1 T era tetahi he i kitea e ahau i raro i te ra, he mea taimaha ano ki runga ki nga tangata:

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavily upon men:

2 H e tangata i homai nei e te Atua ki a ia he taonga, he rawa, he kororia, a kihai tona wairua i hapa ki tetahi mea i hiahia ai ia, otiia kihai i tukua e te Atua ki a ia te tikanga mo te kai i tetahi wahi o aua mea, engari kainga ana e te tangata k e. He horihori tenei, he mate kino.

A man to whom God has given riches, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he might desire, yet God does not give him the power or capacity to enjoy them, but a stranger consumes and enjoys them. This is vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility); it is a sore affliction!

3 K i te kotahi rau nga tamariki a tetahi tangata, a he maha nga tau e ora ai ia, maha atu nga ra o ona tau, a kahore tona wairua i ngata i te pai, kahore hoki ia e whai tanumanga; e mea ana ahau tera noa atu te pai o te materoto i a ia.

If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years so that the days of his years are many, but his life is not filled with good, and also he is given no burial, I say that an untimely birth is better off than he,

4 I haere mai hoki tera i runga i te horihori, a haere atu ana i runga i te pouri, a ka taupokina tona ingoa e te pouri.

For comes in futility and goes into darkness, and in darkness his name is covered.

5 K ihai hoki ia i kite i te ra, kihai ano i mohio ki a ia; nui atu to tenei okioki i to tera;

Moreover, he has not seen the sun nor had any knowledge, yet he has rest rather than he.

6 A e, ahakoa kotahi mano topu nga tau i ora ai ia, heoi kahore he pai i kitea e ia. He teka ianei e haere ana te katoa ki te wahi kotahi?

Even though he lives a thousand years twice over and yet has seen no good and experienced no enjoyment—do not all go to one place ?

7 K o nga mea katoa i mauiui ai te tangata hei mea ano mo tona mangai, otiia e kore tona wairua e makona.

All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet his desire is not satisfied.

8 H e aha oti ta te tangata whakaaro nui e hira ake ana i ta te wairangi? He aha hoki ta te ware, e mohio nei ki te haere i te aroaro o te hunga ora?

For what advantage has the wise man over the fool ? What advantage has the poor man who has learned how to walk before the living ?

9 H e pai ke te kite o nga kanohi i te kaipaowe o te hiahia: he horihori ano tenei, a he whai i te hau.

Better is the sight of the eyes than the cravings of wandering desire. This is also vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility) and a striving after the wind and a feeding on it!

10 K o nga mea katoa o mua kua oti noa ake te hua ki te ingoa, a e mohiotia ana ko te tangata: e kore hoki ia e tau hei totohe ki te mea e kaha atu ana i a ia.

Whatever is, he has been named that long ago, and it is known that it is man; nor can he contend with Him who is mightier than he.

11 K a maha nei nga mea hei whakanui i te horihori, he aha te painga ki te tangata?

Seeing that there are many other things and words that increase the emptiness, falsity, vainglory, and futility, what profit and what outcome is there for man?

12 K o wai hoki e mohio ana he aha te mea pai ki te tangata i a ia nei i te ora, i nga ra katoa o tona oranga horihori, e rite nei ki te atarangi i a ia e mahi nei? Ko wai hoki hei whakaatu ki te tangata ko te aha e puta mai i muri i a ia i raro i t e ra?

For who '> limited to human wisdom] knows what is good for man in his life, all the days of his vain life which he spends as a shadow ? For who can tell a man what will happen under the sun after he is gone?