Yorùbá proverbs
1101
Kàǹga tó jìn kì í pariwo.
- Literal translation
- A deep well is seldom noisy.
- Meaning
- Be secure in who you are; no grandstanding; only empty vessels are needlessly noisy.
1102
Kárìn kápọ̀ yíyẹ ní í yẹni.
- Literal translation
- To walk as (or operate in) a team, brings honour to one.
- Meaning
- There is safety in numbers
1103
Kékéré àjànàkú kì í ṣe ẹgbẹ́ ẹkùn.
- Literal translation
- A diminutive elephant is no peer to a leopard.
- Meaning
- Appearance can be deceptive
1104
Kékeré ata kò ṣeé fi b'ọ́jú.
- Literal translation
- Even a little quantity of pepper cannot be used to wash the face.
- Meaning
- Write-off no one.
1105
Kí a dé igbó kí a má fọ'hùn ló ńmú ẹyẹ oko ṣu sí'ni lórí.
- Literal translation
- To get to the forest and make no sound is how bird droppings land on one's head.
- Meaning
- Inactivity is risky: keep moving, keep engaging; don't become a spot: spots can easily be wiped off.
1106
Kí a dé igbó kí a má fọ'hùn ló ńmú ẹyẹ oko ṣu síni lórí.
- Literal translation
- To remain silent in the forest is how bird droppings get to land on one's head.
- Meaning
- Keep moving; inactivity can be risky.
1107
Kí a fi gègé gún ara ẹni wò, kí a tó fi gún ọmọ ẹyẹ.
- Literal translation
- We ought to prick ourselves with the penpoint first, before using it on a bird.
- Meaning
- Be fair and considerate; don't impose on anyone what you are unwilling to accept; do unto others as you'd want them to do unto you.
1108
Kí a lè rí ibi gbé odó, la ṣe ńṣe ọyàn síi
- Literal translation
- It's so that mortars can be easily carried that handles are carved on them
- Meaning
- Being proactive
1109
Kí a r'odò ká sùn, kí l'ará ilé yóò mu?
- Literal translation
- If we tarry long at the river, what will those at home drink?
- Meaning
- Make hay while the sun shines
1110
Kí a re odò ká sùn, kí lará ilé yóò mu?
- Literal translation
- If we tarry long at the river, what would those at home drink?
- Meaning
- Make hay while the sun shines.
1111
Kí á rí ogun, kí á máà sá, ni iyì ọkùnrin
- Literal translation
- To face war and not flee is the honour of a man.
- Meaning
- One shouldn't abdicate one's responsibilities
1112
Kí a tó bímọ ẹnikan là ńbá ṣeré.
- Literal translation
- Before one had a child, one must have been playing with someone.
- Meaning
- No one is indispensable.
1113
Kí àgbàdo tó dé áyé, adìyẹ ńjẹun.
- Literal translation
- Before there was maize, hens certainly were eating.
- Meaning
- No one is indispensable.
1114
Kí èèmọ̀ wọlé, kí ajá máà gbó, gbogbo ajá kọ́ lara ẹ̀ lé gbà á.
- Literal translation
- Not all dogs can be quiet and not bark in the face of a strange act.
- Meaning
- People are different; you can't paint everyone with the same brush.
1115
Kí èèmọ̀ wọlé, kí ajá máà gbó, gbogbo ajá kọ́ lara ẹ̀ lé gbàá.
- Literal translation
- Not all dogs can be silent and not bark in the face of a strange act.
- Meaning
- Not everyone can tolerate an objectionable act.
1116
Kì í burú títí, kó má ku ẹnìkan mọ́'ni, ẹni tí yóò kù la ò mọ̀.
- Literal translation
- Things can't be so bad that one won't be left with someone; it's who he or she will turn out to be that one may not know.
- Meaning
- You are not alone, it merely seems so; keep up hope.
1117
Kì í rẹ ológbò kó má lè ṣe ọdẹ eku.
- Literal translation
- A cat can't be so tired that it won't be able to hunt the mouse.
- Meaning
- No impossibility
1118
Kì í rẹ ológbò, kó má lè ṣe ọdẹ eku.
- Literal translation
- A cat cannot be too tired to hunt mice.
- Meaning
- Be steadfast, be persistent, be resilient; never quit: quitting is the only way to fail.
1119
Kì í ṣe gbogbo ajá tó bá gbó'ni lọ́jà, la ńdá lóhùn
- Literal translation
- It's not all dogs that bark at one at the marketplace that one attends to.
- Meaning
- Be focused.
1120
Kì í ṣe gbogbo ajá tó bá gbó'ni lọ́jà, la ńdá lóhùn.
- Literal translation
- It's not all the dogs that bark at one at the marketplace that one responds to.
- Meaning
- Be focused: ignore distractions; not all issues should get our attention.