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The [literal
translation](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%83%BD%E3%81%82%E3%82%8B%E9%B7%B9%E3%81%AF%E7%88%AA%E3%82%92%E9%9A%A0%E3%81%99)
of "能ある鷹は爪を隠す" is “The wise hawk hides its talons.”

But what should I understand the proverb as meaning? Is it just about
humbleness, or about not letting your adversaries know what you're capable of?
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question
translation set-phrases
How should the proverb "能ある鷹は爪を隠す" be understood?
Sometimes the moral of a proverb could be vague and ambiguous.

The author of [this page](http://daibutsuda.blog26.fc2.com/blog-
entry-654.html) believes that it tells people to "behave humbly", while [this
one](http://www.geocities.co.jp/Milkyway-Kaigan/2877/essay/nouarutaka.htm)
argues that it means "wise people know how to let others' guard down", which
is more or less faithful to what original hawks are said to do. There's also a
[QA forum
answer](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1198878736)
gives an insight that "truly talented people don't need to show them off
because they know they can exert it anytime they want". And [this
writer](http://meigen.shiawasehp.net/prov/107.html) is apparently unsure about
the true connotation of this idiom:

> 能力を隠すのは、 _They hide their abilities..._  
>  そのほうがカッコいいから？ _because it's cool?_  
>  まわりの人とうまくやっていくため？ _to get along with others?_  
>  出る杭（は打たれる）にならないため？ _because don't want to be "the nail sticks out"?_  
>  人を油断させるため？ _to let their guards down?_  
>  人に利用されないため？ _not to be taken advantage of?_  
>  能力をひけらかす必要などないから？ _because they don't feel a need to show off?_  
>  人間としての成長を目指すため（謙譲の美徳）？ _for character building (humbleness)?_

After all, perhaps it could be concluded that the spirit of a proverb resides
in how they understand it.

P.S. I can't keep hiding the fact that [I've incidentally used this expression
recently](https://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/19849769#19849769)
:D
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answer