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SAMOAN PROVERBS
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Proverbs
Based on Pigeon Hunting
Ua malo fai o le faiva Congratulations to the victor
Nevertheless ‘Ulumu could not help protesting against his opponent’s unsportsmanlike behaviour, but the latter tried to soothe him with the words: Sau ia, ia e fa’amolemole.
Ua pona I vao, ‘ae liai’iina I ala. The fault was committed in the bush, but it is now talked about on the highway.
Applications: (1) The news is not true, but it has spread too far to be retracted. (2) Howsoever cleverly a thing may be concealed, it will come to light at last............................................more
Proverbs
Based on Fishing
O le foe fa’ae’e I le tau. The paddle lying on the
deck of the fishing boat. The canoe used for bonito fishing (va’aalo) is
small. The bow and the stern are partly decked in. A paddle lying on this half
deck may easily fall off.
Upu fa’amaulalo signifying that a person is unwilling
to vouch for the correctness of his report or the unalterableness of his
opinion. Ua se le atu I ama. The bonito was mistakenly pulled up
on the outrigger side. When a bonito has taken the bait, the fisherman will swing in
his rod with a forward motion on the starboard side, the canoe still moving on.
This cannot be done on the left side because of the outrigger. Should the fish
or the line strike the outrigger (this may happen to an inexperienced or a hasty
fisherman) the hook is likely to be torn out and the fish will be lost.
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O le ta e le agaia lau afioga. Your highness’s blow cannot be parried.
In club matches a weak man cannot parry the blow of a stronger opponent.
Upu fa’aaloalo: You are such a high chief that I would not contradict you.
Ua le fa’anafatia tau lima. He is not a worthy opponent in the match (i.e. he is too weak).
Upu faamaulalo: You are richer, more powerful, or nobler origin than I.
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E logo le tuli i ona tata. The knee feels the tapping.
According to Samoan custom a matai is awaken by ticking the soles of his feet. If this does not have the desired effect, he is tapped on the knee. It is not permissible to touch another part of his body or to call him by name. When he wakes up, his attention is attracted by approaching him in a stooping position from behind and touching his knee.
The saying is used to imply that one has neglected to give the desired information. IT is also used in the form of a question: Ua le se’i tata tuli? Why have you not touched my knees? Pratt translates: “The deaf hears when he is tapped.” However, the word tuli with the sense of “deaf” is used only in compounds, such as taligatuli, fa’ataligatuli.
A ua sala uta, ia tonu tai. When a mistake has been made inland, it should be rectified at the seaside.
When two persons are engaged in an undertaking and one makes an error, the other can still save the situation by setting things right again.
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