Yorùbá proverbs
1381
Oko kì í jẹ́ ti baba àti ti ọmọ, kó máà ní àlà.
- Literal translation
- A farm cannot belong to both father and son, and not have a line of demarcation (separating the portion of each party.)
- Meaning
- Private spaces exist: respect them; don't run roughshod over anyone; don't intrude
1382
Òkò tí a bá bínú jù kì í pẹyẹ
- Literal translation
- A stone thrown at a bird in anger can't kill the bird.
- Meaning
- Actions taken in anger seldom achieve desired results
1383
Òkò tí a bá bínú jù kìí pẹyẹ
- Literal translation
- A stone thrown at a bird in anger can't kill the bird.
- Meaning
- Actions taken in anger seldom achieve desired results
1384
Òkò tí a bá bínú jù kìí pẹyẹ.
- Literal translation
- A stone thrown at a bird in anger can't kill the bird.
- Meaning
- Actions taken in anger seldom achieve desired results
1385
Òkò tí a bá bínú jù, kì í pa ẹyẹ.
- Literal translation
- A stone thrown in anger can hardly kill the bird.
- Meaning
- Actions taken in anger seldom achieve desired results; tone that fury down: it can be self-defeating
1386
Òkò tí a sọ mọ́'pẹ òun ni ọ̀pẹ ńsọ mọ́ eyan.
- Literal translation
- The stone thrown at the palm gets thrown back at one by the palm
- Meaning
- You get what you give
1387
Ọ̀kọ̀ọ̀kan là ńyọ ẹ̀gún lẹ́sẹ̀
- Literal translation
- Multiple thorns must be removed from a foot, one at a time.
- Meaning
- Complex issues must be resolved one at a time
1388
Ọ̀kọ̀ọ̀kan là ńyọ ẹ̀gún lẹ́sẹ̀.
- Literal translation
- Thorns must be removed from the foot one at a time.
- Meaning
- Complex issues must be resolved one at a time.
1389
Ọ̀kọ̀ọ̀kan là ńyọ ẹsẹ̀ lábàtà
- Literal translation
- The feet are pulled out of mud, one at a time
- Meaning
- Multiple complicated issues should be resolved one at a time
1390
Ọ̀kọ̀ọ̀kan là ńyọ ẹsẹ̀ lábàtà.
- Literal translation
- It's one at a time that legs are pulled out of mud.
- Meaning
- Complex issues are resolved one at a time
1391
Okùn kì í gùn títí kó má ní ibi tí a ti fàá wá
- Literal translation
- A rope can't be so long and not have where it's pulled from.
- Meaning
- No effect without a cause
1392
Okùn kì í gùn títí kó má ní ibi tí a ti fàá wá.
- Literal translation
- A rope can't be so long and not have a beginning or a source.
- Meaning
- Every effect has a cause
1393
Òkun kì í hó ruru, kí á wà á ruru.
- Literal translation
- Never paddle wildly in a stormy sea.
- Meaning
- Handle complex issues patiently and calmly; it's not very smart to further complicate an already complicated situation.
1394
Òkun kì í hó ruru, kí á wàá ruru.
- Literal translation
- Never paddle wildly in a stormy sea.
- Meaning
- Be patient; complex issues need to be patiently handled
1395
Òkun kìí hó ruru kí á wàá ruru
- Literal translation
- A sea shouldn't be stormy and be violently paddled in as well
- Meaning
- Complex issues should be patiently handled
1396
Òkun kìí hó ruru kí á wàá ruru.
- Literal translation
- Don't paddle wildly in a stormy sea.
- Meaning
- Be patient; complex issues should be handled with patience
1397
Okùn ò lè gùn gùn kí ó máa ní'bi tí a ti fàá wá.
- Literal translation
- A rope can't be so long that it won't have a source.
- Meaning
- Every effect has a cause.
1398
Òlẹ ṣu ó kàá kún iṣẹ́.
- Literal translation
- A lazy man defecated and takes it as work.
- Meaning
- A lazy man takes simple non-productive tasks as serious work
1399
Olè tó gbé kàkàkí ọba, níbo ni yóò ti fun ún?
- Literal translation
- Where would the thief who stole the king's bugle blow it?
- Meaning
- We ought to walk in wisdom; some actions are inherently unwise and ultimately self-defeating
1400
Ọlọ́gbọ́n d'orí ẹja mú, òmùgọ̀ d'ìru rẹ̀ mú.
- Literal translation
- A wise man grabs the head of the fish and a fool its tail.
- Meaning
- Be perceptive; wisdom is it.