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 in Jerusalem.
2 He tino horihori rawa, e ai ta te Kaikauwhau, he tino horihori rawa; he horihori katoa.
All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.
3 He aha te pai ki te tangata o tona mauiui katoa e mauiui ai ia i raro i te ra?
What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?
4 Ko tenei whakatupuranga e haere atu ana, ko tera whakatupuranga e haere mai ana: ko te whenua ia, mau tonu.
One generation goes and another comes; but the earth is for ever.
5 E whiti ana hoki te ra, e heke atu ana te ra, hohoro tonu atu ki tona wahi whiti mai ai.
The sun comes up and the sun goes down, and goes quickly back to the place where he came up.
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.
The wind goes to the south, turning back again to the north; circling round for ever.
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 go down to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers go, there they go 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 weariness; man may not give their story: the eye has never enough of its seeing, or the ear of its 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.
That which has been, is that which is to be, and that which has been done, is that which will 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.
Is there anything of which men say, See, this is new? It has been in the old time which was 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 memory of those who have gone before, and of those who come after there will be no memory for those who are still to come after them.
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 gave my heart to searching out in wisdom all things which are done under heaven: it is a hard thing which God has put on the sons of men to do.
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 have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.
15 Ko te mea piko e kore e taea te whakahangai: ko te mea koha e kore e taea te tatau.
That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not 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 said to my heart, See, I have become great and am increased in wisdom more than any who were before me in Jerusalem — yes, my heart has seen much 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 I gave my heart to getting knowledge of wisdom, and of the ways of the foolish. And I saw that this again was desire for wind.
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.
Because in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow.
