Tangata Malanga 4

1 Ko ia naʻaku tafoki mai, pea u tokanga ki he fakamālohi kotoa pē ʻoku fai ʻi he lalo laʻā: pea vakai ko e loʻimata ʻonautolu kuo fakamālohiʻi, pea ʻikai hanau fakafiemālie; pea naʻe ʻi he nima ʻonautolu naʻe fakamālohi ʻae mālohi, ka naʻe ʻikai hanau fakafiemālie.

Once again I thought about all the oppression that is done under the sun. And behold, the tears of oppressed people, and they had no one to comfort them! Power was in the hand of their oppressors, and there was no one to comfort them!

2 Ko ia naʻaku leleiʻia moʻoni ʻi he mate kuo mate, ʻi he moʻui ʻoku kei moʻui.

So I considered those who are already dead more fortunate than the living, who are still alive.

3 ‌ʻIo, pea ʻoku lelei hake ia ʻiate kinaua fakatouʻosi, ʻaia ʻoku teʻeki ai fakatupu pe mamata ki he ngāue kovi ʻoku fai ʻi he lalo laʻā.

However, more fortunate than both of them is the one who has not yet lived, the one who has not seen any of the evil acts that are done under the sun.

4 Pea ko eni, naʻaku fakalaulauloto ki he feinga mo e ngāue lelei kotoa pē, he ko e meʻa ia ʻoku fakatupu meheka ki ha tangata mei hono kaungāʻapi. Ko e vaʻinga foki eni mo e fakamamahi ki he laumālie.

Then I saw that every act of labor and every skillful work became the envy of one's neighbor. This also is vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.

5 ‌ʻOku fehulunaki ʻae nima ʻoe vale, pea ʻoku ne kai hono kakano ʻoʻona.

The fool folds his hands and does not work, so his food is his own flesh.

6 ‌ʻOku lelei hake ke fonu ʻae nima ʻe taha mo e fiemālie, ʻi he fonu fakatouʻosi ʻoe nima kae feinga mo mamahi ʻae laumālie.

But better is a handful of profit with quiet work than two handfuls with the work that tries to shepherd the wind.

7 Pea naʻaku toki tafoki mai, pea naʻaku mamata ki he vaʻinga ʻi he lalo laʻā.

Then I thought again about more futility, more vanishing vapor under the sun.

8 ‌ʻOku ai ʻaia ʻoku tokotaha pe, pea ʻoku ʻikai hono toko ua; ʻio, ʻoku ʻikai haʻane fānau pe kāinga: ka ʻoku ʻikai ngata ʻene ngāue; pea ʻoku ʻikai fiu hono mata ki he koloa; pea ʻoku ʻikai pehē ʻe ia, Ko ʻeku ngāue eni maʻa hai, kau fakamasivaʻi ʻa hoku laumālie ʻi he lelei? Ko e vaʻinga foki eni, ʻio, ko e fakamamahi lahi.

There is the kind of man who is alone. He does not have anyone, no son or brother. There is no end to all his work, and his eyes are not satisfied with gaining wealth. He wonders, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vapor, a bad situation.

9 ʻOku lelei hake ʻae toko ua ʻi he tokotaha; he ʻoku ai ʻae totongi lelei ʻi heʻena ngāue.

Two people work better than one; together they can earn a good pay for their labor.

10 He kapau te na tō ki lalo, ʻe hiki ki ʻolunga ʻe he tokotaha ʻa hono kāinga: ka ʻe kovi lahi kiate ia ʻoku tō ki lalo ʻi heʻene tokotaha pe; he ʻoku ʻikai ha tokotaha ke tokoni hake ia ki ʻolunga.

For if one falls, the other can lift up his friend. However, sorrow follows the one who is alone when he falls if there is no one to lift him up.

11 Ko eni foki, kapau ʻe takoto ʻae toko ua te na mafana; ka ʻe mafana fēfeeʻi ha taha ʻi heʻene tokotaha pe?

If two lie down together, they can be warm, but how can one be warm alone?

12 Pea kapau ʻe mālohi ha tokotaha ki he tokotaha, ka ʻe faʻa ikuʻi ia ʻe he toko ua; pea ko e afo tuʻo tolu ʻoku motungataʻa ia.

One man alone can be overpowered, but two can withstand an attack, and a three-strand rope is not quickly broken.

13 ʻOku lelei hake ʻae tamasiʻi ʻoku masiva mo poto, ʻi ha tuʻi ʻoku motuʻa kae vale, ʻaia ʻoku ʻikai tui ki he valoki.

It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to listen to warnings.

14 He ʻoku haʻu ia mei he fale fakapōpula ki he pule; ka ko ia kuo fanauʻi ko e pule ʻoku hoko ia ʻo masiva.

This is true even if the young man becomes king from prison, or even if he was born poor in his kingdom.

15 Naʻaku mamata ki he kakai moʻui kotoa pē ʻoku ʻaʻeva ʻi he lalo laʻā, mo hono foha ʻe hoko, ʻaia ʻe tuʻu hake ʻi hono potu ko hono fetongi.

I saw everyone who was alive and was walking around under the sun, along with a youth who was to rise up to take his place.

16 ‌ʻOku ʻikai hano ngataʻanga ʻoe kakai kotoa pē, ʻakinautolu foki naʻe ʻi muʻa ʻiate kinautolu: pea ʻe ʻikai fiefia ʻiate ia ʻakinautolu ʻe tupu kimui. Ko e moʻoni ko e vaʻinga foki eni mo e fakamamahi ki he laumālie.

There is no end to all the people who want to obey the new king, but later many of them will no longer praise him. Surely this situation is vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.