Yoruba Proverbs

Ọ̀rọ̀ tó mú baálé ilé tó fi mín kanlẹ̀ ni ọ̀dẹ̀dẹ̀, ohun náà ló mú ìyálé ilé tó fi ké bí òròmọadìyẹ. / Whatever issue makes a man sigh heavily at home, is also what makes his wife chirps like chicks. [A truly committed relationship comes with shared burdens and concerns: whatever touches a man touches his wife, and vice versa]

Ẹni tí ò ní ẹbí, lò ńsọ pé tí ìlú bá lè tú, kò tú; ẹni tó bá ní ẹbí, tó ní ará ló ńronú àbò ìlú./ Only a person with no relations in a town could be indifferent to its ruin; anyone with loved ones there would seek its well-being. [It is a truism of human nature that where our treasure is, there'll be our heart and vice versa.]

Bí a bá dọ̀bálẹ̀ fún aràrá, kò ní kí a má ga tí a bá dìde / That one prostrates to a dwarf won't stop one from attaining full height when up, again. [You may have to contend with some indignities to achieve your objectives: it's wise to stoop low or play the fool, if necessary; sometimes, doing either is the only rational course of action]

Ọsàn tó bá fẹ́ pẹ́ lórí igi lo ǹdá ewé bojú. / The orange fruit that wishes to remain on the orange tree must hide itself among the leaves. [Visibility without discretion courts trouble; flaunt or boast and put yourself at needless risks; avoid being "picked off" prematurely by flying under the radar.]

Etí ẹni tó gbọ́ àlọ, kì í gbọ́ àbọ̀; la kì í ṣe pe ọmọ ẹni l`ólè l`ójú àlejò. / The ears that heard the initial (shocking) accusation, may not hear the subsequent (quiet) retraction; that is why you should never call your child a thief before a guest. [Discretion is it: words are powerful, so use with caution; air your dirty laundry, privately, if you must]

Ẹ̀gbọ́n ṣíwájú, ó so aṣọ kọ́, àbúrò kẹ́yìn ó wọ ẹ̀wù, bí a kò mọ ọ̀lẹ; ó yẹ kí ọ̀lẹ mọ ara rẹ̀. / The elder brother, in front, barely has a cloth thrown over his shoulder, yet his younger brother coming behind is fully dressed; if no one points out the poorer one, he, at least, should know himself. [Honest self-introspection and self-appraisal are crucial; how we appear to others is not as important as knowing who we truly are deep down.]

Bí Ọlọ́run bá fẹ́ mú alágbára, ọ̀lẹ lásán ló máa dẹ sí i. / If God wants to defeat a strong man, He would send a mere weakling. [Humility is it: victory is not always determined by obvious advantages; the battle is not always to the strong; having the advantage does not necessarily assure victory.]

Ẹni tí a kò bá tà, ká fi ra àtùpà, tó ní òun di ẹni àjítannáwò

Ká pé wèrè lọ́kọ ìyàwó kí ó bá lè jẹ́ kí a rí ọ̀nà lọ. / Let's hail a mad man as a bridegroom, so he can make room for us to go. [Flatter a difficult person to get what you need; sometimes you must praise a fool to clear your path; appease an unreasonable person to avoid trouble and move forward.]

Arungún àgbẹ̀ ni í jẹ èbù iṣu. / Only a wasteful farmer eats his yam seedlings. [Be strategic: don't compromise the future for the present; don't choose short-term gains to end up with long-term pains; you can't harvest what you are unwilling to plant.]

Bí oko bá dùn ún ro ni, alágbẹ̀dẹ ò ní rọ ọkọ́. If farming were that fantastic, blacksmiths won't opt to be making hoes. [Look beyond the surface: don't be fooled by what you see; think critically: things are often not quite as they appear.]

Ẹ gún ẹṣin ní kẹ́ṣẹ́, ẹ ló ńt'àpá, baba ta ni wọ́n máa ki irin bọ̀ ní'kùn tí kò ní ju apá? / You spurred a horse and wondered why it kicked; who'd be struck with steel in the belly and not react? [Be fair; be considerate; treat others only as you'd want to be treated.]

O jó ní Ifọ́n, Ifọ́n tú; o jó ní Èjìgbò, Èjìgbò fà ya bí aṣọ; o wá dé Ọ̀ràngún o tún ńjùdí; ṣé gbogbo ìlú lo fẹ́ bàjẹ́ ni? / Your dance desolated Ifon and shredded Ejigbo like clothes, yet at Orangun you were twerking your hips; are you out to destroy all towns?

Obìnrin tó l'ẹ́wà tí kò ní ìwà, ẹwà rẹ̀ ti bàjẹ́, kò tí ì funra ni/ The beauty of a woman who is beautiful but lacks good manners is ruined already; she simply hasn't noticed. [Good character trumps beauty: without good manners, any natural gift is diminished; content trumps appearance.]

A kò gbọdọ̀ dọ̀bálẹ̀ bá baba pa àgbọ̀nrín láàárọ̀, kí a tún wá kúnlẹ̀ bá ọmọ pa àparò lálẹ́ / We shouldn't prostrate to help a father kill an antelope in the morning and also have to kneel to help his son kill a partridge at night. [Be fair; exploit no one.]

Bí ọmọdé bá pa eku tó bá dáa jẹ, tó bá pa ẹja tó bá dáa jẹ, ọjọ́ tó bá pa àrọ̀gìdìgbà, á gbé e tọ bàbá tó bí i l'ọ́mọ ni. / If a young person kills a rat and eats it alone, if he kills a fish and eats it alone, the day he kills a python, he will have to take it to his father. [Don't be afraid to seek help when you need it; when the issue is big enough, your right to handle it alone needs to stop]

Kí adìyẹ òpìpí yé mọ níwọ̀n, kò lè rí ìyẹ́ bo ọmọ rẹ̀. / Let the moulting hen lay eggs in moderation, so it's feathers can be enough to cover its chicks. [Be prudent: do not bite more than you can chew; know your limits: match your ambition to your capabilities.]

Ẹni tí a ḿbọ́ láti fi rú ẹbọ ìlú, là ńpè lọ́ba / The king is but a man pampered to be sacrificed for the town. [The throne is a gilded altar: comes with honour but demands inviolable sacrifice; leadership is a privileged burden: supreme honour demanding self-sacrifice for common good.]

Ká dá apá àpà, kò ní ká'pà máà ní'pá láti hùwà àpà, nítorí inú àpà nì'wà àpà rẹ ẹ̀ wà. / Even if you restrain a spendthrift, he or she cannot but be wasteful still; the wasteful trait is ingrained right in him or her. [We act in consistency with who we really are, deep down.]

Agbọ́n sẹ́, oyin sẹ́, ojú olóko rè é gòdògbò godogbo. / The wasp denies stinging the farmer and the bee denies too;×yet here is the farmer's face heavily swollen. [Obvious truths cannot be hidden by denials; actions come with undeniable consequences]