Tangata Malanga 10
1 ʻOku fakanamukū ʻe he lango kuo mate ʻae meʻa namu lelei ʻae tangata faitoʻo: pea ʻoku pehē ʻae vale siʻi ʻo ha taha ʻoku ongoongoa ʻa ʻene poto mo ʻene angatonu.
Pestilent flies will corrupt a preparation of sweet ointment: [and] a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of folly.
2 Ko e loto ʻoe tangata poto ʻoku ʻi hono nima toʻomataʻu; ka ʻoku ʻi hono toʻohema ʻae loto ʻoe vale.
A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
3 ʻIo, ko e moʻoni, ʻoka ʻeveʻeva ʻae vale ʻi he hala kuo mole hono loto, pea ʻoku ne tala ki he kakai kotoa pē ko e vale pe ia.
Yes, and whenever a fool walks by the way, his heart will fail him, and all that he thinks of is folly.
4 Kapau ʻe tuputāmaki ʻae loto ʻoe pule kiate koe, ʻoua naʻa ke hiki mei hoʻo ngāue; he ʻoku fakamolemole ʻae kovi lahi ʻe he tali angavaivai.
If the spirit of the ruler rise up against you, leave not your place; for soothing will put an end to great offences.
5 ʻOku ai ʻae kovi kuo u mamata ki ai ʻi he lalo laʻā, ko e fai hala ʻoe pule:
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, wherein an error has proceeded from the ruler.
6 Kuo hakeakiʻi ʻae vale ke māʻolunga, pea nofo ʻae koloaʻia ʻi he potu māʻulalo.
The fool has been set in very high places, while rich men would sit in a low one.
7 Kuo u mamata ki he heka hoosi ʻae kau tamaioʻeiki, kae ʻeveʻeva ʻi he funga kelekele ʻae fānau ʻae tuʻi ʻo hangē ha kau tamaioʻeiki.
I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants on the earth.
8 Ko ia ʻoku keli ʻae luo ʻe tō ia ki ai; pea ko ia ʻoku maumauʻi ʻae ʻā, ʻe uʻu ia ʻe he ngata fekai.
He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and him that breaks down a hedge a serpent shall bite.
9 Ko ia ʻoku hiki ʻae ngaahi maka ʻe lavea ai ia; pea ko ia ʻoku tā ʻakau ʻe tuʻutāmaki ai.
He that removes stones shall be troubled thereby; he that cleaves wood shall be endangered thereby.
10 Kapau ʻoku peku ʻae toki, pea ʻikai fakaʻalo, ʻoku totonu ke ne ʻai ʻaki ia ʻae mālohi lahi; ka ʻoku ʻaonga ʻae poto ke fakahinohino.
If the axe-head should fall off, then the man troubles his countenance, and he must put forth more strength: and [in that case] skill is of no advantage to a man.
11 Ko e moʻoni ʻe uʻu ʻae ngata ʻoka ʻikai fakalalata; pea ʻoku tatau mo ia ʻae tangata faʻa lea.
If a serpent bite when there is no [charmer's] whisper, then there is no advantage to the charmer.
12 ʻOku lelei ʻae lea mei he ngutu ʻoe tangata poto; ka ʻe fakaʻauha ʻae vale ʻe hono loungutu ʻoʻona.
The words of a wise mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will swallow him up.
13 Ko e kamataʻanga ʻoe lea ʻa hono ngutu ko e vale ia; pea ko e ikuʻanga ʻo ʻene lea ko e pauʻu mo e faha.
The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly: and the end of his talk mischievous madness.
14 ʻOku fonu foki ʻae vale ʻi he lea: ʻoku ʻikai faʻa fakahā mai ʻe ha tangata ʻae meʻa ʻe hoko; pea ko e meʻa ʻe hoko ʻi he hili ʻa ʻene moʻui ni, ko hai ha taha ʻe faʻa tala ia kiate ia?
A fool moreover multiplies words: man knows not what has been, nor what will be: who shall tell him what will come after him?
15 ʻOku ongosia ʻae vale taki taha kotoa pē ʻi heʻene ngāue, koeʻuhi ʻoku ʻikai te ne ʻilo pe ʻoku fēfē ʻene ʻalu ki he kolo.
The labour of fools will afflict them, [as that of one] who knows not to go to the city.
16 ʻE fonua, ʻe malaʻia ʻa koe, ʻi he kei tamasiʻi ʻa ho tuʻi, pea keinanga ʻi he kei pongipongi ʻa ho houʻeiki pule!
Woe to you, O city, whose king is young, and your princes eat in the morning!
17 ʻE fonua, ʻoku ke monūʻia, ʻo kapau ko ho tuʻi ko e foha ia ʻoe houʻeiki, pea keinanga ho houʻeiki ʻi he feituʻulaʻā totonu, ke nau mālohi kae ʻikai ke konā ai!
Blessed are you, O land, whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes shall eat seasonably, for strength, and shall not be ashamed.
18 Ko e meʻa ʻi he fakapikopiko lahi ʻoku fakaʻaʻau ke motuʻa ʻae fale; pea ʻi he taʻengāue ʻae nima ʻoku tutulu ʻae fale.
By slothful neglect a building will be brought low: and by idleness of the hands the house will fall to pieces.
19 ʻOku ngaohi ʻae kātoanga ke tupu ai ʻae kata, pea ʻoku fakafiefia ʻe he uaine; ka ʻoku ʻaonga ʻae paʻanga ki he meʻa kotoa pē.
Men prepare bread for laughter, and wine and oil that the living should rejoice: but to money all things will humbly yield obedience.
20 ʻOua naʻa lea kovi ki he tuʻi, ʻoua ʻaupito naʻa ke mahalo ki ai; pea ʻoua naʻa lea kovi ki he koloaʻia ʻi ho potu mohe: koeʻuhi ʻe fakaongo atu ho leʻo ʻe he manupuna ʻoe ʻatā, pea ʻe tala ʻae meʻa ʻe he manu ʻoku kapakau.
Even in your conscience, curse not the king; and curse not the rich in your bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry your voice, and that which has wings shall report your speech.
