Yorùbá proverbs
801
Ẹran tí a ò bá ní í jẹ, a kì í fi eyín dán an wò.
- Literal translation
- Don't take nips at a piece of meat that you have no interest in eating.
- Meaning
- Don't start what you won't finish; finish whatever you start
802
Ẹran tó mú erèé jẹ ló mú kí gbẹ̀gìrì ṣàn
- Literal translation
- The goat that ate the beans is the one that made the bean soup watery.
- Meaning
- One thing leads to another
803
Ẹran tó mú erèé jẹ, ló mú kí gbẹ̀gìrì ó ṣàn
- Literal translation
- The goat that ate up the beans made the bean soup watery.
- Meaning
- There is a cause for every effect
804
Ẹranko tó bá ṣiyèméjì lọdẹ ńpa.
- Literal translation
- An indecisive animal easily gets killed by the hunter.
- Meaning
- Be decisive; indecision is quite often costly.
805
Eré orí igi, àṣekù ọmọ ẹdun ni
- Literal translation
- Pranks on tree-tops are pastimes to monkeys
- Meaning
- Refers to an issue one is very familiar with
806
Eré tí ajá bá fi ogún ọdún sá, ìrin fàájì ni fún ẹṣin
- Literal translation
- A race that takes dogs 20 years, is a leisurely walk to horses.
- Meaning
- Different strokes
807
Eré tí ajá bá fi ogún ọdún sá, ìrin fàájì ni fún ẹṣin.
- Literal translation
- A race that takes dogs twenty years, is a mere leisurely walk to horses.
- Meaning
- Different strokes for different folks; what proves a challenge to one, may well be a walkover to another.
808
Ẹ̀rẹ̀kẹ́ l'ẹran dùn mọ; kò dé'nú.
- Literal translation
- The sweetness of meat is only felt within the cheeks; it doesn't get to the stomach.
- Meaning
- Some things are gratifying only for a moment; they hold no such promise for long; don't focus on trivialities: don't major on minor
809
Ẹ̀rẹ̀kẹ́ lẹran dùn mọ; kò dénú
- Literal translation
- The sweetness of meat is felt only within the mouth; it doesn't get to the stomach.
- Meaning
- Some things are trivial
810
Ẹ̀rẹ̀kẹ́ lẹran dùn mọ; kò dénú.
- Literal translation
- Meat's sweetness is felt only within the cheeks; it's not felt in the stomach.
- Meaning
- Some things are trivial
811
Erin ibi kan, èlírí ni ní ibòmíràn
- Literal translation
- An elephant in one place is a tiny mouse in another.
- Meaning
- What is an issue to one person, pales to another
812
Erin kì í jẹ koríko abẹ́ rẹ̀.
- Literal translation
- An elephant does not graze on the grasses under it.
- Meaning
- Avoiding conflict of interest situations
813
Èrò làá rò, ká tó lè kọ́ ilé tó ga bí i dodo.
- Literal translation
- To build an exceedingly tall building requires prior proper planning.
- Meaning
- Be strategic; plan ahead.
814
Èrò làá rò, ká tó lè kọ́lé tó ga bí i dodo
- Literal translation
- Prior proper planning is what is required to build an exceedingly tall building
- Meaning
- Planning is it
815
Èrò lọbẹ̀ gbẹ̀gìrì tí a kò bá ròó á díkókó.
- Literal translation
- The bean soup must be well stirred else it will be lumpy.
- Meaning
- A matter requiring deep reflection
816
Ẹrù ìyẹ́ kì í pa adìyẹ
- Literal translation
- A hen is never burdened by the weight of its feathers.
- Meaning
- Don't give up; your challenges are within your capabilities
817
Ẹrù ìyẹ́ kì í pa adìyẹ.
- Literal translation
- A hen is never burdened by the weight of its feathers.
- Meaning
- One's responsibilities shouldn't be too onerous for one
818
Ẹrú kan nií mú'ni bú igba ẹrú
- Literal translation
- It's one slave that causes two hundred others to be reproved.
- Meaning
- An indiscretion by one, invariably smears all.
819
Ẹrú kan nií múni bú'gba ẹrú
- Literal translation
- It's one slave who will cause two hundred others to be reproved.
- Meaning
- An indiscretion by one, invariably smears all
820
Ẹrú kan nií múni búgba ẹrú
- Literal translation
- It's one slave that will cause two hundred others to be reproved
- Meaning
- An indiscretion of one, invariably smears all