Relentless Pursuit — Samoan Proverb Tee

Ua tuliloa le atu a le sa'u.
"The bonito is pursued by the swordfish."

This alagaupu (Samoan proverb) comes from the sa'ula (swordfish), a predator known to relentlessly chase the atu (bonito), trailing it even when it flees for shelter near a canoe. Known as an upu vivi'i (words of praise), it commends the energy and perseverance with which a person strives toward a goal — and it can also be spoken as an upu alofa, an expression of sympathy for one who finds themselves pursued the way the bonito is.