1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

1 Memento Creatoris tui in diebus juventutis tuæ,
antequam veniat tempus afflictionis,
et appropinquent anni de quibus dicas:
Non mihi placent;

2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

2 antequam tenebrescat sol, et lumen, et luna, et stellæ,
et revertantur nubes post pluviam;

3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,

3 quando commovebuntur custodes domus,
et nutabunt viri fortissimi,
et otiosæ erunt molentes in minuto numero,
et tenebrescent videntes per foramina;

4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;

4 et claudent ostia in platea,
in humilitate vocis molentis,
et consurgent ad vocem volucris,
et obsurdescent omnes filiæ carminis:

5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

5 excelsa quoque timebunt, et formidabunt in via.
Florebit amygdalus, impinguabitur locusta,
et dissipabitur capparis,
quoniam ibit homo in domum æternitatis suæ,
et circuibunt in platea plangentes.

6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

6 Antequam rumpatur funiculus argenteus,
et recurrat vitta aurea,
et conteratur hydria super fontem,
et confringatur rota super cisternam,

7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

7 et revertatur pulvis in terram suam unde erat,
et spiritus redeat ad Deum, qui dedit illum.

8 ¶ Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

8 Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes,
et omnia vanitas.

9 And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

9 ¶ Cumque esset sapientissimus Ecclesiastes,
docuit populum, et enarravit quæ fecerat;
et investigans composuit parabolas multas.

10 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

10 Quæsivit verba utilia,
et conscripsit sermones rectissimos ac veritate plenos.

11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

11 Verba sapientium sicut stimuli,
et quasi clavi in altum defixi,
quæ per magistrorum consilium data sunt a pastore uno.

12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

12 His amplius, fili mi, ne requiras.
Faciendi plures libros nullus est finis;
frequensque meditatio, carnis afflictio est.

13 ¶ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

13 Finem loquendi pariter omnes audiamus.
Deum time, et mandata ejus observa:
hoc est enim omnis homo,

14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

14 et cuncta quæ fiunt adducet Deus in judicium
pro omni errato, sive bonum, sive malum illud sit.