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A clever hawk hides its claws.

Japanese proverb

PhilosophyProverbs

The story behind the card

In Japanese the proverb is 能ある鷹は爪を隠す (nō aru taka wa tsume o kakusu): the able hawk hides its talons. Japanese dictionaries explain it plainly: people of real ability do not show it off. A version of it is already recorded in a Japanese collection of sayings from about 1599. It is often said of a quiet, modest person who turns out to be a real master of their craft. English makes the same point from the other side: empty vessels make the most noise.

Türkçe oku
Akıllı şahin pençelerini gizler.
Japon atasözü

Atasözü Japoncada 能ある鷹は爪を隠す (nō aru taka wa tsume o kakusu) biçimindedir: Yetenekli şahin pençelerini saklar. Japon sözlükleri anlamını sade bir dille açıklar: Gerçekten yetenekli olan, yeteneğiyle gösteriş yapmaz. Sözün bir biçimi, 1599 dolaylarına ait bir Japon atasözleri derlemesinde bile geçer. Genellikle sessiz, alçak gönüllü görünen ama işinin ustası çıkan biri için söylenir. İngilizcede aynı gözlem tersinden dile gelir: “Empty vessels make the most noise”, yani boş kaplar en çok sesi çıkarır. Türkçede de “Boş başak dik durur” denir.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: Humility
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