OET interlinear ECC 2:11

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

בְּ⁠כָל־מַעֲשַׂ⁠י֙ שֶֽׁ⁠עָשׂ֣וּ יָדַ֔⁠י

in=all works_of,my which,they_had_done hands_of,my

Solomon is speaking as if the futility and transience of all his accomplishments were vapor, which disappears quickly and lacks substance. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [all my works that I had done]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

וְ⁠הִנֵּ֨ה

and=see/lo/see!

Solomon is using pursuit of wind as a common expression of the culture to mean “a futile effort.” If this phrase does not have that meaning for your readers, you could use a comparable expression from your language that does have that meaning, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [a futile effort]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

וּ⁠רְע֣וּת ר֔וּחַ

and,striving_of wind

See how you translated the similar expression in [2:11](../02/11.md). Alternate translation: [and a futile endeavor]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

תַּ֥חַת הַ⁠שָּֽׁמֶשׁ

below/instead_of the,sun

Solomon is using under the sun as a common expression of the culture to mean “in this life.” If this phrase does not have that meaning for your readers, you could use a comparable expression from your language that does have that meaning, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [in this life]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

הַ⁠כֹּ֥ל הֶ֨בֶל֙

(the),everything Abel

Solomon is speaking as if the futility and transience of everything he accomplished were vapor, which disappears quickly and lacks substance. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [everything was futility]

Note 6 topic: writing-pronouns

וּ⁠פָנִ֣יתִֽי אֲנִ֗י

and,I_turned I

Solomon is stating the pronoun I separately, even though the verb translated as turned already includes this meaning. He is doing that to emphasize that he himself is the one making this observation. If a speaker of your language would use an explicit pronoun for the same purpose, you may want to use that construction in your translation. If not, your language may have other ways of showing the meaning here.