1 I mea ahau i roto i toku ngakau, Tena ra, ka whakamatauria koe e ahau ki te koa; na, te ahuareka mau. Heoi, he horihori ano hoki tenei.

I said in my heart, `Pray, come, I try thee with mirth, and look thou on gladness;' and lo, even it vanity.

2 K o te kata, kiia iho e ahau he haurangi; ko te koa, He mahi aha tana?

Of laughter I said, `Foolish!' and of mirth, `What this it is doing?'

3 I whai ahau i roto i toku ngakau me pehea te whakaahuareka i toku kikokiko ki te waina, me te whakahaere ano ia a toku ngakau i ahau i runga i te whakaaro nui; a me pehea taku hopu i te wairangi, kia kitea ra ano e ahau he aha ra tena mea pai a n ga tama a te tangata e mahia nei i raro i te rangi i nga ra katoa e ora nei ratou.

I have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite, (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly till that I see where this -- the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of the days of their lives.

4 I mahia e ahau etahi mahi nunui maku; i hanga e ahau etahi whare moku; i whakatokia e ahau etahi mara waina maku;

I made great my works, I builded for me houses, I planted for me vineyards.

5 I hanga e ahau etahi kari maku, me etahi mara rakau, whakatokia iho e ahau ki reira nga tu rakau katoa e whai hua ana.

I made for me gardens and paradises, and I planted in them trees of every fruit.

6 I hanga e ahau he poka wai maku hei whakamakuku mai i reira i te ngahere, i te wahi i whakatupuria ai nga rakau.

I made for me pools of water, to water from them a forest shooting forth trees.

7 I hokona e ahau he pononga tane, he pononga wahine, a he pononga ano i whanau ki toku whare; he tini hoki aku kahui kau, aku kahui hipi, maha atu i a te hunga katoa i mua atu i ahau i Hiruharama.

I got men-servants, and maid-servants, and sons of the house were to me; also, I had much substance -- herd and flock -- above all who had been before me in Jerusalem.

8 I amenea mai ano e ahau he hiriwa, he koura, me te taonga i rawe ki nga kingi, ki nga kawanatanga; i meatia ano e ahau he kaiwaiata tane, he kaiwaiata wahine, me nga ahuareka ano a nga tama a te tangata, te tini o te wahine iti.

I gathered for me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I prepared for me men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of man -- a wife and wives.

9 H eoi kua nui ahau, neke noa ake ana aku i a te hunga katoa i mua ake i ahau i Hiruharama, me te mau ano hoki toku whakaaro nui.

And I became great, and increased above every one who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.

10 K o nga mea katoa ano hoki i hiahiatia e oku kanohi, kihai i kaiponuhia e ahau i a raua, kihai ano i pehia e ahau toku ngakau i te meatanga atu ki tetahi whakahari; i hari hoki toku ngakau i oku ruhatanga katoa; a ko te wahi tenei maku o oku ruha tanga katoa.

And all that mine eyes asked I kept not back from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labour, and this hath been my portion, from all my labour,

11 K atahi ahau ka titiro ki nga mahi katoa i mahia e oku ringa, ki te ruhatanga hoki i ruha ai ahau i te mahinga; nana, he horihori katoa, he whai kau i te hau, a kahore he hua pai i raro i te ra.

and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun!

12 I anga ano ahau ki te matakitaki ki te whakaaro nui, ki te haurangi, ki te wairangi: he aha koia te mea e taea e te tangata e haere mai ana i muri i te kingi? heoi ano ko te mea kua oti noa ake.

And I turned to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what the man who cometh after the king? that which already -- they have done it!

13 K atahi ahau ka kite, hira ake te whakaaro nui i te wairangi; he pera hoki me te marama e hira ake ana i te pouri.

And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom above folly, like the advantage of the light above the darkness.

14 K o te tangata whakaaro nui, kei tona mahunga ona kanohi, a kei te pouri te wairangi e haere ana: otiia i kite ano ahau kotahi tonu te mea e pa ana ki a ratou katoa.

The wise! -- his eyes in his head, and the fool in darkness is walking, and I also knew that one event happeneth with them all;

15 K atahi ahau ka ki ake i roto i toku ngakau: Ko te mea i pa ki te wairangi ka pa ano ki ahau nei ano hoki; he aha hoki oku whakaaro i nui ake ai? Na ko taku kianga ake i roto i toku ngakau, he horihori ano hoki tenei.

and I said in my heart, `As it happeneth with the fool, it happeneth also with me, and why am I then more wise?' And I spake in my heart, that also this vanity:

16 N o te mea kahore he maharatanga ki te tangata whakaaro nui, pera ano i te kore ki te wairangi a ake ake; ina hoki i nga ra e haere ake nei kua wareware noa kae nga mea katoa. Na, ko to te tangata whakaaro nui tona matenga, pera ano i to te waira ngi!

That there is no remembrance to the wise -- with the fool -- to the age, for that which already, the days that are coming is all forgotten, and how dieth the wise? with the fool!

17 N a kua kino ahau ki te ora; no te mea he he ki ahau te mahi e mahia ana i raro i te ra: he horihori katoa hoki, he whai kau i te hau.

And I have hated life, for sad to me the work that hath been done under the sun, for the whole vanity and vexation of spirit.

18 I kino ano hoki ahau ki toku mauiui i mauiui ai ahau i raro i te ra: ina hoki me waiho iho e ahau ma te tangata i muri i ahau.

And I have hated all my labour that I labour at under the sun, because I leave it to a man who is after me.

19 K o wai hoki e mohio ana hei tangata whakaaro nui ranei ia, hei wairangi ranei? otiia hei a ia te tikanga mo oku mauiui katoa i mauiui ai ahau, i nui ai ano hoki oku whakaaro i raro i te ra. He horihori ano hoki tenei.

And who knoweth whether he is wise or foolish? yet he doth rule over all my labour that I have laboured at, and that I have done wisely under the sun! this also vanity.

20 N a ka anga ahau, ka mea kia whakaparahako toku ngakau ki te mauiui katoa i mauiui ai ahau i raro i te ra.

And I turned round to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour that I laboured at under the sun.

21 T enei hoki tetahi tangata kei runga nei i te whakaaro nui tana mahi, kei runga i te matauranga, kei runga i te mohio; otiia ka waiho e ia hei wahi ma te tangata kihai nei i mahi. He horihori ano tenei, he he nui.

For there is a man whose labour in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, and to a man who hath not laboured therein he giveth it -- his portion! Even this vanity and a great evil.

22 H e aha oti te tukunga iho ki te tangata o tona mauiui katoa, o te ngana o tona ngakau i mauiui ai ia i raro i te ra?

For what hath been to a man by all his labour, and by the thought of his heart that he laboured at under the sun?

23 H e pouri kau hoki ona ra katoa, he ngakau mamae tona raruraru, e kore ano hoki tona ngakau e okioki i te po. Na he horihori ano hoki tenei.

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail sadness; even at night his heart hath not lain down; this also vanity.

24 K ahore he mea pai ma te tangata i tua atu i te kai, i te inu, i te mea kia whiwhi tona wairua i te pai i roto i tona mauiui. I kite ano hoki ahau i tenei, no te ringa o te Atua tenei.

There is nothing good in a man who eateth, and hath drunk, and hath shewn his soul good in his labour. This also I have seen that it from the hand of God.

25 K o wai oti e nui atu tana kai, ko wai e reka ake i ahau?

For who eateth and who hasteth out more than I?

26 K i te tangata hoki e pai ana ki to te Atua aroaro e homai ana e ia he whakaaro nui, he matauranga, he koa; ki te tangata hara ia e homai ana e ia he raruraru, ki te kohikohi, ki te amene mea mai, hei hoatutanga mana ki te tangata e pai ana ki to te Atua aroaro. He horihori ano hoki tenei, he whai i te hau.

For to a man who good before Him, He hath given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He hath given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this vanity and vexation of spirit.