Òwe Yorùbá: 40 Illustrated Proverbs

“1. **Yoruba:** A di gàárì sílẹ̀ ewúrẹ́ ńyọjú; ẹrù ìran rẹ̀ ni?”

Translation: **Translation:** We prepare the saddle, and the goat presents itself; is it a burden for the lineage of goats?

Meaning: **Meaning:** (Those that know their place do not offer their backs to be taken for a ride)

“2. **Yoruba:** A fi ọ́ jọba ò ńṣàwúre o fẹ́ jẹ Ọlọ́run ni?”

Translation: **Translation:** You have been crowned a king, and yet you make good-luck charms; would you be crowned God?

Meaning: **Meaning:** (This proverb teaches the importance of contentment after achieving great success. It warns against overreaching and reminds us to appreciate and respect our blessings.)

“3. **Yoruba:** Bí a bá ńyọ́lẹ̀ dà, ohun abẹ́nú a máa yọ́ni ṣe.”

Translation: **Translation:** If one engages secretly in treachery, secret disasters await.

Meaning: **Meaning:** This proverb highlights that crimes committed in secret do not go unpunished.

“4. **Yoruba:** Pẹ̀hìndà kí o ríṣe èké, fara pamọ́ kí o rí bí aṣení ti ńsọ.”

Translation: **Translation:** Turn your back you and you will discover how the deceitful person behaves; hide and you will find out what the detractor is saying.

Meaning: **Meaning:** This proverb teaches that people reveal their true nature only when they think no one is watching. Step aside or listen discreetly and you’ll uncover the deceit and slander they normally hide.

“5. **Yoruba:** Ẹnu-u rẹ̀ ní ńdá igba, tí ńdá ọ̀ọ́dúnrún.”

Translation: **Translation:** His or her mouth is the same one that proposes two hundred and proposes three hundred.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (An unreliable person's mouth is ever running, and what comes out of it is not to be trusted.)

“6. **Yoruba:** A kì í bínú ààtàn ká dalẹ̀ sígbẹ̀ẹ́.”

Translation: **Translation:** One does not get angry with the rubbish dump and discard one's rubbish into the bush.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (One should not act in unreasonable and harmful ways because of anger.)

“7. **Yoruba:** Pátá-pátá leégún ńfaṣọ borí;.”

Translation: **Translation:** It is completely that the masquerader covers his head with his shroud.

Meaning: **Meaning:** One must be thorough in whatever one does.

“8. **Yoruba:** A kì í bẹ̀rù ikú bẹ̀rù àrùn ká ní kí ọmọ ó kú sinni.”

Translation: **Translation:** One does not so fear death and disease that one asks that one's child die before one.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (One should not be more concerned with saving oneself than with saving one's dependents.)

“9. **Yoruba:** A kì í bọ òrìṣà lójú ọ̀fọ́n-ọ̀n; bó bá dalẹ́ a máa tú pẹpẹ.”

Translation: **Translation:** One does not sacrifice to a god in the presence of a house rat; otherwise, when night falls it invades the rafter shelves.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (Do not do things that might constitute temptation to others.)

“10. **Yoruba:** Ìmùlẹ̀ ò gbọdọ̀ tan ara wọn jẹ; ìmọ̀ ẹnìkan ò yàn.”

Translation: **Translation:** Those who enter into a covenant must not betray one another; one person's counsel is not enough by itself.

Meaning: **Meaning:** One must not break covenants

“11. **Yoruba:** A kì í dá ọwọ́ lé ohun tí a ò lè gbé.”

Translation: **Translation:** One does not lay one's hands on a load one cannot lift.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (One should not overreach.)

“12. **Yoruba:** A kì í dájọ́ orò ká yẹ̀ ẹ́.”

Translation: **Translation:** One does not set the day for an orò rite and then ignore it.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (One must not let important matters slide.)

“13. **Yoruba:** A kì í dákẹ́ ká ṣìwí; a kì í wò sùn-ùn ká dáràn.”

Translation: **Translation:** One does not keep quiet and yet misspeak; one does not silently contemplate the world and yet get into trouble.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (A careful and cautious person seldom gets into trouble.)

“14. **Yoruba:** Purọ kóo níyì; bí a bá jáni tán, ẹ̀tẹ́ ní ńdà.”

Translation: **Translation:** Lie and become renowned; once you have been found out the result is disgrace.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (The glory that results from deceit does not last.)

“15. **Yoruba:** A kì í fi gbèsè sọ́rùn ṣọ̀ṣọ́.”

Translation: **Translation:** One does not carry debt around one's neck and live like a dandy.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (One should discharge one's obligations before one indulges in extravagance.)

“16. **Yoruba:** A kì í fi ìka ro etí, ká fi ro imú, ká wá tún fi ta ehín.”

Translation: **Translation:** One does not use one's finger to clean one's ear passages, use it to pick one's nose, and then use it to pick one's teeth.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (One should always behave with decorum.)

“17. **Yoruba:** Ó fò sókè ó pẹ́ títí,” irọ́ ló ńpa.”

Translation: **Translation:** He jumped up and stayed aloft almost for ever: that is a lie.

Meaning: **Meaning:** One should control the urge to exaggerate.

“18. **Yoruba:** Ẹni tí ó ṣe ojú kò da bí ẹni tó ṣe ẹ̀hìn.”

Translation: **Translation:** The person who honors one in one's presence is nothing like the person who honors one in one's absence.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (It is what people say of one, or what they do on one's behalf, in one's absence that matters.)

“19. **Yoruba:** Ojú lọ̀rọ̀-ọ́ wà.”

Translation: **Translation:** Discourse is in the eyes

Meaning: **Meaning:** One should look the person with whom one is holding a dialogue in the eyes.

“20. **Yoruba:** A kì í gbé sàráà kọjá-a mọ́ṣáláṣí.”

Translation: **Translation:** One does not carry alms beyond the mosque.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (Excess brings disgrace.)

“21. **Yoruba:** A kì í gbọ́ “Lù ú” lẹ́nu àgbà.”

Translation: **Translation:** One never hears “Beat him/her up” in the mouth of an elder.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (Elders resolve disputes; they do not goad disputants on.)

“22. **Yoruba:** A kì í pẹ̀lú ọ̀bọ jáko.”

Translation: **Translation:** One does not join a monkey in roaming the bush

Meaning: **Meaning:** Do not join others in their madness

“23. **Yoruba:** Ìbìsẹ́hín àgbò kì í ṣojo.”

Translation: **Translation:** A ram's stepping backwards is not indicative of cowardice.

Meaning: **Meaning:** One should not mistake a person's deliberateness before acting as indecisiveness.

“24. **Yoruba:** Ìbọn-ọ́n ní apátí kò lápátí, taní jẹ́ jẹ́ ka kọjú ìbọn kọ òun?”

Translation: **Translation:** Whether a gun has a trigger or not, who would calmly permit the gun to be pointed at him/her?

Meaning: **Meaning:** One should not take foolish chances.

“25. **Yoruba:** A kì í gbọ́n tó Báyìí-ni-ngó-ṣe-ǹkan-àn-mi.”

Translation: **Translation:** One cannot be as wise as “Thus-will-I-do-my-thing.”

Meaning: **Meaning:** (Never impose your preferences on other people in their own affairs.)

“26. **Yoruba:** Gbogbo wa la fòkété san ọgọ́fà; ìgbà tí òkété ó fi di ogóje, ojú-u gbogbo wa ni yó ṣe.”

Translation: **Translation:** We all agreed on a hundred and twenty cowries as the value of the bush rat; when the value changes to a hundred and forty, we must all know about it.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (No sub-group has the right to alter in secret decisions the whole group has arrived at.)

“27. **Yoruba:** A-bèèrè kì í ṣìnà.”

Translation: **Translation:** He who asks the way does not lose his way.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (One should admit one's weaknesses.)

“28. **Yoruba:** À-bí-ì-kọ́; à-kọ́-ì-gbà; òde ló ti ńkọ́gbọ́n wálé.”

Translation: **Translation:** A-child-that-was-never-taught-how-to-behave; a-child-that-was-taught-but-that-refused-to-heed-instruction; it is from outside the home that he will learn wisdom.

Meaning: **Meaning:** Look well to your child's upbringing.

“29. **Yoruba:** A kì í kórira ọ̀fọ́n-ọ̀n ká finá bọ ahéré.”

Translation: **Translation:** One does not so hate the bush rat that one sets one's farm hut alight.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (One should not destroy oneself simply to get at one's enemy.)

“30. **Yoruba:** Igúnnugún gbọ́n sínú.”

Translation: **Translation:** The vulture conceals a lot of wisdom in itself.

Meaning: **Meaning:** A person may be quite astute even though he/she appears foolish.

“31. **Yoruba:** A kì í kọ ẹlẹ́ṣin ká tún lọ fẹ́ ẹlẹ́sẹ̀.”

Translation: **Translation:** One does not divorce a horse rider and go marry a pedestrian.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (One should ever progress, never regress.)

“32. **Yoruba:** À-gbàbọ̀-ọ ṣòkòtò, bí kò fúnni lẹ́sẹ̀ a ṣoni; rẹ́múrẹ́mú ni ohun ẹni ḿbani mu.”

Translation: **Translation:** Borrowed trousers: if they are not too tight around the legs, they will be too loose; one's own things fit one exactly.

Meaning: **Meaning:** Borrowed articles are never like one's own.

“33. **Yoruba:** A kì í mọ́ egbò fúnra ẹni ká sunkún.”

Translation: **Translation:** One does not treat one's own sore and yet cry from the pain.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (One should know one's own pain threshold.)

“34. **Yoruba:** A kì í mọ ìyá Òjó ju Òjó lọ.”

Translation: **Translation:** One does not presume to know Òjó's mother better than Òjó himself does.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (Never claim to know a thing better than the people closest to it.)

“35. **Yoruba:** Ìkòkò ńseṣu ẹnìkan ò gbọ́; iṣú dénú odó ariwó ta.”

Translation: **Translation:** Yams cook in a pot and nobody knows, but when the yams get into the mortar alarms sound.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (Matters disclosed only to prudent people can be contained, but once they leak to irresponsible persons they become broadcast)

“36. **Yoruba:** Ìkókó ọmọ tó tọwọ́ bọ eérú ni yó mọ bó gbóná.”

Translation: **Translation:** The newborn child who thrusts his/her hand into ashes will find out for himself/herself if it is hot.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (Experience is the best teacher that one should avoid dangerous ventures.)

“37. **Yoruba:** A kì í mú oko lọ́nà ká ṣèmẹ́lẹ́; tajá tẹran ní ḿbúni.”

Translation: **Translation:** One does not farm a plot by the road and neglect its care; every dog and goat would ridicule one.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (Never expose yourself to insult by behaving badly in public view.)

“38. **Yoruba:** Ìhàlẹ̀-ẹ́ ba ọ̀ṣọ́ èèyàn jẹ́”

Translation: **Translation:** Empty boasts ruin a person's reputation.

Meaning: **Meaning:** One's mouth should not be more powerful than one's arms.

“39. **Yoruba:** Ilé nÌjèṣà-á ti ńmúná lọ sóko.”

Translation: **Translation:** It is from the home that the Ìjèṣà person takes fire to the farm.

Meaning: **Meaning:** (The wise person assembles all the materials he/she will need before embarking on a venture.)

“40. **Yoruba:** Ìjẹǹjẹ àná dùn méhoro; ehoro-ó rebi ìjẹ àná kò dẹ̀hìn bọ̀.”

Translation: **Translation:** Yesterday's food find so delighted the hare; the hare went to the spot of yesterday's feeding and never returned.

Meaning: **Meaning:** Persistence in risky ventures leads to disaster.