Kia pukupuku, kia taratara.
“Rough and thorny.”
Describes work that is difficult and troublesome, full of obstacles like rough, thorn-covered ground.
— Traditional Cook Islands Wisdom, Cook Islands
Source: Short, Apenera, "Native Proverbs and Figurative Expressions of the Cook Islands", Journal of the Polynesian Society, Vol. 60, No. 4 (1951); as compiled in "Cook Islands Maori Proverbs We Should All Use In Our Daily Lives", Erica's Hub (2018)
More Proverbs from Cook Islands
This is a shell in the sea which is hard to crack — you are a stubborn one.
Used to describe a person who is stubborn and will not be moved from their position, comparing them to a shellfish that resists cracking open.
Skin it like a banana.
Describes something that is easily achieved or a person who is easily defeated, as effortless as peeling a ripe banana.
The shark does not give up its food, even unto death.
Said of a person who shows great tenacity and refuses to let go of what they have set out to achieve or hold onto.
The small fish that never sleeps.
A call to stay wary, watchful, and wide awake, as a small fish must remain alert to survive among larger predators.
A storm cloud, but no rain.
Said of a person who promises to give or help but then forgets or fails to follow through — someone whose words cannot be trusted.
Do not eat the mango while it is still green.
A caution against hasty action — advises patience and waiting for the right time rather than rushing something before it is ready.