Yoruba Proverbs

[Bravebold]

Ẹnu ẹyẹ ni ńpẹyẹ; ẹnu òrofó ní ńpa òrofó; òrofó bí ọmọ mẹ́fà, ó ní ilé òun kún ṣọ́ṣọ́.
The mouth of the wild pigeon is its undoing; it hatches six chicks & brags that it's nest is completely filled.
[Not very smart to brag; bragging & boasting can be self-defeating]

[Bravebold]

[Bravebold]

Àgbẹ̀ tó jẹun yó tó fọ́ akèrègbè, ti gbàgbé pé ọjọ́ òǹgbẹ ṣì ḿbọ̀ /
A farmer who ate, had his fill, and broke the water gourd forgot that days of thirst are still ahead.
[The ingrate is unmindful of the future: the door you slam today, you may need it opened in future.]

[Bravebold]

[Bravebold]

A kò lè tìtorí pé a fẹ́ lọ Ẹdẹ kí a wá ba ẹ̀ẹ̀dẹ̀ jẹ́, nítorí tá a bá dé láti Ẹdẹ, ẹ̀ẹ̀dẹ̀ náà la ó fi àbọ̀ sí /
Never mess up your house's balcony, simply because you are off to Ede Town; you'll still return to it when you get back from Ede.
[Think before you act

[Bravebold]

[Bravebold]

Kí a fi ijó gba Àwà; kí a fi ìwà gba Àwà; à ní ki a ṣá ti gba Àwà /
Whether we save Awa town through dancing exploits or through good behaviour, let's just save Awa town.
[A focus on goals rather than methods; be positive, be open-minded and be forward-looking]

[Bravebold]

[Bravebold]

Àgbàdo inú ìgò, ó di àwòmọ́jú fún adìyẹ. /
The corns in a bottle are viewed with disdain by the hen.
[People often despise what they can't have or is beyond their reach; be diligent and smart to get to a height that is beyond the reach of detractors.]

[Bravebold]

[Bravebold]

Kí a tó dé ibi tí à ńlọ, a máa ńkọ́kọ́ dé ibi tí a kò fẹ́. /
Before getting to our destination, we  may have to get to where we'd rather not be.
[Be focused, be strategic; always look ahead: you may well be on your stepping stone; don't lose the forest for the trees.]

[Bravebold]

[Bravebold]

Ẹní tó làná, tó lòní, kò leè ni ọ̀la; Ọlọ́run nìkan ló lọjọ́ gbogbo. /
Whoever called the shots yesterday and calls the shots today, cannot call the shots tomorrow; only God calls the shots at all times.
[Nothing lasts forever; change is ever inevitable; keep hope alive.]

[Bravebold]

[Bravebold]

Yíyọ́ ẹkùn, t'ojo kọ́; ohun tó máa jẹ ló ńwá. /
The stealthy gait of the leopard is not out of cowardice; it is simply stalking its prey.
[It is unwise and quite naive to mistake meekness for stupidity or gentleness for weakness; it can prove costly, too.]

[Bravebold]

[Bravebold]

Jẹ́ kí ńfi ìdí hẹẹ́, lálejò fi ńti onílé sóde. /
Let me just hang in here is how a guest takes over the house from a host.
[Give an inch and lose a mile; some requests are not as simple as they appear: don't start what you can't finish.]

[Bravebold]

Ọ̀gẹ̀dẹ̀ wo kòkó yè tán, ó wá di igi burúkú lójú olóko. /
Having sustained the cocoa plant to maturity, the plantain plant now becomes repulsive to the farmer.
[Be perceptive; people are prone to "use and dump".]

[Bravebold]

[Bravebold]

Ọmọdé ò mọ oògùn ó ńpeé lẹ́ẹ̀fọ́; kò mọ̀ pé ikú tó pa bàbá òun ni. /
A youngster ignorant of a charmed soup and rather simplistically saw it as mere vegetable (soup), oblivious that, that is exactly what killed his father.
[Naivety can be costly.]

[Bravebold]

[Bravebold]

Bí agbada ò bá gbóná, àgbàdo ò leè ta. /
If the frying pan is not hot, the corns cannot pop. [Good things do not always come easy; no pain, no gain; hang in there: endure hardness; don't give up.]

[Bravebold]

[Bravebold]

Bí a bá dé ìlú táà léèyàn, ìwà rere làá ní. /
If one is new in a town, knowing no one, one simply need to be armed with good character.
[Good character is attractive and helpful; anyone can go far with it and easily get shipwrecked without it.]

[Bravebold]

Adìyẹ ńlàágùn, ìyẹ́ ara rẹ̀ ni ò jẹ́ ká mọ̀. /
Hens are sweating, too; it's their feathers that conceal this.
[Remain empathetic: don't be too quick to write off or draw sweeping conclusions on anyone; often, there is more that is beneath the surface.]

[Bravebold]

Obìnrin tó l'ẹ́wà tí kò ní ìwà, ẹwà rẹ ti bàjẹ́, kò tí ì funra ni/
A woman who is beautiful but lacks good manners, her beauty is destroyed already; she just isn't perceptive enough (to see it).
[Good character trumps beauty: content trumps appearance; be better: we all can]

[Bravebold]