Ko e Ngaahi Fepale ʻa ʻIsope
Aesop’s fables in Tongan — the 1870s translation by James Egan Moulton and Tevita Tonga Mohenoa.
KO E KULĪ KUO MOTUʻA
Edited into modern Tongan — 1KNima
Naʻe ʻi ai ha kulī naʻe lelei ʻaupito pea ʻaonga: ka naʻe faifai pea ne hoko ʻo motuʻa mo vaivai. Pea ko e ʻaho ʻe taha naʻá na ō mo hono tauhí ke tuli ha puaka kaivao. Naʻá ne uʻu e puaká ka naʻe mapaki hono nifó pea hao ʻa e puaká. Pea ʻi he sio ki ai ʻa e tangatá naʻá ne ʻita, ʻo ne tautea lahi ʻa e kulií. Ka naʻe tali ki ai ʻe he manú, "Kuó te holo ʻo motuʻa peá ke tauteaʻi au ʻo hangē kuo ʻikai haʻaku toe ʻaonga. Kuo ngalo nai e fuʻu taʻu lahi neu faifatongia ai maʻau?
A Hound, who in the days of his youth and strength had never yielded to any beast of the forest, encountered in his old age a boar in the chase. He seized him boldly by the ear, but could not retain his hold because of the decay of his teeth, so that the boar escaped. His master, quickly coming up, was very much disappointed, and fiercely abused the dog. The Hound looked up and said, “It was not my fault master: my spirit was as good as ever, but I could not help my infirmities. I rather deserve to be praised for what I have been, than to be blamed for what I am.”
Accepted English translation — George Fyler Townsend, 1867.