Nigerian Proverbs

[valteena]

Ok, this thread is for the compilation of Nigerian proverbs both in pidgin language and our numerous vernacular. So feel free to keep adding any you know, and as you remember them.

You can even make it more fun by making it topical (pick a topic of the day and spin it with a proverb) or you can make it a response to the last poster mode i.e you pick a theme from the last poster's proverb and create a new one.

Pls do not forget to translate in English any proverb or saying posted. Thanks.

I will kick start the thread with the following proverbs/sayings with their translations.

Malu ti o niru, Olorun lo'n ba le eshin --- Yoruba
Cow wey no get tail, na God dey help am drive fly. ---- Pidgin

Translation - God helps the tailess cow drives away flies bothering it, as in God helps the helpless

[valteena]

This I learnt from my mumsy as it is a popular one with her.

Ye ye a' re gbe' efen no' vba ahe ----- Ishan lang.

Sofry sofry na im dem dey take kill rat wey dey inside pot. ----pidgin

Translation
One needs to take great care to kill a rat hiding in a clay pot as in patience and introspect is required in dealing with a delicate situation.

[valteena]

When pickin begin dey answer im papa back, know say im don dey do the tin wey papa and mama dey do ---- Pidgin

Translation

If a child begins to answer his or her parent back rudely, it is likely that s/he has started indulging in adult activities as in sudden bad behaviour from a child is a likely indication of deeper issues.

[valteena]

Old man wey dey carry small girl no suppose complain when di girl slap am for public. ---

Translation

An old man that likes sleeping with young girls should zip and not complain when he is disrespected in public, as in familiarity breeds contempt.

[Beam]

When pickin begin dey answer im papa back, know say im don dey do the tin wey papa and mama dey do

---- Pidgin

Translation

If a child begins to answer his or her parent back rudely, it is likely that s/he has started indulging in adult activities as in sudden bad behaviour from a child is a likely indication of deeper issues.

If lady Val, does not mind, I will add another clause if possible also tell us what you think it means or is related to, for instance this particular one is said most to females although it relates to males too, it means they are tasting the forbidden fruit having S.E.X ,

I will be back with my proverbs soon

[Beam]

A kì í bó sínú omi tán ká máa sá fún òtútù.
One does not enter into the water and then run from the cold.

Precautions are useful only before the event. not after the event, Meaning try and avoid circumstances that can be avoided

[Beam]

A kì í fi ètè sílè pa làpálàpá.
One does not ignore leprosy to treat a rash.
More serious problems deserve more immediate attention, focus on the important issues first

[Beam]

Bí a bá fi ọwó òtún na ọmọ, à fi ọwó òsì fà á móra.
If one whips a child with the right hand, one embraces it with the left.
A child deserving punishment yet deserves love,meaning admonish your kids however still let them feel loved.

[valteena]

If lady Val, does not mind, I will add another clause if possible also tell us what you think it means or is related to, for instance this particular one is said most to females although it relates to males too, it means they are tasting the forbidden fruit having S.E.X ,

I will be back with my proverbs soon

Beamy I thought I should leave that interpretation to others so Agens baba will not give me another title to the virgy mene ne he has given me already lol. As they say in Yoruba, "mo ye e'yi"( I dodge this one). So thanks for taking up the job and introducing that dimension to the proverb

[valteena]

Igba wo ni ma'i ku o'ni ku ----- Yoruba


Translation

When will death not be, as in, what will be will be or death is inevitable.

[valteena]

Dem no dey tell blind man say markett don close, when im no hear voices im go sabi. ----- Pidgin


Translation

There is no need to tell a blind man that the market has closed he will know when he no longer hears voices as in the handwriting is on the wall or that people will learn through experience.

[valteena]

Na who marry cripple, know as im dey take sleep with am

Translation

Only s/he who is married to a crippled spouse, knows how they manage their sexual life as in people's bussiness is theirs and theirs alone or where there is a will, there is always a way.

[Big-K]

Good idea, Valteena. We can even make it more fun by making it topical (pick a topic of the day and spin it with a proverb)

News: "Man shot dead by his Woman-friend's husband." The proverb I have for this one is
Aseju ni irun ehin (Yoruba)" meaning Na overdo dey cause man to grow hair for back

or we can make it a response to the last poster mode i.e you pick a theme from the last poster's proverb and create a new one
e.g On cripple: Ogun asotele ki p'aro (Yoruba) meaning A war foretold no dey kill cripple
then someone can pick war as a theme etc

[justan234]

This I learnt from my mumsy as it is a popular one with her.

Ye ye a' re gbe' efen no' vba ahe ----- Ishan lang.

Sofry sofry na im dem dey take kill rat wey dey inside pot. ----pidgin

Translation
One needs to take great care to kill a rat hiding in a clay pot as in patience and introspect is required in dealing with a delicate situation.

It'd be nice to have audio for these kinds of threads, it's "tres difficille" to sound out words you've never heard before. For a decent compilation of yoruba proverbs this link is invaluable

http://yoruba.unl.edu/

[justan234]

If lady Val, does not mind, I will add another clause if possible also tell us what you think it means or is related to, for instance this particular one is said most to females although it relates to males too, it means they are tasting the forbidden fruit having S.E.X ,

I will be back with my proverbs soon

Interesting that you say it's said to females more often. Is that because for females at least traditionally, the perception was that, that's the great equalizer? e.g. a 25/30 yr old male warrior would crush a 15 year old boy, but such differences didn't quite apply to females?

[Mark Lar]

Why not just throw the pot and contents away

[valteena]

Good idea, Valteena. We can even make it more fun by making it topical (pick a topic of the day and spin it with a proverb)

News: "Man shot dead by his Woman-friend's husband." The proverb I have for this one is
Aseju ni irun ehin (Yoruba)" meaning Na overdo dey cause man to grow hair for back

or we can make it a response to the last poster mode i.e you pick a theme from the last poster's proverb and create a new one
e.g On cripple: Ogun asotele ki p'aro (Yoruba) meaning A war foretold no dey kill cripple
then someone can pick war as a theme etc

That's cool Big-K. Both options can be applied by poster depending on which takes their fancy me think. Btw is it possible for you to help incorporate it into the first post as part of the guidelines as well pls.

[Mark Lar]

Nwaagadi nwanyi anaghi echefu egwu o muru n'agbogh (Igbo). An old woman never forgets the dance she learnt (how to dance) in her youth). The fact that the old woman (still) remembers or knows the dance suggests her possession of admirable mental capacity.

Nwa-agbogho Ugwuta si nne ya na otu nwoke ka ya na-agara onwe ya, o wee tuburu ya raa. Nne ya wee si ya gaa rakwuru. O gaa, a rachie ya ozo -(Igbo). An Ugwuta (Oguta) girl told her mother that as she was going on her way, a man came and thew her down and sexed (raped) her. Her mother told her to go and retaliate. She went, and was sexed (raped) again.

Ìyàwó àkf kì í rá'hùn okó, òkèlè àkbù kì í rá'hùn -(Yoruba) A man's first wife never complains of neglect from the penis, the first morsel never complains of insufficient sauce.

ni tó f arwà, ó f ìynu, nítorí ni gbogbo ní í bá wn tan (Yoruba). The person who marries a beauty marries trouble, because she claims to be related to everybody.

[Beam]

Gbogbo alangba lo d'anu dele, a ko mo eyi t'inu nrun

Translation: All lizards lie flat on their stomach and it is difficult to determine which has a stomach ache

Everyone looks the same on the outside however everyone has problems that are invisible to outsiders.

Bí abá so òkò lójà ará ilé eni ní bá;

Translation: He who throws a stone in the market will hit his relative

Sometimes we aim for one target, however we end up making the target close to home

Mark Lar

Nwa-agbogho Ugwuta si nne ya na otu nwoke ka ya na-agara onwe ya, o wee tuburu ya raa. Nne ya wee si ya gaa rakwuru. O gaa, a rachie ya ozo -(Igbo). An Ugwuta (Oguta) girl told her mother that as she was going on her way, a man came and thew her down and sexed (raped) her. Her mother told her to go and retaliate. She went, and was sexed (raped) again.

Please come to explain this particular one to us better and the logic if you do not mind...I am lost on this one

[Mark Lar]

@ Beam
The proverb presents the sexual vulnerability (helplessness or powerlessness) of
women, which she fails to recognize to her own detriment due to her assumed weakness in reasoning.

[Beam]

Bi omode ba laso tagba, ko le ni akisa tagba

If a child has as man clothes as an elder, he cannot have as many rags as an elder

In a nut shell an elder has more experience than a child or a younger person.

Ba mi na omo mi, ko de ni olomo
Help me discipline my child, is not a heartfelt remark from the mother

Yes this one is true for mothers they may complain about the kid however do not try to punish the child the mother will clam up... no be village dey trian pickin nowadays anymore

Oga ta, Oga o ta, owo alaru a pe
Whether the master sells or not, the servants wages are guaranteed

This is true in all business at the end of the month the employer has to pay the employee regardless business booms or not.

[Sisi Eko]

A proverb by Achebe in one of his books:

"The penis that must eat bearded meat must first raise its head" So true!

We had a Literature teacher (a corper) who tried to encourage the reading culture amongst the knuckleheads by reading out in class, when she got to the part above she skipped it. Smart girl.

[Beam]

When a tse-tse fly perches on ones balls,it takes great skill not force to kill it.

Certain things need to be done without the use of force ,so one does not hurt oneself in the process of taking care of ones assets.

[valteena]

Dan gwobe ake wanke tuku yan yau ----Hausa

Translation
The pot is washed in readiness for tomorrow as in planning for tomorrow or planning ahead

[valteena]

Rana bata keriya, sai uwa iya. ----- Hausa

Translation

Time never lies, but a girls'mother. As in a parent for instance privaricating by promising to girl her daughter in marriage at a later time in the future. That time will sure come to pass so time in that context never lies

[valteena]

A proverb by Achebe in one of his books:

"The penis that must eat bearded meat must first raise its head" So true!

We had a Literature teacher (a corper) who tried to encourage the reading culture amongst the knuckleheads by reading out in class, when she got to the part above she skipped it. Smart girl.

He he he Sisi Eko mi what a naughty proverb, can just picture the penis raising its head lol, I swear we have some very very naughty proverbs in Naija no be small

[African Knight]

Omo ti ko n'iya, kii d'egbo eyin ----> Yoruba

Translation
A motherless child does not sustain wounds on his/her back.

Meaning in general, try not to get yourself into situations you cannot get out of all by yourself, if there's no one around to help you.

[valteena]

The story of the man who pushed a suicide man off the bridgehere on this thread Passer-by Pushes Suicide Man Off Bridge is a typical example of the Yoruba proverb which says,

Eni fe ku, pade eni ma kpa

Translation

Someone who wants to die, found one who will help him die or kill him, as in help is never far away especially with something bad.

[purple]

Akẹ́yinjẹ ò mọ̀ pé ìdí ńro adìẹ.

The person who gathers eggs to eat does not know that the chicken's orifice hurts.

Translation: (One should never be so preoccupied with one's own pleasures that one does not care what they cost others.)

This Yoruba proverb is appropriate for Aso Rock occupants and their ilk who view N1.3b as grossly insufficient for their feeding and entertainment. They eat the eggs and the Nigerian masses hurt.

[Olamide]

1. Aro to nmu oogun iyagbe, orun elese meji ni o nmu si.

Translation: A cripple drinking medicine to purge his stomach is doing so because people with two functional legs are nearby.

The person engaging in an act that may bring future trouble is probably doing so because of the assurance that his kinsmen will give him support when the trouble arrives.

2. Idobale o ra keke, ekun sisun ko dele ana.
Prostrating for a bicycle dealer does not mean he will give it to you free while weeping at the the house of your prospective in-laws does not guarantee that they will give you their daughter just like that.
This means that feasible solutions should be found to issues and that serious issues should never be trivialized.

3. Bi eniyan o bale, ko fi han omo iya re, obakan ko ni saa fun.

If you fail to convince people that you will stand on your principles by showing example with your own siblings, your half-brothers and other family members will never take you serious.

This means that you should not discriminate when it comes to holding on to your principles as flip-flopping will lose you credibility.

4. Bi irugbon alagbase ba gun to koja igunpa, eni gboko fun san loga e.

If the beard of the labourer is as long as that of Osama bin Laden, the owner of the work he is contracted to do is still the boss.

this means that you may be more qualified or older or more handsome or more beautiful than your boss but he or she remains the boss because he or she is the one paying your wages.

5. Ese giri nile Anjofe, Anjofe ku, a o ri enikan.

People will flock to any place where it possible to freeload, once the freebies are over, they will disappear .
Meaning of above is very clear. isn't it?

6. A ji ede je kii je okan dawo duro
If a person commits a small crime and goes free, he will definitely commit another one that is definitely bigger. This means jsut what it says. Nigerian politicians start with stealing small money (millions and graduates into stealing billions and sooner than later, they will start stealing trillions.

7. Bi omode ba su imi buruku, a si ja ewe esinsin afi nu idi fun.

A child who pass very bad or very smelly excreta deserves to have his anus cleaned with esinsin (very irritating plant) leaves.
the meaning of this is that punishment to be meted out to a criminal should comensurate with the level of crime committed.

8. Adoni laya ko n gba ero rere seni.

Someone committing adultery with your wife is definitely an enemy.
This means anyone committing an act calculated to humiliate you shoud be mercilessy treated.

[UncleTisha]

Val-T,

While I seriously and vehemently reject your labeling of ANY of Nigeria's numerous indigenous languages as vernacular, here are some from the archives.

http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/...hp/t-8029.html


Hope you find them interesting.

Cheers!

Nuff respect to all my brothers and sisters doing their bit to uplift our heritage. Iba o.

My one penny contribution...


1. A nri were sa, were ni ti a ba de oke oja ki a duro de oun

(We are running away from the madman, the madman in turn says we should wait for him when we get to the market junction)

2. Sisu ojo l�apere fun aditi; kiku ti ojo nku l�orun fun anfaani afoju ni, ki o baa le mo wipe nkan mbo

(The darkening of the clouds is a sign to the deaf while the rumblings in the clouds is a sign to the blind that the rains are coming)

3. Eniti won ba fi ori re fo agbon kii bawon je ninu e
(He whose head has been used to crack open the coconut cannot share of the delicacy)

4. Omo ti baba re se obe ti o ni iyo o dun, Itan nkan ti o le iya re lo lo fee gbo!
(A young man who disparages his dad�s cooking tempts the dad to reveal the unpalatable truth that forced the mum out)

5. A kii ni oko n�ile ki a fi owo ko imi
(You don�t own a spade and use you hand to pack s-h-i-t)

6. Ti won ba fun were l�oko, abe ara re ni o koko ro si
(If you give a mad man a hoe, he would always pack the mound under himself)

7. Agbalagba ti o sare ninu egun, ti o ba le nkan, dajudaju nkan lo n�lee
(When an adult takes flight in a field of thorns, he�s either chasing something or something is chasing him)

8. Eniti eegun ban le ki o maa roju, bi o tin re ara aye, bee na lo nre ara orun
(Whoever is being pursued by a masquerade should persevere; the heavenly being and the earthly being will both tire out at some point)

9. Oun ti o wun mi ko wun e, l�omu ki omo iya meji maa dana otooto
(We all have different tastes, that is why two siblings will decide to eat different things)

10. Bi eni ti ri, ola le ma ri bee, lo nmu babalawo d�ifa ojoojumo
(No two days and corresponding challenges are the same; that�s why the priests consults the gods on a daily basis)

11. Ti a ba gunyan ninu ewe, ti a se obe ninu eepo epa, eniti o maa yo a yo
(If we pound yam inside leaves and prepare the soup in a groundnut�s shell, whoever will be satisfied will be satisfied)

12. Oun ti o ba jo ara laa fi we ara won: eepo epa jo posi eliiri
(We should always compare like for like � the groundnut�s shell can be compared to a small rat�s coffin)

13. Ona lo jin, eru naa ni baba
(The slave may be far away from home, it is certain that s(he) also has a father)

14. Oju lo nkan omo ole ti o nda ajo; eyi ti gbogbo ara ilu da, baba re lo nbo wa ko
(The thief�s son who joins others to put money in a local bank is only impatient, the bank would eventually be burgled by his/her dad and the entire money will end up in their house)

15. Eniti o ta ofa soke ti o yi odo b�ori, bi oba aye o rii ti orun nwo
(Whoever shoots an arrow into the sky and dives under the mortar should realise that if no one sees him/her on earth, the God of heaven is watching)

16. Ona kan o wo oja, oun ni ifa ti a da fun kafinter ti o tun n�gun ope
(A market does not only have one entry/exit point � that is why a carpenter will also work as a palmwine tapper)

17. Ai le ja ni ita baba mi o de ibi, ojule baba eni kii gbeja eni
(Only a coward claims lack of home advantage as an excuse for not duelling in a one-on-one fight)

18. Ai rin jinna ni ko je ka ri abuke okere, ti a bar in jinna, aa ri abuke erin
(It is because we have not travelled far enough that we haven�t found a hunch-backed squirrel. If you travel far enough, you will even see a hunch-backed elephant)

19. Eniti o ti de oko baba elomiran ri, lo ma nso wipe ko si oko ti o tobi to ti baba oun
(It�s only someone who has not seen the extent of another man�s farm that will always boast that his dad�s farm is the biggest in the world)

20. Ogun ni maa nsi eni mu, epe kii si eni pa
(Someone can get killed inadvertently in a war, but a curse doesn�t affect anyone inadvertently)

21. Elenu rirun lo ni amu iya e
(You don�t pick issues with someone with offensive mouth odour over the use of his/her mother�s water jar)

22. Ti ko ba ni owo aye ninu, omo ojo mejo o gbodo ya were
(It is highly abnormal for an 8-day old baby to exhibit symptoms of madness)

23. Ti ode ba ro ise ro iya, t�o ba pa eran ko ni fun eni kankan je
(If a hunter considers what he goes through to make a kill, he will never let anyone partake of the meat)


24. Bi ewure se ri ode fin, ti agborin ba dan iru e wo a pare ninu igbo
(If a giraffe treats a hunter with the same contempt and lack of fear as a goat, it would become extinct)


25. A�i rin l�owowo lo nje omo ejo n�iya � Ti oka ba siwaju, ti sebe tele, ti ojola wa now ruru bo lehin, omo baba ta lo le duro?
(Snakes get killed because they are not organised. If a python leads the way in a group, followed by the cobra, with the boa constrictor keeping rear-guard, will anyone be able to stand them?)

[valteena]

Bi iku ile o pani, ti ode o'le pani ---- Yoruba


Translation

If an inside death doesn't kill you an outside one won't succeed in killing. As is outsiders can only get or hurt you if you're betrayed from inside. Just like Jesus was betrayed by one of his inner caucus disciple Judas to the Romans

[valteena]

Eni ri n'kan he, to fe ku kpe lu e, owo eni to ti sonu nko?

Translation

Some one that found a lost item and wants to die on account of it, what should the person who lost it in the first instance, do. As in stressing/killing oneself over what does not actually belong to one.

[valteena]

A tale oma hon, o le gbo vbo'han, a mei, oma ta o'le gbo ohua ---- Ishan

Translation

A child is told and doesn't listen is what kills a child and an elder sees wrong and keeps quiet is what kills the elder

[valteena]

Ask for a camel when you expect to get a goat

Translation

It means aim high even when you expect to settle for less as in demanding higher than you want as a negotiating
strategy.

[Kay Soyemi (Esq.)]

eh he he, good proverbs. I've got one too!

N'to ri ijamba obo, ni agiliti fi nni oko meji!

Translation - It is because of the dangers inherent with copulation that the agilinti (a type of lizard that makes wheezing sounds) has two reproductive organs.

Situational use - Always have a back up back upp plan. Someone needs to be telling GEJ this in terms of how he handles BH, he needs a multi-dimensional approach towards resolving the matter.

[valteena]

E'ma len ono yu, no ya - Ishan

Translation

I don't know who is dead, that is smelling. As in am I bothered naah!!!, I don't give a shite what or who you are or own. Mumsy uses this a lot in situation where someone thinks they are "it" like in delusion of grandeur.