Whakatauki 26
1 He pera i te hukarere i te raumati, i te ua hoki i te kotinga witi, te kore e tau o te honore mo te wairangi.
Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.
2 He pera i te manu e rererere noa ana, i te waroa i ona rerenga te kanga pokanoa; e kore e whakatau.
As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.
3 He whiu mo te hoiho, he paraire mo te kaihe, a he rakau mo te tuara o nga wairangi.
A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.
4 Kei rite ki tona whakaarokore tau whakautu ki te wairangi, kei rite hoki a koe na ki a ia.
Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.
5 Kia rite ki tona whakaarokore tau whakautu ki te wairangi, kei mea ia he whakaaro nui ia.
Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.
6 Ko te tangata e tuku korero ana ma te ringa o te wairangi, e tapahi ana i ona waewae ano, e inumia ana hoki te he.
He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.
7 E tautau noa ana nga waewae o te kopa: he pera hoki te whakatauki i te mangai o te wairangi.
The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.
8 Ko te takai mea whakapaipai i roto i te puranga kohatu, ko tona rite kei te tangata e whakakororia ano i te wairangi.
Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.
9 E rite ana ki te tataramoa e wero nei i te ringa o te haurangi, koia ano te whakatauki i te mangai o nga wairangi.
Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.
10 Ka rite ki te kaikopere i tu ai te katoa, te tangata e utu ana i te wairangi me te tangata hoki e utu ana i nga tira haere.
Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.
11 Ka rite ki te kuri e hoki nei ki tona ruaki, te wairangi e tuarua ana i tona poauau.
Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.
12 Ka kite koe i te tangata e mea ana ki a ia he whakaaro nui? Ki ta te whakaaro tera e rahi ake ta te wairangi i tana.
Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.
13 E ki ana te mangere, He raiona kei te ara; he raiona kei nga waharoa.
The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
14 He pera i te tatau e tahurihuri ra i runga i ona inihi, koia ano te mangere i runga i tona moenga.
A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.
15 E kuhua ana e te mangere tona ringa ki te rihi; he mahi ngenge rawa ki a ia te whakahoki mai ki tona mangai.
The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.
16 He nui ke ake te whakaaro nui o te mangere, ki tana nei whakaaro, i to nga tangata tokowhitu e whakaatu ana i te tikanga.
The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.
17 Ko te tangata e haere atu ana, e pokanoa ana ki te whawhai ehara nei i a ia, ko tona rite kei te tangata e hopu ana i te kuri ki ona taringa.
He who gets mixed up in a fight which is not his business, is like one who takes a dog by the ears while it is going by.
18 Rite tonu ki te haurangi e makamaka ana i nga mea mura, i nga pere, i te mate,
As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,
19 Te tangata e tinihanga ana ki tona hoa, e mea ana, He teka ianei he takaro taku?
So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?
20 Ki te kahore he wahie, ka mate te ahi: ki te kore hoki he tangata kawekawe korero, ka mutu te ngangare.
Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.
21 He waro ki nga ngarahu wera, he wahie ki te ahi; he pera te tangata totohe ki te tahu i te ngangare.
Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.
22 He rite nga kupu a te kaikawekawe korero ki te maramara reka, tae tonu iho ki nga wahi o roto rawa o te kopu.
The words of one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, they go down into the inner parts of the stomach.
23 He ngutu puka me te ngakau kino, ko te rite kei te oko oneone i whakakikoruatia ki te para hiriwa.
Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.
24 Ko te tangata mauahara e whakaware ana ki ona ngutu, otiia e rongoatia ana e ia te tinihanga ki roto ki a ia:
With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;
25 Ki te pai tona reo, kaua e whakapono ki a ia; e whitu hoki nga mea whakarihariha kei roto i tona ngakau.
When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:
26 Ahakoa hipoki tona mauahara i a ia ki te tinihanga, ka whakakitea nuitia tona kino ki te aroaro o te whakaminenga.
Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.
27 Ko te tangata e keri ana i te rua, ka taka ano ki roto: a ko te tangata e huri ana i te kohatu, ka hoki mai ano ki runga ki a ia.
He who makes a hole in the earth will himself go falling into it: and on him by whom a stone is rolled the stone will come back again.
28 E kino ana te arero teka ki ana i kuru ai; a, ko ta te mangai whakapati, he mahi kia ngaro.
A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.
