Yorùbá proverbs
781
Ẹníkan kì í jẹ, kí ìlú fẹ̀.
- Literal translation
- One person can't eat and the town will expand.
- Meaning
- The progress of one is not progress of all
782
Ẹnìkan kì í jẹ, kí ìlú fẹ̀.
- Literal translation
- One person eating (satisfyingly) never translates to a town's progress.
- Meaning
- Common good is it; the good of a few is never the good of all; a win-win scenario is always the most sustainable in the long run
783
Ẹníkan kìí jẹ, kí ìlú fẹ̀.
- Literal translation
- One person's well-being won't result in the expansion of the town.
- Meaning
- The 'good' of one isn't the 'good' of all.
784
Ẹnìkan ò ní bí ọmọ rẹ̀, kó sọ ọ́ ní Baálẹ̀; kíkàn ló ńkan'ni.
- Literal translation
- No one names his or her child, Head Chief (of a town) at birth; one attains unto being a town's Head Chief, turn by turn.
- Meaning
- Life is in phases: one goes, another comes; be patient.
785
Ẹnití kò bá fẹ́ ṣe àṣedànù kò lè ṣe àṣejèrè.
- Literal translation
- Whoever is unwilling to suffer loss cannot experience gains.
- Meaning
- Nothing ventured, nothing gained
786
Ẹnití ò bá fẹ́ ṣe àṣedànù kò lè ṣe àṣejèrè
- Literal translation
- Those who are unwilling to suffer loss can't experience gains.
- Meaning
- Nothing ventured, nothing gained
787
Ẹnití ò bá fẹ́ ṣe àṣedànù kò lè ṣe àṣejèrè.
- Literal translation
- Those who are unwilling to suffer loss can't experience gains.
- Meaning
- No pains, no gains
788
Ẹnití ò bá fẹ́ ṣe àṣedànù, kò lè ṣe àṣejèrè
- Literal translation
- Whoever is unwilling to suffer loss, can't experience gains.
- Meaning
- Nothing ventured, nothing gained
789
Ẹnití ò bá fẹ́ ṣe àṣedànù, kò lè ṣe àṣejèrè.
- Literal translation
- Whoever is unwilling to suffer losses, cannot experience gains.
- Meaning
- Go for it; take carefully assessed and hedged risks; nothing ventured, nothing gained.
790
Ènìyàn bí àparò lọmọ aráyé ńfẹ́.
- Literal translation
- It's someone like the patridge that the world prefers.
- Meaning
- People prefer others to appear inferior to them.
791
Ẹnú dùn ńròfọ́; agada ọwọ́ dùn ńṣánko.
- Literal translation
- The mouth may easily cook vegetable soup as the hand may cut grasses.
- Meaning
- Easier to brag
792
Ẹnu kìnìún lowó wà
- Literal translation
- Money (wealth) resides right in the lion's mouth.
- Meaning
- Willingness to take risks is crucial to success
793
Ẹnu kìnìún lowó wà.
- Literal translation
- Money resides right in the lion's mouth.
- Meaning
- Fortune favours the bold.
794
Ẹnu òpùrọ́ kì í ṣ'ẹ̀jẹ̀.
- Literal translation
- The mouth of a liar does not bleed.
- Meaning
- Having healthy skepticism; a liar may not be easily figured out
795
Ẹnu tó bá ti jẹ dòdò, kò ní lè sọ òdodo.
- Literal translation
- The mouth that has been compromised with sweet things can hardly speak the truth.
- Meaning
- Personal integrity is it; keep it intact; to be compromised with favours is to be compelled to compromise one's objectivity
796
Èpè ilá, kì í mú àgbọ̀nrín.
- Literal translation
- Okro's curses have no impact on the antelope (okro is one of antelope's natural food).
- Meaning
- Often, not all the things we forbid are wrong and not all the things we embrace are right; no one knows it all.
797
Epo bíntín ló ńba ojú omi jẹ́
- Literal translation
- It's a little quantity of oil that mars the surface of water.
- Meaning
- A little indiscretion mars a good reputation
798
Epo bíntín ló ńba ojú omi jẹ́.
- Literal translation
- It's a little quantity of oil that mars the surface of water.
- Meaning
- A little indiscretion is destructive enough
799
Ẹran táà bá ní jẹ, a kìí fi eyín dan wò
- Literal translation
- One shouldn't be nipping at a piece of meat that one won't eat.
- Meaning
- Don't start what you won't finish
800
Ẹran tí a kò bá ni í jẹ, a kì í fi eyín dán an wò.
- Literal translation
- Stop taking nips at a piece of meat that you have no intention of eating.
- Meaning
- Don't start what you won't finish; finish whatever you start.