OET interlinear ECC 6:3

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical

אִם־יוֹלִ֣יד אִ֣ישׁ מֵאָ֡ה

if fathers (a)_man hundred

Solomon is presenting a possible condition, that a man could father many children and live many years yet still not enjoy life. Use a natural form in your language for introducing a condition that could happen. It may be helpful to reorder this sentence so that the conditional statement is first. Alternate translation: [Suppose a man were to father a hundred children]

Note 2 topic: translate-numbers

מֵאָ֡ה

hundred

Translate this number according to the conventions of your own language and culture. Alternate translation: [a hundred children]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

וְ⁠שָׁנִים֩ רַבּ֨וֹת יִֽחְיֶ֜ה

and=years many live

If it would be more natural in your language, you may want to put the information about the subject he before the information about many years. Alternate translation: [and he should live many years]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

וְ⁠נַפְשׁ⁠וֹ֙ לֹא־תִשְׂבַּ֣ע

and,self_of,his not satisfied

The expression his soul is not satisfied is a passive verbal form. If it would be unnatural to use that form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [he does not enjoy the good things]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וְ⁠נַפְשׁ⁠וֹ֙ לֹא־תִשְׂבַּ֣ע

and,self_of,his not satisfied

Here, soul represents “desire” or “appetite.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [his desire is not satisfied]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

הַ⁠טּוֹבָ֔ה

the,good

Solomon is using the good thing as a common expression of the culture to mean “the good things that life offers.” 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: [the good things that life offers]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

קְבוּרָ֖ה

burial

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of burial, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [a place to bury him]

Note 8 topic: writing-pronouns

ט֥וֹב מִמֶּ֖⁠נּוּ הַ⁠נָּֽפֶל

good from=him/it the,miscarriage

The pronoun him refers to the wealthy man described earlier in this verse. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: [Better than this man is the stillborn child]