Kaikauwhau 2
1 I mea ahau i roto i toku ngakau, Tena ra, ka whakamatauria koe e ahau ki te koa; na, te ahuareka mau. Heoi, he horihori ano hoki tenei.
I said in my heart: “I will go forth and overflow with delights, and I will enjoy good things.” And I saw that this, too, is emptiness.
2 Ko te kata, kiia iho e ahau he haurangi; ko te koa, He mahi aha tana?
Laughter, I considered an error. And to rejoicing, I said: “Why are you being deceived, to no purpose?”
3 I whai ahau i roto i toku ngakau me pehea te whakaahuareka i toku kikokiko ki te waina, me te whakahaere ano ia a toku ngakau i ahau i runga i te whakaaro nui; a me pehea taku hopu i te wairangi, kia kitea ra ano e ahau he aha ra tena mea pai a n ga tama a te tangata e mahia nei i raro i te rangi i nga ra katoa e ora nei ratou.
I decided in my heart to withdraw my flesh from wine, so that I might bring my mind to wisdom, and turn away from foolishness, until I see what is useful for the sons of men, and what they ought to do under the sun, during the number of the days of their life.
4 I mahia e ahau etahi mahi nunui maku; i hanga e ahau etahi whare moku; i whakatokia e ahau etahi mara waina maku;
I magnified my works. I built houses for myself, and I planted vineyards.
5 I hanga e ahau etahi kari maku, me etahi mara rakau, whakatokia iho e ahau ki reira nga tu rakau katoa e whai hua ana.
I made gardens and orchards. And I planted them with trees of every kind.
6 I hanga e ahau he poka wai maku hei whakamakuku mai i reira i te ngahere, i te wahi i whakatupuria ai nga rakau.
And I dug out fishponds of water, so that I might irrigate the forest of growing trees.
7 I hokona e ahau he pononga tane, he pononga wahine, a he pononga ano i whanau ki toku whare; he tini hoki aku kahui kau, aku kahui hipi, maha atu i a te hunga katoa i mua atu i ahau i Hiruharama.
I obtained men and women servants, and I had a great family, as well as herds of cattle and great flocks of sheep, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem.
8 I amenea mai ano e ahau he hiriwa, he koura, me te taonga i rawe ki nga kingi, ki nga kawanatanga; i meatia ano e ahau he kaiwaiata tane, he kaiwaiata wahine, me nga ahuareka ano a nga tama a te tangata, te tini o te wahine iti.
I amassed for myself silver and gold, and the wealth of kings and governors. I chose men and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, bowls and pitchers for the purpose of pouring wine.
9 Heoi kua nui ahau, neke noa ake ana aku i a te hunga katoa i mua ake i ahau i Hiruharama, me te mau ano hoki toku whakaaro nui.
And I surpassed in opulence all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also persevered with me.
10 Ko nga mea katoa ano hoki i hiahiatia e oku kanohi, kihai i kaiponuhia e ahau i a raua, kihai ano i pehia e ahau toku ngakau i te meatanga atu ki tetahi whakahari; i hari hoki toku ngakau i oku ruhatanga katoa; a ko te wahi tenei maku o oku ruha tanga katoa.
And all that my eyes desired, I did not refuse them. Neither did I prohibit my heart from enjoying every pleasure, and from amusing itself in the things that I had prepared. And I regarded this as my share, as if I were making use of my own labors.
11 Katahi ahau ka titiro ki nga mahi katoa i mahia e oku ringa, ki te ruhatanga hoki i ruha ai ahau i te mahinga; nana, he horihori katoa, he whai kau i te hau, a kahore he hua pai i raro i te ra.
But when I turned myself toward all the works that my hands had made, and to the labors in which I had perspired to no purpose, I saw emptiness and affliction of the soul in all things, and that nothing is permanent under the sun.
12 I anga ano ahau ki te matakitaki ki te whakaaro nui, ki te haurangi, ki te wairangi: he aha koia te mea e taea e te tangata e haere mai ana i muri i te kingi? heoi ano ko te mea kua oti noa ake.
I continued on, so as to contemplate wisdom, as well as error and foolishness. “What is man,” I said, “that he would be able to follow his Maker, the King?”
13 Katahi ahau ka kite, hira ake te whakaaro nui i te wairangi; he pera hoki me te marama e hira ake ana i te pouri.
And I saw that wisdom surpasses foolishness, so much so that they differ as much as light from darkness.
14 Ko te tangata whakaaro nui, kei tona mahunga ona kanohi, a kei te pouri te wairangi e haere ana: otiia i kite ano ahau kotahi tonu te mea e pa ana ki a ratou katoa.
The eyes of a wise man are in his head. A foolish man walks in darkness. Yet I learned that one would pass away like the other.
15 Katahi ahau ka ki ake i roto i toku ngakau: Ko te mea i pa ki te wairangi ka pa ano ki ahau nei ano hoki; he aha hoki oku whakaaro i nui ake ai? Na ko taku kianga ake i roto i toku ngakau, he horihori ano hoki tenei.
And I said in my heart: “If the death of both the foolish and myself will be one, how does it benefit me, if I have given myself more thoroughly to the work of wisdom?” And as I was speaking within my own mind, I perceived that this, too, is emptiness.
16 No te mea kahore he maharatanga ki te tangata whakaaro nui, pera ano i te kore ki te wairangi a ake ake; ina hoki i nga ra e haere ake nei kua wareware noa kae nga mea katoa. Na, ko to te tangata whakaaro nui tona matenga, pera ano i to te waira ngi!
For there will not be a remembrance in perpetuity of the wise, nor of the foolish. And the future times will cover everything together, with oblivion. The learned die in a manner similar to the unlearned.
17 Na kua kino ahau ki te ora; no te mea he he ki ahau te mahi e mahia ana i raro i te ra: he horihori katoa hoki, he whai kau i te hau.
And, because of this, my life wearied me, since I saw that everything under the sun is evil, and everything is empty and an affliction of the spirit.
18 I kino ano hoki ahau ki toku mauiui i mauiui ai ahau i raro i te ra: ina hoki me waiho iho e ahau ma te tangata i muri i ahau.
Again, I detested all my efforts, by which I had earnestly labored under the sun, to be taken up by an heir after me,
19 Ko wai hoki e mohio ana hei tangata whakaaro nui ranei ia, hei wairangi ranei? otiia hei a ia te tikanga mo oku mauiui katoa i mauiui ai ahau, i nui ai ano hoki oku whakaaro i raro i te ra. He horihori ano hoki tenei.
though I know not whether he will be wise or foolish. And yet he will have power over my labors, in which I have toiled and been anxious. And is there anything else so empty?
20 Na ka anga ahau, ka mea kia whakaparahako toku ngakau ki te mauiui katoa i mauiui ai ahau i raro i te ra.
Therefore, I ceased, and my heart renounced further laboring under the sun.
21 Tenei hoki tetahi tangata kei runga nei i te whakaaro nui tana mahi, kei runga i te matauranga, kei runga i te mohio; otiia ka waiho e ia hei wahi ma te tangata kihai nei i mahi. He horihori ano tenei, he he nui.
For when someone labors in wisdom, and doctrine, and prudence, he leaves behind what he has obtained to one who is idle. So this, too, is emptiness and a great burden.
22 He aha oti te tukunga iho ki te tangata o tona mauiui katoa, o te ngana o tona ngakau i mauiui ai ia i raro i te ra?
For how can a man benefit from all his labor and affliction of spirit, by which he has been tormented under the sun?
23 He pouri kau hoki ona ra katoa, he ngakau mamae tona raruraru, e kore ano hoki tona ngakau e okioki i te po. Na he horihori ano hoki tenei.
All his days have been filled with sorrows and hardships; neither does he rest his mind, even in the night. And is this not emptiness?
24 Kahore he mea pai ma te tangata i tua atu i te kai, i te inu, i te mea kia whiwhi tona wairua i te pai i roto i tona mauiui. I kite ano hoki ahau i tenei, no te ringa o te Atua tenei.
Is it not better to eat and drink, and to show his soul the good things of his labors? And this is from the hand of God.
25 Ko wai oti e nui atu tana kai, ko wai e reka ake i ahau?
So who will feast and overflow with delights as much as I have?
26 Ki te tangata hoki e pai ana ki to te Atua aroaro e homai ana e ia he whakaaro nui, he matauranga, he koa; ki te tangata hara ia e homai ana e ia he raruraru, ki te kohikohi, ki te amene mea mai, hei hoatutanga mana ki te tangata e pai ana ki to te Atua aroaro. He horihori ano hoki tenei, he whai i te hau.
God has given, to the man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and rejoicing. But to the sinner, he has given affliction and needless worrying, so as to add, and to gather, and to deliver, to him who has pleased God. But this, too, is emptiness and a hollow worrying of the mind.
