1¶ Ko nga kupu a te Kaikauwhau, ara a te tama a Rawiri, i kingi nei ki Hiruharama.
1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2He tino horihori rawa, e ai ta te Kaikauwhau, he tino horihori rawa; he horihori katoa.
2Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity.
3He aha te pai ki te tangata o tona mauiui katoa e mauiui ai ia i raro i te ra?
3What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?
4¶ Ko tenei whakatupuranga e haere atu ana, ko tera whakatupuranga e haere mai ana: ko te whenua ia, mau tonu.
4[One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh, but the earth standeth for ever.
5E whiti ana hoki te ra, e heke atu ana te ra, hohoro tonu atu ki tona wahi whiti mai ai.
5The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.
6E 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.
6The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about towards the north: it turneth about continually, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
7E 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.
7All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.
8Mauiui 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.
8All things are full of toil; none can 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.
9That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun.
10Tera 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.
10Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already in the ages which were before us.
11Kahore 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.
11There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards.
12¶ Ko ahau, ko te Kaikauwhau, te kingi o Iharaira i Hiruharama.
12I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13Na 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.
13And I applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith.
14Kua kite ahau i nga mea katoa e mahia ana i raro i te ra. Nana, he horihori katoa, he whai hoki i te hau.
14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
15Ko te mea piko e kore e taea te whakahangai: ko te mea koha e kore e taea te tatau.
15That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
16I 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.
16I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of wisdom and knowledge.
17Na 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.
17And I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind.
18Ma 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.
18For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.