Yorùbá proverbs
1061
Iṣẹ́ l'oògùn ìṣẹ́.
- Literal translation
- Hardwork is the antidote for poverty.
- Meaning
- Diligence pays; hardwork is a sure-fire remedy for poverty.
1062
Iṣẹ́ l'oògùn ìṣẹ̀.
- Literal translation
- Work is the antidote of poverty.
- Meaning
- Hardwork pays
1063
Iṣẹ́ ló ṣeé dá ṣe; owó ò ṣeé dá ná.
- Literal translation
- Only work may be carried out alone; money cannot be spent alone.
- Meaning
- Be generous, be willing to share.
1064
Iṣẹ́ tí onínú líle bá fi ogún ọdún ṣe, ọjọ́ kan ni yóò bà á jẹ́
- Literal translation
- A hot-tempered person will easily destroy in just one day, all he or she achieved in twenty years.
- Meaning
- When uncontrolled, anger can prove detrimental to its carrier; hold off important decisions when angry.
1065
Ìṣín wò ó; ìkòrò wò ó; ohun tí a bá dìjọ wò, gígún ni í gún
- Literal translation
- Let all the fingerlings consider it (an issue); let all the big fish assess it too; whatever we all join hands to assess, typically gets thoroughly defined.
- Meaning
- All points of view are crucial; discount and dismiss none
1066
Ìṣín wò ó; ìkòrò wò ó; ohun tí a bá jìjọ wò, gígún ni í gún
- Literal translation
- Let the fingerlings consider it (an issue); let all the big fishes assess it too; whatever we all join hands to assess, typically gets thoroughly defined.
- Meaning
- All points of view are crucial; discount and dismiss no one
1067
Iṣu ẹni kì í fi'ni pe ọmọdé, kó má ta.
- Literal translation
- A yam plant cannot refuse to grow well, simply because the farmer (planter) is too young.
- Meaning
- Age is no barrier to success; impossibility is a figment.
1068
Iṣu ẹni kìí fini pe ọmọdé, kó má ta
- Literal translation
- One's yam plant can't refuse to grow well, simply because one is young.
- Meaning
- Age is no barrier to success
1069
Ìṣubú ẹni kì í ṣe òpin ayé ẹni.
- Literal translation
- The fall of a man is not the end of his life.
- Meaning
- Failure is really a temporary set-back
1070
Ìtàkùn tó ní kí erin má wọ odò, t'òun t'erin ló ńlọ.
- Literal translation
- A creeping plant that insists the elephant will not enter the river, will find itself in the river with the elephant.
- Meaning
- Be determined; virtually nothing is impossible where determination exists.
1071
Ìtàkùn tó ní kí erin má wọ odò, t'òun terin ní wọ́n máa jọ lọ.
- Literal translation
- A creeping plant that wants to obstruct the elephant would find itself in the river with the elephant.
- Meaning
- Be determined; nothing triumphs like determination.
1072
Ìtẹ́lẹ̀dí ẹni kì í ríni tì
- Literal translation
- One's undergarments are not unfamiliar with one's nudity
- Meaning
- Those close to one, know one deeply
1073
Ìti ọ̀gẹ̀dẹ̀ kò tó ohun tí a ńpọ́n àdá sí.
- Literal translation
- The plantain stem isn't what the cutlass needs to be sharpened for.
- Meaning
- Much ado about nothing.
1074
Ìwà àdó ló ńmú àdó mu ẹ̀jẹ̀; akèrègbè baba àdó, omi ni wọ́n fi ńpọ́n.
- Literal translation
- The tiny gourd is associated with bloodletting of its own volition; the fully grown (and far bigger) gourd is simply used for fetching water.
- Meaning
- Ultimately our character, whether good or bad, is by choice
1075
Ìwà àdó ni í mú àdó mu ẹ̀jẹ̀: akèrègbè baba àdó, omi ni wọ́n fi ńpọ́n
- Literal translation
- The tiny gourd is associated with bloodletting of its own volition: even the bigger and fully grown gourd is simply used for fetching water.
- Meaning
- Our character, good or bad, is by choice: choose to be better
1076
Ìwà jọ̀wà nií jẹ́ ọ̀rẹ́ jọ̀rẹ́
- Literal translation
- It's the sharing of common character traits that makes for friendly relationships.
- Meaning
- Show me your friends
1077
Ìwà kì í fi oníwà sílẹ̀.
- Literal translation
- We are inseparable from our character.
- Meaning
- No one can pretend to be who he or she is not for very long; with patience, the real character will show through, ultimately
1078
Ìwà kìí fi oníwà sílẹ̀
- Literal translation
- A person's character sticks to him
- Meaning
- Character can't be counterfeited; One can't feign to be who one isn't for long
1079
Ìwà lẹ̀sìn; bí a bá ṣe mọ̀ ọ́ hù ni í ṣe é gbe’ni.
- Literal translation
- Character is like religion; how good one's character is, that is how well it favours one.
- Meaning
- Good character pays; it attracts favour.
1080
Ìwà lẹ̀sìn; bí a bá ṣe mọ̀ ọ́ hù ni í ṣeé gbe’ni.
- Literal translation
- Character is like religion; how good one's character is, that is how well it favours one.
- Meaning
- Good character attracts good fortune; bad character repels it