The Emptiness of Pleasure

2 I said to myself, ‘Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure;^(A) enjoy what is good.’ But it turned out to be futile. ² I said about laughter,^(B) ‘It is madness,’ and about pleasure, ‘What does this accomplish? ’ ³ I explored with my mind the pull of wine^(C) on my body – my mind still guiding me with wisdom – and how to grasp folly,^(D) until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven^[a] during the few days of their lives.^(E)

¹⁰ All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them.^(A) I did not refuse myself any pleasure, for I took pleasure in all my struggles. This was my reward for all my struggles.^{(B) 11} When I considered all that I had accomplished^[a] and what I had laboured to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind.^[b],^(C) There was nothing to be gained under the sun.^(D)