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.
Vanity of vanities, saith 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 profit hath a man by all his labor with which he wearieth himself 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 passeth away, and another generation cometh; while the earth abideth 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 riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteneth to the place whence it arose.
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 goeth toward the south, and turneth about to the north; round and round goeth the wind, and returneth 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, yet the sea is not full; to the place whence the rivers come, thither they return.
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 words become weary; man cannot express it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear 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.
The thing that hath been is that which shall be, and that which hath been done is that 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.
Is there any thing of which one may say, “Behold, this is new”? It was long ago, in the times which were 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 remembrance of former things, and of things that are to come there shall be no remembrance to those who live afterwards.
12 Ko ahau, ko te Kaikauwhau, te kingi o Iharaira i Hiruharama.
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel at 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 mind to seek and to search out with wisdom concerning all things which are done under heaven; an evil business, which God hath given to the sons of men, in which to employ themselves.
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 things which are done under the sun; and, behold, it was all vanity, and striving after 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 crooked cannot be made straight, and that which is wanting cannot 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 communed with my heart, saying, “Behold, I have gained more and greater wisdom than all who have been before me at Jerusalem; yea, my mind hath 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 mind to know wisdom, and to know senselessness and folly; I perceived that this also is striving after 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.
For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
