Yorùbá proverbs
721
Ẹni tó bá m'ayé é jẹ kì í gun igi àgbọn.
- Literal translation
- Whoever loves life won't be climbing the coconut palm.
- Meaning
- Calls for caution in taking high risks
722
Ẹni tó bá ní kí ọ̀rẹ́ òun má jọba ni kò ní lọ̀rẹ́ ọba.
- Literal translation
- Whoever blocks his friend from becoming a king won't have a king as a friend.
- Meaning
- Foster goodness: those plotting evil for others often share in the evil results; we reap whatever we sow
723
Ẹni tó bá ní kí ọ̀rẹ́ òun má jọba, ni kò ní lọ́ọ̀rẹ́ ọba.
- Literal translation
- Whoever insists his friend won't become a king will not have a king as a friend.
- Meaning
- Every choice comes with one or more consequences.
724
Ẹni tó bá ní òun yóò fọ ìlú mọ́, òun lọmọ aráyé máa fi ṣe kànrìnkàn
- Literal translation
- Whoever insists he'll singlehandedly wash a town clean will find himself being used as the sponge.
- Meaning
- Walk in wisdom: manage lofty goals with discretion; no matter how fat a tree is, it can't make a forest
725
Ẹni tó bá ní tòún bàjẹ́, tó bá rí ti ẹlòmíì á yin Ọlọ́run lógo.
- Literal translation
- Whoever feels his case is deplorable will give glory to God on learning of another's (possibly worse case).
- Meaning
- Contentment and attitude of gratitude are great virtues.
726
Ẹni tó bá rin ìrìn òkété wọ́n á fi èkùrọ́ lọ̀ọ́
- Literal translation
- Whoever appears like a rat, will be offered palm kernels.
- Meaning
- Appearance dictates reception
727
Ẹni tó bá tọwọ́ bọ ihò akàn, yó jẹ̀bi
- Literal translation
- Whoever dipped his hand into a crab's burrow would be deemed at fault.
- Meaning
- Avoid intolerably high risks
728
Ẹni tó bá tọwọ́ bọ ihò akàn, yó jẹ̀bi.
- Literal translation
- Whoever dipped his hand into a crab's burrow would be at fault.
- Meaning
- Avoid intolerably high risks
729
Ẹni tó fẹ́ bá ẹni tó wà lórí ẹṣin dọ́gba, aá tiro
- Literal translation
- Whoever wants to be of the same height as someone already on a horse will stand on his or her tiptoes
- Meaning
- Run your race, in your lane: compare yourself with no one; running one's life by another's can be needlessly stressful
730
Ẹni tó fi irọ́ fẹ́ ìyàwó, kì í fẹ̀ ìyàwó ọ̀hún pẹ́.
- Literal translation
- Whoever marries a woman based on false pretences won't keep the woman for long.
- Meaning
- Personal integrity counts.
731
Ẹni tó gbálẹ̀ ni ilẹ̀ ńmọ́ fún.
- Literal translation
- It is whoever sweeps the floor that experiences a clean floor.
- Meaning
- We reap what we sow.
732
Ẹni tó gọ̀ ló ńra ìṣáná, ẹni to gbọ́n ló ńṣáa
- Literal translation
- An unwise person buys matches but the wise strikes them.
- Meaning
- Focus on key results not activities
733
Ẹní tó jìn sí kòtò kọ́ ará ìyókù lọ́gbọ́n
- Literal translation
- Whoever falls into a ditch, serves as a lesson to others.
- Meaning
- It's good to learn from others.
734
Ẹni tó kọ orin tí ò dùn, òun ńáà ńfi etí ara rẹ̀ gbọ.
- Literal translation
- Whoever is singing an unpleasant song, very well knows that the song is unpleasant.
- Meaning
- Be perceptive; not everything need be spelt out: lousy acts are seldom unintentional: those involved very well know.
735
Ẹni tó kọ̀ tí kò sin Ọlọ́run, òrìṣà kékèèké tí kò to Ọlọ́run ló máa sìn.
- Literal translation
- Whoever refuses to worship God will end up worshipping lesser gods.
- Meaning
- To reject God is to accept the consequence of His absence.
736
Ẹni tó kọ̀ tí ò sin Ọlọ́run, òrìṣà kékèèké tí ò to Ọlọ́run ló máa sìn.
- Literal translation
- Whoever refuses to worship God, will end up worshipping lesser gods.
- Meaning
- To reject God is to accept the consequence of His absence.
737
Ẹní tó làná, tó lòní, kò leè lọ̀la; Ọlọ́run nìkan ló lọjọ́ gbogbo
- Literal translation
- Whoever called the shots yesterday and calls the shots today, cannot call the shots tomorrow; only God calls the shots at all times.
- Meaning
- Nothing lasts forever; change is certain; keep up hope
738
Ẹní tó làná, tó lòní, kò leè ni ọ̀la; Ọlọ́run nìkan ló lọjọ́ gbogbo.
- Literal translation
- Whoever called the shots yesterday and calls the shots today, cannot call the shots tomorrow; only God calls the shots at all times.
- Meaning
- No season lasts forever: change is ever certain; keep hope alive.
739
Ẹni tó láṣọ tí ò léèyàn, ìhòhò ló wà
- Literal translation
- Whoever has clothes and has no one (or lack human relationships) is naked
- Meaning
- Human networks are crucial
740
Ẹni tó láṣọ tí ò léèyàn, ìhòhò ló wà.
- Literal translation
- Whoever has clothes, but has no one is naked, already.
- Meaning
- Human relationships matter; people are superior to things.