OET interlinear ECC 5:18

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

הִנֵּ֞ה

see/lo/see!

Solomon is using the term Look to focus his listeners’ attention on what he is about to say. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation. Alternate translation: [Indeed]

Note 2 topic: writing-pronouns

רָאִ֣יתִי אָ֗נִי

seen I

Solomon is stating the pronoun I separately, even though the verb translated as have seen already includes this meaning. He is doing that to emphasize that this is his own personal 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. Alternate translation: [I myself have seen]

Note 3 topic: writing-poetry

עֲמָל֣⁠וֹ שֶׁ⁠יַּעֲמֹ֣ל

toil_of,his which,someone_will_toil

Solomon is using a construction in which a verb and its object come from the same root. You may be able to use the same construction in your language to express the meaning here. Alternatively, your language may have another way of saying this.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

תַּֽחַת הַ⁠שֶּׁ֗מֶשׁ

under the,sun

See how you translated the similar expression in [5:13](../05/13.md).

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

מִסְפַּ֧ר יְמֵי חי⁠ו

few_of days_of ,his

Here, the days of his life represents “his lifetime.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [throughout his life]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

מִסְפַּ֧ר יְמֵי חי⁠ו

few_of days_of ,his

Solomon is using this possessive form to mean the days that make up his life. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: [during all the days that he lives]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

חֶלְקֽ⁠וֹ

portion_of,[is]_his

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of portion, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [what God has given him]

Note 8 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

אֲשֶׁר יָפֶ֣ה לֶֽ⁠אֶכוֹל וְ֠⁠לִ⁠שְׁתּוֹת וְ⁠לִ⁠רְא֨וֹת טוֹבָ֜ה בְּ⁠כָל עֲמָל֣⁠וֹ & כִּי ה֥וּא חֶלְקֽ⁠וֹ

which/who which/who fitting [is]_to,eat and,to,drink and,to,see enjoyment in=all toil_of,his & that/for/because/then/when he/it portion_of,[is]_his

The word translated as for indicates that what follows is a reason for what came before. Use a connector in your language that makes it clear that what follows is a reason for what came before. Alternate translation: [That it is beautiful to eat and to drink and to see good in all his toil … because it is his portion]