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.
[A few] dead flies in [a bottle of] perfume cause [all] the perfume to stink. Similarly [SIM], a small amount of acting foolishly can have a greater effect than acting wisely.
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.
If people think sensibly, it will lead them to do what is right; if they think foolishly, it causes them to do what is wrong.
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.
Even while foolish people walk along the road, they show that they do not have good sense; they show everyone that they are not wise.
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.
Do not quit working for a ruler when he is angry with you; if you remain calm, he will [probably] stop being angry.
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.
There is something [else] that I have seen here on this earth, something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
6 Ua hoonohoia ka naaupo ma na wahi kiokie, a o ka mea waiwai, ua noho oia ma kahi haahaa.
They appoint foolish people to have important positions, while they appoint rich [people] to have unimportant 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.
They allow slaves [to ride] on horses [like rich people usually do], [but] they force officials to walk [like slaves usually do].
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.
[It is possible that] those who dig pits will fall into one of those pits. [It is possible that] someone who tears down a wall will be bitten by a snake [that is in that wall].
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 work in a quarry, [it is possible that] a stone [will fall on you and] injure you. [It is possible that] men who split logs will be injured by one of those logs.
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 axe is not sharp [DOU], you will need to work harder [to cut down a tree], but by being wise, you will succeed.
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 a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
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 people say [MTY] what is sensible, and because of that, people honor them; but foolish people are destroyed by what they say [MTY].
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.
When foolish people start to talk, they say things that are foolish, and they end by saying things that are both wicked and foolish.
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?
They talk (too much/without ceasing). None of us knows what will happen in the future, or what will happen after we die.
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.
Foolish people become [so] exhausted by the work that they do that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
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!
Terrible things will happen to the people of a nation whose ruler is a foolish young man, and whose [other] leaders continually eat, all day long, every day.
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.
[But] a nation will prosper if its ruler is from a (noble/well-educated) family, and if its [other] leaders feast [only] at the proper times, and [if they eat and drink only] to be strong, not to become drunk.
18 No ka palaualelo, ua popopo na kaola; a no ka molowa o na lima, ua kulu ka hale.
Some men are very lazy [and do not repair the rafters], with the result that the rafters sag [and collapse]; and if they do not repair the roof, water will leak into the house [when it rains].
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.
Eating food and drinking wine causes us to laugh and be happy, [but] we are able to enjoy those things only if we have money [to buy them].
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.
Do not even think about cursing the king, or cursing rich [people, even] when you are [alone] in your bedroom, because [it is possible that] a little bird will hear [what you are saying], [and] tell those people what you said [about them].
