Kekahuna 12
1 E HOOMANAO oe i kou Mea nana i hana, I na la o kou noho opiopio ana; Oi hiki ole mai na la ino, A hookokoke ole ia mai na makahiki, Au e olelo ai, Aole o'u oluolu i keia mau mea:
Remember also your Creator in days of your youth, While that the evil days do not come, Nor the years have arrived, that you say, “I have no pleasure in them.”
2 I ka wa i pouli ole ai ka la, a me ka malamalama, O ka mahina hoi a me na hoku; A hoi ole mai na ao mahope o ka ua:
While that the sun is not darkened, and the light, And the moon, and the stars, And the thick clouds returned after the rain.
3 I ka la i haalulu ai na kiai hale, A kulou ilalo na kanaka ikaika; A oki ka poe wili no ka hapa, A i pouli ai na mea nana ma na puka makani;
In the day that keepers of the house tremble, And men of strength have bowed themselves, And grinders have ceased, because they have become few. And those looking out at the windows have become dim,
4 A paniia na puka ma ke alanui, I ka wa i uuku mai ai ka leo o ka wili ana; A e ala ae oia i ka leo o ka manu, A e hoohaahaaia na kaikamahine lea i ke oli a pau.
And doors have been shut in the street. When the noise of the grinding is low, And [one] rises at the voice of the bird, And all daughters of song are bowed down.
5 A makau lakou i na mea kiekie; Aia hoi ma ke alanui na mea e weliweli ai, Ua hoopailua hoi ka laau alemona, A o ka uhini, he mea ia e kaumaha ai, A lilo no hoi ka hua kepa i mea mikomiko ole; No ka mea, hele ke kanaka i kona hale mau, A hele ka poe kanikau ma na alanui:
Also of that which is high they are afraid, And of the low places in the way, And the almond-tree is despised, And the grasshopper has become a burden, And want is increased, For man is going to his perpetual home, And the mourners have gone around through the street.
6 Oi moku ole ia ke kaula kala, Aole hoi i naha ke kiaha gula; Aole naha ka bakeke ma ka punawai, Aole hoi i naha ke kaa ma ka luawai.
While that the silver cord is not removed, And the golden bowl broken, And the pitcher broken by the fountain, And the wheel broken at the well.
7 Alaila, e hoi ka lepo i ka honua e like me ia mamua, A o ka uhane, e hoi ia i ke Akua nana ia i haawi mai.
And the dust returns to the earth as it was, And the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 Lapuwale o na lapuwale, wahi a ke kahuna, pau na mea i ka lapuwale.
Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole [is] vanity.
9 Eia hoi kekahi: I ko ke kahuna naauao ana, ua ao mau aku oia i na kanaka; ua noonoo oia, a imi, a hooponopono hoi i na olelo akamai he nui hoa.
And further, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge, and gave ear, and sought out—he made right many allegories.
10 Ua imi iho la ke kahuna e loaa mai na olelo oluolu, a o na mea i kakauia, he olelo pololei ia a me ka oiaio hoi.
The preacher sought to find out pleasing words, and [that] written [by] the upright—words of truth.
11 O na olelo a ka poe naauao, ua like ia me na mea oi, a me na kui i makiaia a paa e ka poe luna o ka ahakanaka, na mea i haawiia'ku ai e ke kahu hookahi.
Words of the wise [are] as the goads, and as nails planted [by] the masters of collections, they have been given by one Shepherd.
12 Eia hoi kekahi: E aoia mai oe, e ka'u keiki, e keia mau mea; o ka hana ana i na buke he nui loa, he mea hope ole ia, a o ka imi nui i ka palapala, he mea ia e luhi ai ke kino.
And further, from these, my son, be warned; the making of many scrolls has no end, and much study [is] a weariness of the flesh.
13 E hoolohe oe i ka hope o keia mau mea a pau. E makau i ke Akua, a e malama i kona mau kanawai, no ka mea. oia ka ke kanaka [pono] a pau.
The end of the whole matter let us hear: “Fear God, and keep His commands, for this [is] the whole of man.
14 No ka mea, e hookomo ana ke Akua i na hana a pau, a me na mea a pau i hunaia iloko o ka hookolokoloia, ina paha he pono, ina paha he hewa.
For every work God brings into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or bad.”
