter de omnibus, quae fiunt sub sole. Hanc occupationem pessimam dedit Deus filiis hominum, ut occuparentur in ea.

13. And I applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to the sons of men to be busy with.

14. Vidi cuncta, quae fiunt sub sole; et ecce universa vanitas et afflictio spiritus.

14. I have seen everything that is done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

15. Quod est curvum, rectum fieri non potest; et, quod deficiens est, numerari non potest.

15. What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be numbered.

16. Locutus sum ego in corde meo dicens: “Ecce ego magnificavi et apposui sapientiam super omnes, qui fuerunt ante me in Ierusalem; et mens mea contemplata est multam sapientiam et scientiam”.

16. I said to myself, "I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."

17. Dedique cor meum, ut scirem sapientiam et scientiam, insipientiam et stultitiam. Et agnovi quod in his quoque esset afflictio spiritus, eo quod

17. And I applied my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.

18. in multa sapientia multus sit maeror; et, qui addit scientiam, addit et laborem.

18. For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.