1
ܐܝܬ ܒܝܫܬܐ ܕܚܙܝܬ ܬܚܝܬ ܫܡܫܐ ܘܣܓܝܐܐ ܗܝ ܥܠ ܒܢ̈ܝ ܐܢܫܐ
'yth byshth' dkhzyth thkhyth shmsh' wsgy'' hy el bny 'nsh'
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy on men:
2
ܓܒܪܐ ܕܢܬܠ ܠܗ ܐܠܗܐ ܥܘܬܪܐ ܘܢܟܣ̈ܐ ܘܐܝܩܪܐ ܘܠܐ ܚܣܝܪ ܠܢܦܫܗ ܡܕܡ ܡܢ ܟܠ ܡܐ ܕܪܐܓ ܘܠܐ ܐܫܠܛܗ ܐܠܗܐ ܠܡܐܟܠ ܡܢܗ ܐܠܐ ܓܒܪ ܢܘܟܪܝ ܢܐܟܠܝܘܗܝ ܡܢ ܒܬܪܗ ܗܢܐ ܗܒܠܐ ܘܟܪܝܘܬܐ ܗܝ
gbr' dnthl lh 'lh' ewthr' wnks' w'yqr' wl' khsyr lnpshh mdm mn kl m' dr'g wl' 'shlTh 'lh' lm'kl mnh 'l' gbr nwkry n'klywhy mn bthrh hn' hbl' wkrywth' hy
a 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.
3
ܐܢ ܢܘܠܕ ܓܒܪܐ ܡܐܐ ܘܫ̈ܢܝܢ ܣ̈ܓܝܐܢ ܢܚܐ ܘܢܣܓܘܢ ܝܘܡ̈ܬܐ ܕܫ̈ܢܘܗܝ ܘܢܦܫܗ ܠܐ ܬܣܒܥ ܡܢ ܛܒ̈ܬܐ ܘܐܦ ܩܒܘܪܬܐ ܠܐ ܬܗܘܐ ܠܗ ܐܡܪܬ ܕܛܒ ܗܘ ܡܢܗ ܝܚܛܐ
'n nwld gbr' m'' wshnyn sgy'n nkh' wnsgwn ywmth' dshnwhy wnpshh l' thsbe mn Tbth' w'p qbwrth' l' thhw' lh 'mrth dTb hw mnh ykhT'
If 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;
4
ܡܛܠ ܕܒܗܒܠܐ ܐܬܐ ܘܒܚܫܘܟܐ ܢܐܙܠ ܘܒܚܫܘܟܐ ܫܡܗ ܢܬܟܣܐ
mTl dbhbl' 'th' wbkhshwk' n'zl wbkhshwk' shmh nthks'
for it comes in vanity, and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.
5
ܐܦ ܫܡܫܐ ܠܐ ܚܙܐ ܘܠܐ ܝܕܥ ܢܝܚ ܠܗܢܐ ܛܒ ܡܢ ܕܠܗܢܐ
'p shmsh' l' khz' wl' yde nykh lhn' Tb mn dlhn'
Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather than the other.
6
ܘܐܠܘ ܚܝܐ ܐܠܦ ܫ̈ܢܝܢ ܕܬܪ̈ܬܝܢ ܙܒ̈ܢܝܢ ܘܛܒܬܐ ܠܐ ܚܙܐ ܕܠܡܐ ܠܐ ܗܘܐ ܠܚܕ ܐܬܪܐ ܐܙܠ ܟܘܠܐ
w'lw khy' 'lp shnyn dthrthyn zbnyn wTbth' l' khz' dlm' l' hw' lkhd 'thr' 'zl kwl'
Yes, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet fails to enjoy good, don’t all go to one place?
7
ܟܠ ܕܥܡܠ ܐܢܫܐ ܒܦܘܡܗ ܘܢܦܫܗ ܠܐ ܡܠܝܐ
kl deml 'nsh' bpwmh wnpshh l' mly'
All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
8
ܡܛܠ ܕܐܝܬ ܝܘܬܪܢܐ ܠܚܟܝܡܐ ܡܢ ܕܠܣܟܠܐ ܠܡܢܐ ܕܡܣܟܢܐ ܝܕܥ ܠܡܐܙܠ ܠܚ̈ܝܐ
mTl d'yth ywthrn' lkhkym' mn dlskl' lmn' dmskn' yde lm'zl lkhy'
For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?
9
ܛܒ ܚܙܘܐ ܕܥܝ̈ܢܐ ܡܢ ܗܠܟܬܐ ܕܢܦܫܐ ܘܐܦ ܗܕܐ ܗܒܠܐ ܘܛܘܪܦܐ ܕܢܦܫܐ
Tb khzw' deyn' mn hlkth' dnpsh' w'p hd' hbl' wTwrp' dnpsh'
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
10
ܡܕܡ ܕܗܘܐ ܡܢ ܩܕܝܡ ܐܬܩܪܝ ܫܡܗ ܘܐܬܝܕܥ ܕܗܘ ܒܪܢܫܐ ܘܠܐ ܡܫܟܚ ܠܡܕܢ ܥܡ ܡ̇ܢ ܕܬܩܝܦ ܡܢܗ
mdm dhw' mn qdym 'thqry shmh w'thyde dhw brnsh' wl' mshkkh lmdn em mn dthqyp mnh
Whatever 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.
11
ܡܛܠ ܕܐܝܬ ܦܬܓܡ̈ܐ ܣ̈ܓܝܐܐ ܕܡܣܓܝܢ ܗܒܠܐ ܡܢܐ ܝܘܬܪܢܐ ܠܒܪܢܫܐ
mTl d'yth pthgm' sgy'' dmsgyn hbl' mn' ywthrn' lbrnsh'
For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?
12
ܡܛܠ ܕܡܢܘ ܝܕܥ ܡܢܐ ܛܒ ܠܒܪܢܫܐ ܒܚ̈ܝܘܗܝ ܡ̈ܢܝܢ ܝܘܡ̈ܝ ܚ̈ܝܝ ܗܒܠܗ ܘܥܒܪ ܐܢܘܢ ܐܝܟ ܛܠܠܐ ܡܢܘ ܢܚܘܐ ܠܒܪܢܫܐ ܡܢܐ ܢܗܘܐ ܡܢ ܒܬܪܗ ܬܚܝܬ ܫܡܫܐ
mTl dmnw yde mn' Tb lbrnsh' bkhywhy mnyn ywmy khyy hblh webr 'nwn 'yk Tll' mnw nkhw' lbrnsh' mn' nhw' mn bthrh thkhyth shmsh'
For 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?