Kekahuna 10
1 O NA nalo make, he mea ia e pilau ai ka laau hamo a ka mea hana laau, pela no ka hana uhauha iki ana, ka mea i manaoia he naauao, a he hanohano hoi.
Dead flies can make perfumed oil smell bad. Likewise a little foolishness outweighs great wisdom and honor.
2 O ka naau o ka mea naauao, aia no ia ma kona lima akau; aka hoi, o ka naau o ka mea naaupo, aia no ia ma kona lima hema.
The mind of the wise person chooses the right side, but the mind of the fool goes left!
3 Aia hoi i ka hele ana o ka mea naaupo ma ke alanui, ua nalowale kona ike, a ua i iho la ia no na mea a pau, he naaupo ia.
Just the way that fools walk down the road shows they have no sense, making clear to everyone their stupidity.
4 Ina e ku o ia oe ka manao o ke alii, mai haalele i kou wahi; no ka mea, o ka noho malie, oia ka mea e hooluolu aku ai ka huhu nui.
If your superior gets angry with you, don't give up and leave. If you stay calm even bad mistakes can be resolved.
5 Aia ka hewa au i ike iho ai malalo iho o ka la, e like me ka hewa i puka mai ai mai ke alii mai.
I also realized there's another evil here on earth: rulers make a big mistake
6 Ua hoonohoia ka naaupo ma na wahi kiokie, a o ka mea waiwai, ua noho oia ma kahi haahaa.
when they put fools in high positions, while those who are richly qualified are put in low positions.
7 Ua ike au i na kauwa maluna o na lio, a i na'lii e hele wawae ana ma ka honua, me he poe kauwa la.
I've seen slaves riding on horseback, while princes walk on the ground like slaves.
8 O ka mea i eli i ka lua, e haule auanei oia iloko; a o ka mea i wawahi i ka pa, e nahu mai ka nahesa ia ia.
If you dig a pit, you could fall in. If you knock down a wall, you could be bitten by a snake.
9 O ka mea e uneune i na pohaku, e eha auanei oia ia lakou; a o ka mea i kaka iho i ka wahie, e moku auanei ia ilaila.
If you quarry stone, you could be injured. If you split logs, you could be hurt.
10 Ina kumumu ka hao, aole hoi ia e hookala i kona maka, alaila pono ke hoonui i ka ikaika; aka, he pono ka naauao i mea e hoopomaikai ai.
If your ax is blunt and you don't sharpen it, you have to use a lot more force. Conclusion: being wise brings good results.
11 Oiaio, e nahu mai ka nahesa ke hoowalewale ole ia mai; aole hoi i oi aku ka maikai o ka mea holoholo olelo.
If the snake bites the snake charmer before it's charmed, there's no benefit to the snake charmer!
12 O na olelo a ka waha o ka mea naauao, ua lokomaikai no, aka, o na lehelehe o ka mea naaupo, e ale auanei ia ia iho.
Wise words are beneficial, but fools destroy themselves by what they say.
13 O ka mua o na olelo a kona waha, he mea lapuwale ia; a o ka hope o kona waha, he huhu kolohe no ia.
Fools begin by saying foolish things, and end up talking evil nonsense.
14 Ua hoomahuahua ka mea naaupo i kana mau olelo; aole nae i ike ke kanaka i na mea e hiki mai ana; a o na mea e hiki mai ana mahope ona, nawai e hai aku ia ia?
Fools talk on and on, however no one knows what's going to happen, so who can say what the future holds?
15 O ka hana a ka poe naaupo, he mea ia e hoomaluhiluhi ai ia lakou, no ka mea, aole ia i ike i ka hele i ke kulanakauhale.
Work makes fools so worn out they can't achieve anything.
16 Auwe oe, e ka aina, i ka wa i noho ai he keiki i alii nou, a e ai ai hoi kou poe kaukaualii i ke kakahiaka!
You're in trouble if the king of your country is young, and if your leaders are busy feasting from early morning.
17 Pomaikai oe, e ka aina, i ka wa i noho ai ke keiki a na'lii i alii nou, a e ai ai kau poe kaukaualii i ka wa pono, no ka ikaika, aole no ka uhauha.
You're fortunate if your king comes from a noble family, and your leaders feast at the proper time to give themselves energy, and not to get drunk.
18 No ka palaualelo, ua popopo na kaola; a no ka molowa o na lima, ua kulu ka hale.
Lazy people let their roofs collapse; idle people don't repair their leaky houses.
19 O ka ahaaina he mea ia e akaaka ai, a o ka waina, he mea ia e olioli ai; aka, o ke kala, he mea ia e hiki ai na mea a pau.
A good meal brings pleasure; wine makes life pleasant; money provides for all needs.
20 Mai hoino aku oe i ke alii, aole hoi ma kou manao; mai hoino aku hoi i ka poe waiwai iloko o kou keena moe, no ka mea, o na manu o ka lewa, e lawe aku lakou i ka leo, a o na mea eheu, na lakou hoi e hai aku ia mea.
Don't talk badly about the king, not even in your thoughts. Don't talk badly about leaders, even in the privacy of your bedroom. A bird may hear what you say and fly away to tell them.
