1 l'homme, né de la femme, qui a la vie courte, mais des tourments à satiété. | 1 Man, born of woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries. |
2 Pareil à la fleur, il éclôt puis se fane, il fuit comme l'ombre sans arrêt. | 2 He comes forth like a flower, and is crushed, and he flees, as if a shadow, and never remains in the same state. |
3 Et sur cet être tu gardes les yeux ouverts, tu l'amènes en jugement devant toi! | 3 And do you consider it fitting to look down with your eyes on someone in this way and to lead him into judgment with you? |
4 Mais qui donc extraira le pur de l'impur? Personne! | 4 Who can make him clean who is conceived of unclean seed? Are you not the only one who can? |
5 Puisque ses jours sont comptés, que le nombre de ses mois dépend de toi, que tu lui fixes un termeinfranchissable, | 5 The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with you; you have determined his limits, which cannot be surpassed. |
6 détourne de lui tes yeux et laisse-le, tel un mercenaire, finir sa journée. | 6 Withdraw a little from him, so that he may rest, until his awaited day arrives, like that of the hired hand. |
7 L'arbre conserve un espoir, une fois coupé, il peut renaître encore et ses rejetons continuent de pousser. | 7 A tree has hope: if it has been cut, it turns green again, and its branches spring forth. |
8 Même avec des racines qui ont vieilli en terre et une souche qui périt dans le sol, | 8 If its roots grow old in the earth, and its trunk passes into dust, |
9 dès qu'il flaire l'eau, il bourgeonne et se fait une ramure comme un jeune plant. | 9 at the scent of water, it will sprout and bring forth leaves, as when it had first been planted. |
10 Mais l'homme, s'il meurt, reste inerte; quand un humain expire, où donc est-il? | 10 Truly, when a man dies, and has been left unprotected, and has decayed, I ask you where is he? |
11 Les eaux de la mer pourront disparaître, les fleuves tarir et se dessécher: | 11 It is as if the waters had receded from the sea and an emptied river had dried up; |
12 l'homme une fois couché ne se relèvera pas, les cieux s'useront avant qu'il ne s'éveille, ou ne soitréveillé de son sommeil. | 12 just so, when a man is fallen asleep, he will not rise again, until the heavens are worn away; he will not awaken, nor rise from his sleep. |
13 Oh! Si tu m'abritais dans le shéol, si tu m'y cachais, tant que dure ta colère, si tu me fixais un délai,pour te souvenir ensuite de moi: | 13 Who will grant this to me, that you will protect me in the underworld, and hide me until your fury passes by, and establish a time for me, in which you will remember me? |
14 car, une fois mort, peut-on revivre? -- tous les jours de mon service j'attendrais, jusqu'à ce que viennema relève. | 14 Do you suppose that a dead man will live again? On each of the days in which I now battle, I wait until my transformation occurs. |
15 Tu appellerais et je te répondrais; tu voudrais revoir l'oeuvre de tes mains. | 15 You will call me and I will answer you; to the work of your hands, you will extend your right hand. |
16 Tandis que maintenant tu comptes tous mes pas, tu n'épierais plus mon péché, | 16 Indeed, you have numbered my steps, but you have been lenient with my sins. |
17 tu scellerais ma transgression dans un sachet et tu couvrirais ma faute. | 17 You have sealed up my offenses, as if in a purse, but you have cured my iniquity. |
18 Hélas! Comme une montagne finit par s'écrouler, le rocher par changer de place, | 18 A falling mountain flows away, and a stone is transferred from its place. |
19 l'eau par user les pierres, l'averse par emporter les terres, ainsi, l'espoir de l'homme, tu l'anéantis. | 19 Waters wear away stones, and with a flood the land is reduced little by little; and similarly, you will destroy man. |
20 Tu le terrasses pour toujours et il s'en va; tu le défigures, puis tu le congédies. | 20 You have strengthened him for a little while, so that he may cross over into eternity. You will change his face and send him forth. |
21 Ses fils sont-ils honorés, il n'en sait rien; sont-ils méprisés, il ne s'en rend pas compte. | 21 Whether his sons have been noble or ignoble, he will not understand. |
22 Il n'a de souffrance que pour son corps, il ne se lamente que sur lui-même. | 22 And in this way his body, while he yet lives, will have grief, and his soul will mourn over himself. |