O le ala i le pule o le tautua.

“The path to authority is through service.”

In Samoan society, chiefly status and leadership are earned through years of humble service to family and village, never simply inherited or seized.

E pala ma'a ae le pala 'upu.

“Stones decay, but words do not decay.”

A promise or vow given in formal oratory endures and binds a person long after physical things have crumbled away.

E sui faiga ae tumau fa'avae.

“Ways and customs may change, but the foundation remains constant.”

Even as daily life adapts to modern times, the core values and foundations of fa'a Samoa endure beneath the surface changes.

Teu le va.

“Tend carefully to the space between us.”

The relational space between people, families, and generations must be nurtured and respected, since harmony depends on how well that space is cared for.

Amuia le masina, e alu ma sau.

“Blessed is the moon, for it goes and it returns.”

Unlike the moon, which can leave and always come back, a person separated from loved ones by distance cannot simply return at will — a lament of longing.

Ua motu le fau.

“The binding cord has been broken.”

Spoken of a family or social bond that has been severed, drawing on the image of the plaited fau cord traditionally used to bind and connect kin and duties together.