1 I naianei ia e kataina mai ana ahau e te hunga tamariki rawa i ahau, e te hunga kihai nei ahau i whakaae kia uru o ratou matua ki roto ki nga kuri o taku kahui.

¶ But now those that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.

2 A e ra, hei aha maku te kaha o o ratou ringa? He hanga pirau nei hoki to ratou koroheketanga.

For, unto what might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom time was lost?

3 T upuhi ana ratou i te rawakore, i te hemokai; e ngau ana ratou i te oneone pakapaka, i roto i te pouritanga o te tuhea, o te ururua.

For want and famine they walked alone; fleeing into solitude, to the dark place, desolate and waste.

4 E whawhaki ana ratou i nga marou i roto o nga rakau ririki; a ko nga pakiaka hunipa hei kai ma ratou.

Who cut up mallows among the bushes and juniper roots for their food.

5 H e mea pei atu ratou i roto i nga tangata; e karangarangatia ana ratou ano he tahae.

They were driven forth from among men (they cried after them as after a thief).

6 M e noho rawa atu ratou i nga kapiti o nga awaawa, i nga waro o te whenua, i nga kamaka.

They dwelt in the clifts of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rocks.

7 T angi a kaihe ana ratou i roto i nga rakau ririki; huihuia ana ratou ki raro i nga ongaonga.

Among the bushes they brayed; under the nettles they were gathered together.

8 H e tamariki ratou na nga kuware, ae ra, he tamariki na te hunga ingoakore; he hunga i patua atu i runga i te whenua.

They were sons of fools and men without names; they were lower than the earth.

9 I naianei ia kua waiho ahau hei waiata ma ratou, ae, hei whakatauki ma ratou.

And now I am their song, and I am their byword.

10 E whakarihariha mai ana ratou ki ahau, e neke rawa atu ana i ahau, a kahore e kaiponuhia e ratou te huware ki toku mata.

They abhor me, they distance themselves from me, and do not spare to spit in my face.

11 K ua oti hoki tana aho te wewete e ia, a e whakatupuria kinotia ana ahau e ia, a kua tukua e ratou te paraire i toku aroaro.

Because God has loosed my cord and afflicted me, they have also gone out of control before my face.

12 I te taha ki matau ka ara te marea; taia ana e ratou oku waewae, a akina ana nga ara o a ratou whakangaromanga ki ahau.

Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction.

13 E taka kino ana ratou i toku ara, e whakatupu ana i te he moku, a kahore he hoa mahi mo ratou.

They cast down my path, they took advantage of my calamity, against them there was no helper.

14 R ite tonu ki te wai nui e pakaru mai ana to ratou haerenga mai: i taua whakangaromanga nei, huri mai ana ratou ki runga ki ahau:

They came in as through a wide breach; they were stirred up because of my calamity.

15 K ua tahuri mai nga whakawehi ki ahau, e aru ana ratou i toku whakaaro rangatira ano he hau; ko te whakahauora moku, pahemo ke ana ano he kapua.

¶ They have loosed terrors upon me; they fought my will as the wind and my saving health as a cloud that passes.

16 N a inaianei kua maringi toku wairua i roto i ahau: mau pu ahau i nga ra o te tangi.

And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.

17 I te po e werohia ana oku wheua i roto i ahau; kahore hoki he okiokinga o nga mamae e ngau nei i ahau.

My bones pierce me in the night, and my sinews take no rest.

18 H e kaha nui no toku mate i ahua ke ai toku kakahu; e awhi nei i ahau, e penei ana me te whiri o toku koti.

By the great force of my disease my garment is changed; it binds me about as the collar of my coat.

19 K ua maka ahau e ia ki te paru, kua rite ahau ki te puehu, ki te pungarehu.

He has cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes.

20 E tangi ana ahau ki a koe, heoi kahore koe e whakao mai ki ahau; e tu ana, heoi ka titiro kau mai koe ki ahau.

I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me; I present myself, and thou regardest me not.

21 K ua huri ke, kua kino tau mahi ki ahau: ko te kaha o tou ringa kei te tukino i ahau.

Thou art become cruel to me; with the strength of thy hand thou dost hate me.

22 K ua hapainga ake ahau e koe ki te hau, a meinga ana tera e koe hei hoiho moku; a whakamotitia iho ahau e koe i roto i te tupuhi.

Thou didst lift me up and cause me to ride upon the wind, and didst dissolve my being.

23 E mohio ana hoki ahau tera ahau e kawea e koe ki te mate, ki te whare hoki i whakaritea mo te hunga ora katoa.

For I know that thou dost conduct me unto death and to the house appointed for all living.

24 E kore ano ia tona ringa e totoro iho ki te urupa; ahakoa hei mate mona ka mea ia ki te karanga, he whakaaro ki enei mea.

But he will not stretch out his hand against the grave; do those who are buried cry out when he destroys them?

25 K ihai ianei ahau i tangi ki te tangata he mate nei tona? kihai ranei toku wairua i pouri ki te rawakore?

Did I not weep for the one that was in trouble? Was not my soul grieved for the needy?

26 I ahau i tatari ai ki te pai, heoi kua tae mai te kino; tumanako atu ana ahau ki te marama, heoi kua tae mai te pouri.

When I expected good, then evil came unto me; and when I waited for light, there came darkness.

27 K o oku whekau, me te mea e koropupu ana, te ata takoto; haukotia mai ana ahau e nga ra o te tangi.

My bowels boil and do not rest; the days of affliction came upon me.

28 E haereere pouri ana ahau, kahore he ra; ko taku whakatikanga ake i roto i te whakaminenga, ka karanga awhina.

I went about darkened, but not by the sun; I stood up and cried out in the congregation.

29 H ei teina ahau ki nga tarakona, hei hoa mo nga ruru.

I have become a brother to dragons and a companion to owls.

30 K o toku kiri mangu tonu, e ngahoro ana i ahau, kaia ana oku wheua i te wera.

My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat.

31 N o reira i tahuri ke ai taku hapa ki te tangi, me taku okana ki te reo o te hunga e uhunga ana.

My harp is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of those that weep.