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Le mort va compter les étoiles et il reviendra quand il les aura toutes comptées.

“The dead go to count the stars, and will return once they have counted them all.”

A folk image of death as an unfinished journey rather than a final end, reflecting a Tahitian view of the spirit's lasting bond with the living world.

— Traditional Tahiti and French Polynesia Wisdom, French Polynesia

Source: Traditional Tahitian proverb, recorded in French Polynesian proverb compilations, public-domain oral tradition

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Le corail croît, le palmier pousse, mais l'homme disparaît.

“The coral grows, the palm grows, but man departs.”

Nature and the reef endure across generations while a single human life is fleeting — a call to humility before the permanence of land and sea.

Traditional Tahiti and French Polynesia Wisdom

Source: Traditional Tahitian proverb; quoted in Robert Louis Stevenson's In the South Seas (1896) and cited in Proverbes et dictons de Tahiti (Éditions Georama), public-domain oral tradition

Ne plonge pas avec la colère.

“Do not dive in with anger.”

Entering the water — or any risk — while angry clouds judgment; calm the mind before you act.

Traditional Tahiti and French Polynesia Wisdom

Source: Traditional Tahitian proverb, recorded in French Polynesian proverb compilations, public-domain oral tradition

“Every man is the builder of his own hut.”

Each person is responsible for shaping their own life and future through their own effort.

Traditional Tahiti and French Polynesia Wisdom

Source: Traditional Tahitian / Polynesian proverb, recorded in Pacific Islander proverb compilations; exact original Tahitian wording not independently verified for this entry

“If you aim your spear at two fish, both will escape.”

Trying to chase two goals at once often means catching neither; focus brings success.

Traditional Tahiti and French Polynesia Wisdom

Source: Traditional Tahitian / Polynesian proverb, recorded in Pacific Islander proverb compilations; exact original Tahitian wording not independently verified for this entry

“Goods given make a quicker return than goods held.”

Generosity circulates and comes back to the giver, while hoarding brings nothing.

Traditional Tahiti and French Polynesia Wisdom

Source: Traditional Tahitian / Polynesian proverb, recorded in Pacific Islander proverb compilations; exact original Tahitian wording not independently verified for this entry

“The canoe ride is pleasant when the paddler is skilled.”

A journey, or any shared undertaking, goes smoothly only when it is guided by a capable hand.

Traditional Tahiti and French Polynesia Wisdom

Source: Traditional Tahitian / Polynesian proverb, recorded in Pacific Islander proverb compilations; exact original Tahitian wording not independently verified for this entry

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