Kaikauwhau 12
1 Kia mahara ra ki tou Kaihanga i nga ra o tou tamarikitanga, i te mea kahore ano kia tae noa mai nga ra o te kino, a kahore ano kia tata mai nga tau e ki ai koe, Kahore oku ahuareke ki enei tau;
Remember also thy Creators in days of thy youth, While that the evil days come not, Nor the years have arrived, that thou sayest, 'I have no pleasure in them.'
2 I te mea kahore ano kia pouri noa te ra, te marama, te marama, me nga whetu, a kahore ano kia hoki mai nga kapua i muri i te 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 te ra e wiri ai nga kaitiaki o te whare, a ka piko iho nga tangata marohirohi, ka mutu ano hoki ta nga kaihuri, no te mea he torutoru ratou, ka pouri ano hoki nga mea e titiro mai nei i nga matapihi.
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 ka tutakina nga tatau i te huarahi; a ka iti te haruru o te huri, a ka ara ake tetahi i te tangi o te manu, ka whakahokia iho hoki ki raro nga kotiro katoa o te waiata;
And doors have been shut in the street. When the noise of the grinding is low, And [one] riseth at the voice of the bird, And all daughters of song are bowed down.
5 Ae ra, ka wehi ratou i te mea tiketike, kei te huarahi hoki nga mea whakamataku; a ka puawai te aramona, ka taimaha ano hoki te mawhitiwhiti, ka iti haere te hiahia: ka haere nei hoki te tangata ki tona whare tuturu, a ka haereere nga kaitangi i nga huarahi:
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 is become a burden, And want is increased, For man is going unto his home age-during, And the mourners have gone round through the street.
6 I te mea kahore ano kia mawheto noa te aho hiriwa, kia pakaru noa ranei te oko koura, kia pakaru ranei te haka ki te puna, kia pakaru te wira ki te poka wai;
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 A ka hoki te puehu ki te whenua, ki tona ahua o mua, a ka hoki te wairua ki te Atua nana nei i homai.
And the dust returneth to the earth as it was, And the spirit returneth to God who gave it.
8 He horihori, he tino horihori, e ai ta te Kaikauwhau; he horihori te katoa.
Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole [is] vanity.
9 Na no te mea he tangata whakaaro nui te Kaikauwhau, koia i whakaakona tonutia ai e ia te iwi ki te matauranga; ae ra, i whakaaroaro ia, i rapu, a i ata whakatakotoria e ia nga whakatauki maha.
And further, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge, and gave ear, and sought out — he made right many similes.
10 I whai te Kaikauwhau kia kitea nga kupu huatau: he mea tika ano te mea i tuhituhia, he kupu pono.
The preacher sought to find out pleasing words, and, written [by] the upright, words of truth.
11 Ko nga kupu a te hunga whakaaro nui koia ano kei nga werowero, a ko nga kupu a nga kaihuihui o nga whakaminenga kei nga whao i titia kia mau, he mea i homai e te hepara kotahi.
Words of the wise [are] as goads, and as fences planted [by] the masters of collections, they have been given by one shepherd.
12 A kia ai enei hei whakatupato i a koe, e taku tama; ko te tuhi i nga pukapuka maha kahore he mutunga; ki te nui hoki te ako ka mauiui te kikokiko.
And further, from these, my son, be warned; the making of many books hath no end, and much study [is] a weariness of the flesh.
13 Ko te whakamutunga tenei o te mea katoa; kua rangona katoatia; e wehi ki te Atua, puritia ana whakahau: ko nga mea katoa hoki enei hei mahi ma te tangata.
The end of the whole matter let us hear: — 'Fear God, and keep His commands, for this [is] the whole of man.
14 No te mea ka whakawakia nga mahi katoa e te Atua, te mea huna ano hoki, ahakoa pai, ahakoa kino.
For every work doth God bring into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or bad.'
