Kaikauwhau 1
1 Ko nga kupu a te Kaikauwhau, ara a te tama a Rawiri, i kingi nei ki Hiruharama.
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.
2 He tino horihori rawa, e ai ta te Kaikauwhau, he tino horihori rawa; he horihori katoa.
Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3 He aha te pai ki te tangata o tona mauiui katoa e mauiui ai ia i raro i te ra?
What advantage [is there] to a man in all his labor that he takes under the sun?
4 Ko tenei whakatupuranga e haere atu ana, ko tera whakatupuranga e haere mai ana: ko te whenua ia, mau tonu.
A generation goes, and a generation comes: but the earth stands for ever.
5 E whiti ana hoki te ra, e heke atu ana te ra, hohoro tonu atu ki tona wahi whiti mai ai.
And the sun arises, and the sun goes down and draws toward its place;
6 E anga ana te hau ki te tonga, na ka taka ki te raki; he hanga takataka tonu tana i tona ara, a ka hoki mai ano te hau ki ona takatakanga.
arising there it proceeds southward, and goes round toward the north. The wind goes round and round, and the wind returns to its circuits.
7 E rere ana nga awa katoa ki te moana, heoi kahore e ki te moana: ko te wahi i rere mai ai nga awa, ka hoki atu ano ratou ki reira.
All the rivers run into the sea; and yet the sea is not filled: to the place whence the rivers come, there they return again.
8 Mauiui rawa nga mea katoa, e kore e taea e te tangata te korero: e kore te kanohi e ngata i te matakaitaki, e kore te taringa e ki i te whakarongo.
All things are full of labor; a man will not be able to speak [of them]: neither shall the eye be satisfied with seeing, neither shall the ear be filled with hearing.
9 Ko to mua mea koia ano hei mea aianei; a ko te mea i mahia i mua ka mahia ano aianei; kahore hoki he mea hou i raro i te ra.
What is that which has been? the very thing which shall be: and what is that which has been done? the very thing which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Tera ano ranei he mea e ki ai tetahi, Titiro, he mea hou tenei? He mea ia no nga wa o mua, no era i mua atu i a tatou.
[Who is he] that shall speak and say, Behold, this is new? it has already been in the ages that have passed before us.
11 Kahore he mahara ki nga whakatupuranga o mua; kahore hoki e maharatia nga whakatupuranga e haere mai a muri nei e te hunga o muri atu.
There is no memorial to the first things; neither to the things that have been last shall their memorial be with them that shall at the last [time].
12 Ko ahau, ko te Kaikauwhau, te kingi o Iharaira i Hiruharama.
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 Na ka whakaangahia e ahau toku ngakau ki te whakaaro nui hei rapu, hei kimi i nga mea katoa e mahia ana i raro i te rangi: na te Atua tenei whakararuraru kino i homai ki nga tama a te tangata hei whakararu i a ratou.
And I applied my heart to seek out and examine by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven, for God has given to the sons of men an evil trouble to be troubled therewith.
14 Kua kite ahau i nga mea katoa e mahia ana i raro i te ra. Nana, he horihori katoa, he whai hoki i te hau.
I saw all the works that were wrought under the sun; and, saw, all were vanity and waywardness of spirit.
15 Ko te mea piko e kore e taea te whakahangai: ko te mea koha e kore e taea te tatau.
That which is crooked can’t be made straight: and deficiency can’t be numbered.
16 I korerorero ahau ki toku ngakau, i mea, Nana, kua whiwhi rawa ahau i te whakaaro nui ki runga ake i o te hunga katoa i mua atu i ahau i Hiruharama: ae ra, he maha nga mea kua kitea e toku ngakau o te whakaaro nui, o te matauranga.
I spoke in my heart, saying, Behold, I am increased, and have acquired wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem: also I applied my heart to know wisdom and knowledge.
17 Na ka whakaangahia e ahau toku ngakau kia mohio ki te whakaaro nui, kia mohio ki te haurangi, ki te wairangi: a kua kite ahau he whai ano hoki tenei i te hau.
And my heart knew much—wisdom, and knowledge, parables and understanding: I perceived that this also is waywardness of spirit.
18 Ma te nui hoki o te whakaaro ka nui ai te pouri: a ko te tangata e whakaneke ake ana i te matauranga e whakaneke ake ana i te mamae.
For in the abundance of wisdom is abundance of knowledge; and he that increases knowledge will increase sorrow.
