Siope 30

1 “Ka ko eni, ʻoku manukiʻi au ʻekinautolu ʻoku mui ʻiate au, ka ko ʻenau ngaahi tamai ʻanautolu ne u fehiʻa ke lau fakataha mo e fanga kulī ʻo ʻeku ngaahi fanga manu.

“But now men who are younger than I am make fun of me— men whose fathers I greatly despised, with the result that I would not even have allowed them to help my dogs guard my sheep.

2 ‌ʻIo, ʻe ʻaonga fēfē kiate au ʻae mālohi ʻa honau nima, ka kuo ʻauha ʻenau motuʻa lelei?

They were men who were old and (weak/worn out); so (what could I gain from them working for me?/I would have gained nothing from them working for me.) [RHQ]

3 Ko e meʻa ʻi he masiva mo e honge naʻa nau ʻi he fakapoʻuli ʻo hangē ko e pō; ʻo feholaki ki he toafa kuo masiva mo siʻaki.

They were very poor and hungry, with the result that they chewed on roots [at night] in dry and desolate places.

4 Naʻa nau tuʻusi ʻae ngaahi ʻakau kona, pea keli aka ke nau kai.

They pulled up plants in the desert [and ate them] and warmed themselves by [burning] the roots of broom trees.

5 Naʻe kapusi ʻakinautolu mei he kakai, (pea naʻa nau kalanga ki ai ʻo hangē ki ha kaihaʻa; )

Everyone shouted at them as though they were thieves and expelled them [from their areas].

6 Ke nau nofo ʻi he ngaahi lilifa ʻoe luo, ʻi he ngaahi ʻana ʻoe fonua, mo e ngaahi maka.

They were forced to live in caves in the hills, in holes in the ground, and in the sides of cliffs.

7 Naʻa nau tangi mei he ngaahi ʻakau, pea nau fakataha ʻi lalo ʻi he ngaahi ʻakau talatala.

In the bushes they howled [like animals because they were hungry], and they huddled together under thornbushes.

8 Ko e fānau ʻae kau vale, ko e hako ʻoe kakai meʻa vale; naʻe kapusi ʻakinautolu mei he fonua.

They were people without good sense, whose names no one knows; they have been expelled from the land [where they were born].

9 “Ka ko eni, kuo u hoko au ko ʻenau hivehivaʻanga, ʻio, ko ʻenau lea manukiʻanga au.

“And now their [children] sing songs to make fun of me. They tell jokes about me.

10 ‌ʻOku nau fakaliliʻa kiate au, pea nau hola mamaʻo ʻiate au, pea ʻikai te nau manavahē ke ʻaʻanu ki hoku mata.

They are disgusted with me, and they [usually] stay away from me, [but when they see me, ] they are happy to spit in my face.

11 Ko e meʻa ʻi heʻene vete ʻeku afo, ʻo tautea au, ko ia kuo nau tukuange ai foki ʻae noʻo ʻi hoku ʻao.

Because [it is as though] [MET] God has cut my bowstring, [he has caused me to be unable to defend myself, ] and he has humbled me, and my enemies have done to me whatever they wanted.

12 ‌ʻOku tutuʻu ʻae kau talavou ʻi hoku toʻomataʻu; ʻoku nau tekeʻi hoku vaʻe, pea ʻoku nau fokotuʻu hake ʻo angatuʻu kiate au ʻae ngaahi hala ʻo honau fakaʻauha.

(Gangs/Groups of violent youths) attack me and force me to run away; they prepare to destroy me.

13 ‌ʻOku nau maumauʻi hoku hala, ʻoku nau fiefia ʻi heʻeku mamahi, ʻoku ʻikai hanau tokoni.

They prevent me from escaping, and they [do] not [need] anyone to help them (OR, there is no one to help me).

14 Naʻa nau feʻohofi mai ʻo hangē ʻi ha potu fālahi: pea ʻi he maumau naʻa nau filifilihi ʻakinautolu kiate au.

[It is as though I am a city wall and] [SIM] they have broken through the wall, and they have come crashing down on me.

15 Kuo tō kiate au ʻae ngaahi ilifia: ʻoku nau tuli hoku laumālie ʻo hangē ko e matangi: pea ʻoku mole atu ʻeku lelei ʻo hangē ko e ʻao.

I am very terrified; My dignity/honor has been taken away as though [SIM] [it has been] blown away by the wind, and my prosperity has disappeared like [SIM] clouds disappear.

16 “Pea ko eni, kuo lilingi hoku laumālie ʻiate au; kuo puke au ʻe he ngaahi ʻaho ʻoe mamahi.

“And now I [SYN] am about to die [IDM]; I suffer every day.

17 ‌ʻOku mahuhuhuhu ʻa hoku ngaahi hui ʻi he poʻuli: pea ʻoku ʻikai ke mālōlō siʻi hoku ngaahi uoua.

My bones ache during the night, and the pain that torments me never stops.

18 Kuo fetongi hoku kofu ʻe he mālohi lahi: ʻoku ne nonoʻo takatakai au ʻo hangē ko e kia ʻo hoku kofutuʻa.

[It is as though God] seizes my clothes and chokes me with the collar of my coat.

19 Kuo ne lī au ki he pelepela, pea kuo u tatau mo e efu mo e efuefu.

He has thrown me into the mud; I am [not worth anything more than] dust and ashes.

20 ‌ʻOku ou tangi kiate koe, ka ʻoku ʻikai te ke ongoʻi au: ʻoku ou tuʻu hake, ka ʻoku ʻikai te ke tokangaʻi au.

“I cry out to God, but he does not answer/help me; I stand up [and pray], but he does not pay any attention.

21 Kuo ke liliu ʻo taʻeʻofa kiate au: ʻoku ke tuʻu kiate au ʻaki ho nima mālohi.

He acts very cruelly toward me; with all of his power [MTY] he causes me to suffer.

22 ‌ʻOku ke ʻohake au ki he matangi mo ke fakaheka au ki ai, pea ʻoku ke veteki ʻeku meʻa.

He [allows] the wind to lift me up and blow me away, and he tosses me up and down in a violent storm.

23 He ʻoku ou ʻilo pau te ke ʻomi au ki he mate, pea ki he fale kuo tuʻutuʻuni ki he kakai moʻui kotoa pē.

I know that he will cause me to die, which is what happens to everyone [MTY] who is alive.

24 “Ka ʻe ʻikai te ne mafao atu hono nima ki he faʻitoka, neongo ʻoku nau tangi ʻi heʻene fakaʻauha.

“When people experience disasters, and they sit on a pile of ruins and cry out for help, others surely [RHQ] reach out their hand to help them.

25 ‌ʻIkai naʻaku tēngihia ia ʻaia naʻe mamahi? ʻIkai naʻe mamahi hoku laumālie koeʻuhi ko e masiva?

[That is what I did previously]. I wept for people who were experiencing troubles, and I felt sorry for poor/needy people.

26 ‌ʻI heʻeku ʻamanaki ki he lelei, naʻe hoko mai ʻae kovi: pea ʻi heʻeku tatali ki he maama, ne hoko mai ʻae fakapoʻuli.

But when I expected good things [to happen to me], evil things happened; when I waited for light/happiness, all I experienced was darkness/unhappiness [MET].

27 Naʻe lili hoku fatu, ʻo ʻikai toka: naʻe taʻofi au ʻe he ngaahi ʻaho ʻoe mamahi.

I am very distressed [IDM], all the time; I suffer every day.

28 Naʻaku ʻalu mamahi pe ʻi he taʻeulo ʻae laʻā; ne u tuʻu hake ʻo tangi ʻi he fakataha.

I go about very discouraged; I stand up and plead for people to help me.

29 Ko e tokoua au ʻoe fanga talākoni, mo e kaumeʻa ʻoe fanga lulu.

My wailing sounds as sad as [MET] the cries of jackals/foxes and ostriches.

30 Kuo ʻuliʻuli hoku kili ʻiate au, pea kuo velehia hoku ngaahi hui ʻi he ʻafu.

My skin has become dark/black and is peeling off, and I have a fever [which causes my body to feel like it is] burning.

31 Kuo liliu ʻeku haʻape ko e tangi, pea ko ʻeku meʻa ifi ko e leʻo ʻokinautolu ʻoku tangi.

Previously, I played joyful music on my harp and with my flute, but now I play only the sad music of those who mourn.”