Yorùbá proverbs
1661
Ti imú yé'mú tí imú fi ńfọn.
- Literal translation
- The nose very well knows why it is noisy when blown.
- Meaning
- Don't despise what you can't see or understand.
1662
Ti iná ba ńjó lóko, màjàlá a ṣe òfófó
- Literal translation
- When a farm goes aflame, the flakes fly home to bear the tale
- Meaning
- Nothing can be permanently covered up
1663
Ti iná ba ńjó lóko, màjàlá a ṣe òfófó.
- Literal translation
- When a farm goes aflame, the cinders fly home to bear the tale.
- Meaning
- Nothing can be permanently covered up.
1664
Tí iná bá ńjó lóko, màjàlá á ṣe òfófó.
- Literal translation
- When a farm goes aflame, the flakes fly home to bear the tale.
- Meaning
- Nothing can be covered up, permanently: hidden things get unravelled eventually.
1665
Tí iná ò bá tán l'áṣọ, ẹ̀jẹ̀ kì í tan léèkánná.
- Literal translation
- If the lice won't cease to be on clothes, blood (from efforts to remove them) can't cease from the finger nails.
- Meaning
- Be steadfast and persistent: until an issue is resolved, efforts to address it must not abate
1666
Tí irọ́ bá lọ lógún ọdún, ọjọ́ kan ṣoṣo ni òótọ́ yóò ba.
- Literal translation
- If a lie has gone for twenty years, the truth would catch up with it in just one day.
- Meaning
- Truth will prevail, eventually.
1667
Tí irọ́ bá tan iná kò lè so èso rere
- Literal translation
- Even if a lie glows (& blooms), it can't yield good fruits
- Meaning
- whatever is founded on deceit can't endure
1668
Tí irọ́ bá tan iná, kò lè so èso rere.
- Literal translation
- Even if a lie glows (and blooms), it can't yield good (and enduring) fruits.
- Meaning
- Whatever is founded on deceit seldom lasts.
1669
Tí ìṣẹ́ ò bá jẹ́ ká sọ òdodo, àìṣòdodo kò ní jẹ́ ká bọ́ lọ́wọ́ ìṣẹ́.
- Literal translation
- If fear of poverty makes us lie, lying will keep us entrenched in poverty, as well.
- Meaning
- Honesty pays; dishonest lifestyle does exact hefty fees, at the end
1670
Tí ìṣẹ́ ò bá jẹ́ ká sọ òdodo; àìṣòdodo kò ní jẹ́ ká bọ́ lọ́wọ́ ìṣẹ́.
- Literal translation
- If fear of poverty does not make us live honestly; dishonest living will keep us entrenched in poverty, as well.
- Meaning
- Honesty pays; personal integrity is crucial.
1671
Tí ìṣẹ́ ò bá jẹ́ ká ṣòdodo, àìṣòdodo ò ní jẹ́ ká bọ́ lọ́wọ́ ìṣẹ́.
- Literal translation
- If fear of poverty makes us live dishonestly, dishonest living will keep us entrenched in poverty, as well.
- Meaning
- Honesty pays; dishonesty can be costly, at the end.
1672
Tí iṣu ẹni bá funfun, a máa ńfọwọ́ bòó jẹ ni.
- Literal translation
- If one is blessed with fine (harvested) yams, one ought to eat them under wraps.
- Meaning
- Be modest.
1673
Tí iṣu ẹni bá ta, a ńfọwọ́ bòó jẹ ni.
- Literal translation
- If one's yam is well-formed, it should be consumed under wraps.
- Meaning
- Avoid ostentation
1674
Tí ìtàkùn bá lè pa ẹnu pọ̀, wọ́n á mú erin so.
- Literal translation
- If creeping plants could unite, they would easily tie up an elephant.
- Meaning
- United we stand; divided we fall; together we can do more; the world will bury faster, if nations can just unite on this
1675
Tí ìtàkùn bá pa ẹnu pọ̀, wọ́n a mú erin so
- Literal translation
- If creeping plants would unite, they would easily tie up an elephant
- Meaning
- Together, we can do more
1676
Tí ìtàkùn bá pa ẹnu pọ̀, wọ́n a mú erin so.
- Literal translation
- If creeping plants could unite, they'd easily tie up an elephant
- Meaning
- Together, we can do more.
1677
Tí ìtàkùn kò bá já ọwọ́ ò lè ba ọ̀kẹ́rẹ́.
- Literal translation
- If the creeping plant isn't broken, the squirrel can't be caught.
- Meaning
- Cause and effect
1678
Tí ìyà ńlá bá gbé'ni ṣán'lẹ̀, kéékèèké á máa gun orí ẹni.
- Literal translation
- When tripped by a major setback, one easily becomes vulnerable or falls prey to minor ones.
- Meaning
- A major setback can be unsettling and, quite often, makes us vulnerable to minor ones
1679
Tí kò bá sí, a kì í dédé rí ẹja lókè odò.
- Literal translation
- If there are no reasons, fish can't be found on the bank of a river.
- Meaning
- Unusual events are caused
1680
Tí kò bá sí, a kìí dédé rẹ́ja lókè odò
- Literal translation
- If there are no reasons, a fish can't be found on the bank of the river
- Meaning
- Unusual events have causes