1¶ Ma nga ngaro mate ka piro whakahouhou ai te hinu a te kaiwhakananu: ka pera ano te whakaaro nui me te ingoa nui, he iti noa te wairangi mana e tami.
1Dead flies cause a perfumer`s perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom — By reason of honour — a little folly!
2Kei tona ringa matau te ngakau o te tangata whakaaro nui; kei tona maui ia te ngakau o te wairangi.
2The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
3Ae ra hoki, ka haere te wairangi i te ara, ka taka ona mahara, a ka korero ia ki nga tangata katoa he wairangi ia.
3And also, when he that is a fool Is walking in the way, his heart is lacking, And he hath said to every one, `He [is] a fool.`
4¶ Ki te ara te wairua o te rangatira, he riri ki a koe, kaua tou wahi e whakarerea; ka ai hoki te whakangawari hei whakamarie mo nga hara nui.
4If the spirit of the ruler go up against thee, Thy place leave not, For yielding quieteth great sinners.
5Tenei tetahi kino i kitea e ahau i raro i te ra, e rite tonu ana ki te he i puta mai i te rangatira.
5There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error that goeth out from the ruler,
6Ko te wairangi e whakanohoia ana ki runga ki nga wahi tiketike rawa, a ko nga tangata taonga e noho ana i te wahi i raro.
6He hath set the fool in many high places, And the rich in a low place do sit.
7I kite ahau i nga kaimahi i runga i te hoiho, a ko nga rangatira e haere ana, ano he kaimahi, i runga i te whenua.
7I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
8Ko te tangata e keri ana i te rua, ka taka ano ki roto; ko te tangata e wahi ana i te taiepa, ka ngaua e te nakahi.
8Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth him.
9Ko te tangata e tarai ana i nga kohatu, ka mamae ano i reira; ko te tangata e tata ana i te rakau, ka ora noa ano i reira.
9Whoso is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoso is cleaving trees endangered by them.
10Ki te puhuki te rino, a kahore e whakakoia te mata, kia nui ake ano tona kaha; he pai ia nga whakaaro nui hei whakatikatika.
10If the iron hath been blunt, And he the face hath not sharpened, Then doth he increase strength, And wisdom [is] advantageous to make right.
11Ki te ngau te nakahi i te mea kiano i whakawaia, kahore hoki he painga o te kaiwhakawai.
11If the serpent biteth without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
12¶ He ataahua nga kupu a te mangai o te tangata whakaaro nui; tena ko te wairangi ka horomia a ia ano e ona ngutu.
12Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
13Ko te timatanga o nga kupu a tona mangai he wairangi; ko te mutunga o tana korero, he haurangi, he he.
13The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.
14He maha ano hoki nga kupu a te wairangi: engari e kore te tangata e mohio ko te aha e puta mai. Na, ko nga mea e puta mai i muri i a ia, ma wai ra e whakaatu ki a ia?
14And the fool multiplieth words: `Man knoweth not that which is, And that which is after him, who doth declare to him?`
15Hoha iho nga wairangi i tana mahi i tana mahi: e kore nei hoki ia e matau ki te haere ki te pa.
15The labour of the foolish wearieth him, In that he hath not known to go unto the city.
16¶ Aue, te mate mou, e te whenua he tamaiti nei tou kingi, a e kai ana ou rangatira i te ata!
16Wo to thee, O land, when thy king [is] a youth, And thy princes do eat in the morning.
17Ka hari koe, e te whenua, he tamaiti nei no nga rangatira tou kingi, a e kai ana ou rangatira i te wa e tika ai, hei mea whakakaha, ehara i te mea hei whakahaurangi.
17Happy art thou, O land, When thy king [is] a son of freemen, And thy princes do eat in due season, For might, and not for drunkenness.
18Ma te mangere ka totohu iho ai te tuanui o te whare; ma te ngoikore ano o nga ringa ka tuturu ai te whare.
18By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands doth the house drop.
19Hei mea mo te kata te hakari i tukua ai, he mea whakahari ano te waina; a ma te hiriwa ka rite ai nga mea katoa.
19For mirth they are making a feast, And wine maketh life joyful, And the silver answereth with all.
20Kaua e kanga te kingi, kaua rawa i roto i tou whakaaro; kaua hoki e kanga te tangata taonga i roto i tou whare moenga: no te mea ka kawea te reo e tetahi manu o te rangi, ka korerotia hoki taua mea e tetahi mea whai parirau.
20Even in thy mind a king revile not, And in the inner parts of thy bed-chamber Revile not the rich: For a fowl of the heavens causeth the voice to go, And a possessor of wings declareth the word.