Ecclesiastes Chapter 1

       All Na Vanity

1. Dis na di words of one preacher, wey be David pikin, king of Jerusalem.
2. Di preacher tok sey, “Vanity upon vanities, all na vanities (notin make-sense at-all)”
3. Wetin man dey gain from all di hustle wey he dey hustle under di sun?
4. One generation go pass komot, and anoda one go show-face, but di earth go dey forever.
5. Di sun sef dey rise, e go go down, con dey rush go back to where he rise from.
6. Di breeze go blow go south, con turn go back to north; e dey roll round everi time, and e dey come back as e dey move round.
7. All di rivers dey flow enta di big-river; but di big-river no dey gree full, dem go flow go back to where di river dey come from again.
8. Everitin get wahala pass wetin mouth fit tok am; eyes no dey belleful wit wetin e see, and ears no dey taya to hear.
9. Wetin don happun before go still happun again, dem go repeat wetin dem don do before, and notin dey new under di sun.
10. Abi e get anytin wey pipo go tok sey, “See, dis tin na new tin”? E bin dey before-before, since olden days, before we show.
11. Pipo no dey remember wetin happun before-before, and for di generations wey go come—no pesin go remember wetin dey happun now.

Solomon Own Experience

12. Me di preacher be king of Jerusalem.

13. And I calm down to put-mind to fyne wisdom about everitin wey pipo dey do under heaven: serious load and wahala nahin Baba-God don give men pikin wey go give dem wahala—to make dem busy.

14. I don see evertin wey pipo dey do under di sun; dem no get meaning (vanity)—e be like wen pesin dey pursue breeze.

15. Wetin don bend no fit straight, and you no fit count wetin dey miss.

16. I reason for inside my heart, con tok sey, “See, I don be great man, con wise more-more pass di pipo wey dey before me, for inside Jerusalem. My heart don see plenty wisdom plus knowledge.

17. And I put my heart to sabi wisdom, madness and mumu: I con see sey dis tins sef be like sey pesin dey pursue breeze.

18. If pesin too wise, sadness go plenty, and pesin wey know plenty-plenty tin—go get plenty pain.