Yorùbá proverbs
1001
Ìjì kì í jà kó da omi inú àgbọn nù.
- Literal translation
- A storm can't be so fierce as to waste the liquid in a coconut fruit.
- Meaning
- Don't give up
1002
Ìjì layé tó bá fì síwájú á tún fì sẹ́hìn
- Literal translation
- Life is a storm, if it blows forward, it will blow backward, as well.
- Meaning
- No condition is permanent
1003
Ìjì layé; tó bá fì síwájú, á tún fì sẹ́hìn ni.
- Literal translation
- Life is a storm; if it blows forward, it will blow backward, as well.
- Meaning
- A season goes, another comes; no condition is permanent; nothing lasts forever; keep hope alive.
1004
Ìjọ oníìbínú kan kì í kún.
- Literal translation
- A gathering convened by an easily riled person seldom gets filled up.
- Meaning
- Uncontrolled temper can be self-destructive.
1005
Ijó tí kì í ṣe ijó ẹni, ìwọ̀n là ńkó gbẹ̀du ẹ̀ lójúde ọba.
- Literal translation
- Be moderate in a dance you are not adept at, in the king's presence.
- Meaning
- Be smart: don’t make a public display of your weakness or ignorance.
1006
Ìka ò dọ́gba.
- Literal translation
- All fingers are not equal.
- Meaning
- Don't compare yourself to anyone; you are unique, in your own way
1007
Ìka tó bá ńfún'ni lóúnjẹ, a kì í gé e jẹ.
- Literal translation
- Do not bite the fingers that feed you.
- Meaning
- Do not repay good with evil; never be unkind to your benefactors; remember tomorrow.
1008
Ìka tó bá ńfún'ni lóúnjẹ, a kì í gée jẹ.
- Literal translation
- We ought not to bite the fingers that feed us.
- Meaning
- Don't repay good with evil
1009
Ìkòkò ńse iṣu ẹnìkan ò gbọ́, ṣùgbọ́n iṣú dé inú odó tán ariwo ó ta.
- Literal translation
- While the pot was cooking the yam, no one heard a thing, but no sooner had the yams got into the mortar than noise broke out.
- Meaning
- Avoid obtrusive grandstanding: empty vessels make the most noise.
1010
Ìkòkò ńse iṣu ẹnìkan ò gbọ́; iṣú dé inú odó tán, ariwó ta.
- Literal translation
- While the pot was cooking yams, no one heard; no sooner had the yams got into the mortar that noise broke out.
- Meaning
- Different strokes for different folks; what stresses someone may well be calmly handled by another.
1011
Ìkòkò tó máa jẹ ata ìdí rẹ̀ á gbóná.
- Literal translation
- A pot that wants to consume pepper must expect its base to be heated up.
- Meaning
- No pain; no gain.
1012
Ikú ẹja ni í mú ẹja mọ ìlú.
- Literal translation
- The death of the fish is what enables it to know the city.
- Meaning
- Adversity is, quite often, a stepping stone to greater heights; be positive, always; it's not over yet
1013
Ikú fẹ́ pa alápatà ó ńkígbe; ọmọ ẹranko tó ti dá lóró ńkọ́?
- Literal translation
- Death stalks the butcher and he screams; what about the animals he's butchered?
- Meaning
- Exact from no one what you are unwilling to impose on yourself; be fair and considerate.
1014
Ikú kì í bá’ni ṣọ̀rẹ́ kó má pa’ni.
- Literal translation
- Death cannot be so friendly with someone and not take the person.
- Meaning
- Some human experiences are inevitable; we must accept what we cannot change.
1015
Ikú ló mẹ́ja kákò.
- Literal translation
- It's death that made the fish bent.
- Meaning
- Critical change could leave a marked effect on one
1016
Ikú ló mú ẹja mọ ìlú.
- Literal translation
- It's death that enabled the fish to know the city.
- Meaning
- Adverse turn of events may lead to positive consequence
1017
Ikú tí yóò bá pa'ni, tó bá ṣí'ni ní fìlà, ọpẹ la ńdá.
- Literal translation
- If what would have killed one, merely removed one's cap, one should be thankful.
- Meaning
- If you are reading this, in the year 2020, regardless of your peculiar story, you have every reason to be thankful; we all do.
1018
Ilẹ̀ àánú Olúwa kì í ṣú
- Literal translation
- God's land of mercy never goes dark.
- Meaning
- God's mercy never runs out; keep hope alive
1019
Ilẹ̀ àánú Olúwa kì í ṣú.
- Literal translation
- God's mercy never runs out.
- Meaning
- No impossibility with God; keep hope alive.
1020
Ilé l'adìyẹ kò ti níyì.
- Literal translation
- It's at home that the hen has no honour.
- Meaning
- Familiarity breeds contempt