Moemoe a panako.
“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.
— Traditional Cook Islands Wisdom, Cook Islands
Source: Traditional Cook Islands Maori proverb, recorded in the corpus collected in Short, Apenera, "Native Proverbs and Figurative Expressions of the Cook Islands", Journal of the Polynesian Society (1951); compiled in Cook Islands Maori proverb collections
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.
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.
I came through valleys, difficult pathways, and challenging seasons; the seedling candle nuts gathered to determine the brightness of your torch — let your light shine bright for my people.
A traditional pe'e (chant-proverb) of perseverance through hardship, calling on a person to let their gathered strength and knowledge shine as guiding light for their people.