Forty-five Yorùbá proverbs on childhood, youth, elderhood and the passage of a life from one station to the next, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.
The Yorùbá wey dem quote, the proverbs, oríkì, ẹsẹ Ifá, word list headwords, Odù names and citations dey exactly as the corpus record dem, for every language.
Yorùbá proverb dey look human life as waka wey dey pass through stages wey get name, ọmọdé (pikin), èwe (youth), and àgbà (elder), and each stage get di kind behavior wey dem allow, di excuse wey person fit give, and di signs wey dey show. Di collection of proverbs dey tight well-well for elder bodi pass youth: if young person do pass imself dem go correct am, but if old person do pass imself disgrace go follow am, and as proverbs take talk am, disgrace for elder bodi worse pass death. For di same time, di record clear say to reach di stage na something wey dey happen on its own, but to act like elder no be automatic, and say people want long life for its own sake no matter wetin come inside di long life.
Forty-five proverbs dey here inside five groups: wetin elder level require, wetin di level dey give person right to get, how old and young people dey relate, di signs and loss wey old age dey bring, and long life as wetin person dey pray for. Plenti proverbs dey talk things wey no sweet about elders, especially say elder wey no get money no be elder at all, and dem report these ones as dem be without trying to balance dem away.
Dem put di proverbs inside Owomoyela text and translation . Owomoyela bracket note on how dem dey use am na im be di foundation for di Used when lines; anywhere wey di words na im own, dem put quote. Anything wey dem mark as di compiler own na this corpus get am and person no fit too sure of am like di rest.
Owomoyela print complete standard spelling with tone marks and subdots, and dem copy im texts put here exactly as e print am . E no link any person name as who give am any proverb, as e hold say proverbs na community property , so dem confirm di texts but dem no give specific place or date. Di working text wey dem use here na plain text wey dem extract from di book wey keep di printed tone marks intact, but di space between words inside each Yorùbá line no stay, so di compiler re-space every Yorùbá line below using normal Yorùbá grammar and words. Dem no add, remove, or change any tone mark. Anywhere wey extracted note on how dem dey use am cut half-way inside sentence, dem talk am for di entry and mark di usage line as di compiler own.
Literal: Àgbàlagbà an-elder kì í ṣe lágbalàgba does-not behave in-an-un-elderly-manner.
Idiomatic: "An elder should not behave in an unbecoming manner."
Meaning: E get one kind behavior wey di word for elder itself dey call, and if person no behave like that, no be just ordinary bad behavior, but na failure of wetin di person suppose to be.
Used when: Owomoyela: "One should behave according to one's status"
Notes: Di predicate ṣe lágbalàgba, to behave like elder, dey built directly on top àgbàlagbà, so di sentence almost dey repeat itself inside Yorùbá and na from there e get im power: elder wey no act like elder don fail to be wetin di word talk say e be. Na this be di main point of di file and di other entries inside this group na examples under am.
Literal: Àgbà kì í ṣeré an-elder does-not play kí-ló-bá-yìí-wá "what-brought-this-about?"
Idiomatic: "An elderly person does not engage in the kind of play that provokes the comment, 'What brought all this about?'"
Meaning: Some kind excitement and play dey open for young people but closed for old people, no be say elder no fit do am, but because e no fit elder level again.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Elders should show decorum" E refer go entry 126 inside im collection, wey dey built on top di exact same closing phrase .
Notes: Di whole question wey dem quote dey packed inside single hyphenated noun, kí-ló-bá-yìí-wá, and e dey function for grammar as di object of ṣeré, so dem dey talk say di elder play di kind play wey dem name after di reaction wey e cause. Di proverb talk di duty by naming di disgrace wey dey follow if person break am, wey be di collection normal way for rules wey everybody already know.
Literal: Àgbà kì í ṣorò an-elder does-not perform-rites bí èwe like a-youth.
Idiomatic: "An elderly person does not perform rituals like a youth."
Meaning: Di same thing wey elder do, dem dey judge am with different standard pass when na youth do am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The elder's performance should be commensurate with his station and status"
Notes: Èwe and àgbà dey waka together as fixed pair inside this file sources, and ṣorò, from ṣe plus orò, rite or custom, cover formal religious worship and normal traditional behavior together. Di proverb assume say di person wey dey hear am know wetin youth performance look like well enough to see say when e no dey, na decorum and no be say di elder no fit do am.
Literal: Àgbà tí kò nítìjú an-elder who has-no shame, ojú kan ni ìbá ní one eye is-what he-would-have; ojú kan náà that-same one eye a wà lọ́gangan iwájú-u rẹ̀ would-be right in-the-middle-of his-forehead.
Idiomatic: "An elder without self-respect might as well have only one eye, that one eye being in the center of his forehead."
Meaning: Dem dey look elder wey no get shame like person wey get physical deformity, wey dey clear to see and dey spoil face like say person get only one eye for middle of forehead.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Shamelessness does not become an elder"
Notes: Dem treat this proverb for entry 33 of owe-head-face-ori because of where e dey inside that file group about face-and-shame. Dem repeat am here because di fault na specifically elder own: if youth do di same shamelessness, dem no go use this proverb. Ìtìjú, shame, na di quality wey dem discuss for entry 40 of owe-iwa-character, and here di collection make having shame be compulsory duty for age instead of just ordinary virtue.
Literal: Àgbà tó mọ ìtìjú an-elder who knows shame kì í folè ṣeré does-not with-theft play.
Idiomatic: "An elder who is wary of disgrace will not play at stealing."
Meaning: Elder wey get proper sense of shame dey stay far from even the look of offense wey go bring disgrace to im position.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Anything wey resemble stealing go bring disgrace to elder"
Notes: Wetin dey important na how the thing appear, no be the act itself: folè ṣeré, to make play wit thief, dey describe joke or pretending, no be real stealing, and the proverb dey forbid that kind joke. Elder full position depend on the respect wey im don gather over time, so wetin im go lose if people only suspect am plenty pass wetin youth go lose if dem find am guilty.
Literal: Àgbàlagbà tó wọ̀ wù àṣejù an-elder who wears the-garment of-excess, ẹ̀tẹ́ ni yó fi rí disgrace is-what he-will thereby find.
Idiomatic: "An elder who wears the garment of immoderation will find disgrace because of it."
Meaning: Dem describe to do pass mark as cloth wey elder wear, and disgrace na how that cloth fit am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "To do pass mark dey bring disgrace"
Notes: Owomoyela print this same clause as the third part of one longer proverb for 206, Àṣejù baba àṣetẹ́; ẹ̀tẹ́ ní ń gbẹ̀hìn àṣejù; àgbàlagbà tó wẹ̀wù àṣejù ẹ̀tẹ́ ni yó fi rí, "Lack of moderation na papa of disgrace; disgrace dey come from immoderation; big person wey wear immoderation as cloth go see disgrace," wey im call a more elaborate form of this entry . The two show say proverb fit dey circulate both alone and as the punchline of chain, the same doubling wey dem see for entries 1 and 2 of owe-beauty-ugliness-appearance.
Literal: Àlémú being-chased-and-caught ò yẹ àgbà does-not suit an-elder; àgbà kì í ṣe ohun àlémú an-elder does-not do a-thing of-being-chased.
Idiomatic: "To be pursued does not become an elder; an elder does not cause himself to be pursued."
Meaning: Elder no suppose put imself for condition wey people go fit pursue am catch for public.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Elders suppose always dey behave for ways wey no go bring disgrace to dem"
Notes: Àlémú na compressed noun from lé, chase, plus mú, catch, wey dey name the whole event of dem to pursue and catch person. Owomoyela print another version for 344 wey start wit the cry "Gbà mí, gbà mí!", "Save me, save me!", wey also no fit elder , and the two together show the point for physical way: elder wey must run or shout for help don already lose the composure wey im position need.
Literal: Jẹ́jẹ́ gently leégún àgbà ń jó is-how the-elderly masquerader dances.
Idiomatic: "Sedately is the way an elderly masquerader dances."
Meaning: Old performer dey perform within wetin im bodi and im position allow, and people dey see this control as mastery instead of say im strength don dey reduce.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Grown-up people suppose behave for proper way"
Notes: Eégún na the masked ancestral masquerade, wey dem discuss for owe-death-ancestors-beyond, and im dance dey competitive and athletic, so elder masquerader wey dey dance gently dey do for public wetin the whole decorum group dey ask from elders for private. The ideophone jẹ́jẹ́, softly or gently, carry the sense of deliberate action wey English word "sedately" only partly reach.
Literal: Àgbà-ìyà a-wretched-elder tí ń mu ọkọ ọ̀níní who drinks gruel worth one-tenth-of-a-penny: ó ní he says nítorí omi gbígbóná orí-i rẹ̀ ni it-is because-of the-hot water on-top-of-it.
Idiomatic: "Worthless elderly person who is eating corn gruel worth one-tenth of a penny: he says he only wants the hot water on top of it."
Meaning: Man wey condition force make im dey chop the cheapest food go pack the matter like say na im choice, and that pretence na wetin dey make people look down on am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person suppose act according to wetin im status demand"
Notes: Ọ̀níní na one-tenth of a penny, coin denomination for colonial era, wey show say the wording of this text happen after British currency enter, and e show say e come later pass the cowrie proverb for entry 10. The compound àgbà-ìyà, literally elder-of-suffering, na wetin Owomoyela call "worthless elderly person" and na word to take look down on person, no be to show pity.
Literal: Àgbà tó torí ogójì wọ ìyẹ̀wù an-elder who because-of forty [cowries] enters the-inner-chamber: igbawó two-hundred-cowries ò tó ohun à-mú-ṣèyẹ is-not-enough for-what-one-takes-for-display.
Idiomatic: "The elder who escapes into his inner chamber because of 40 cowries: 200 cowries are not enough for casual spending."
Meaning: To run back because of small money no match at all wetin e dey actually cost to maintain elder position.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person must act as im station demand"
Notes: Ogójì, forty, and igbawó, two hundred cowries, place the text for the time of cowrie currency, wey run reach early colonial era and wey penny come replace for entry 9. The numbers dey carry weight, dem no just dey for decoration: the argument only work if the second money big pass the first one well well, even though the two still small.
Literal: Àgbààgbà ìlú the-elders of-the-town ò lè péjọ cannot assemble kí wọn ó jẹ ìfun òkété and eat the-intestines of-a-bush-rat, àfi iyán àná only yesterday's pounded-yam.
Idiomatic: "The elders of the town will not assemble and eat the intestines of a bush rat, only stale pounded yams."
Meaning: Even poor food dey fit the collective dignity of elders pass food wey dey beneath dia station.
Used when: Owomoyela: "People suppose behave for ways wey fit dia station"
Notes: The two options no fine at all, and na the point be that: the proverb no dey claim say elders dey chop well, but only say wetin dem dey chop must remain inside the boundary wey their level set. Àgbààgbà na the reduplicated plural, the elders wey assemble dey act as one body, and na wetin make the choice become public matter be that.
Literal: À-sẹ́-kú denying-until-death làgbàlagbà ń sẹ́ ọ̀ràn is-how an-elder denies a-matter.
Idiomatic: "Denying-until-death is the way an old person denies a matter."
Meaning: Once elder don deny allegation, e no fit agree accept am later, so e must carry that denial go reach grave.
Used when: Owomoyela: "One must never admit to doing something unworthy of one's position"
Notes: Na this proverb fine least among the group and na im dey reveal pass about how the corpus dey value elder position: the thing wey dem dey protect na reputation, no be truth, and the explanation talk am clear. Compare am with owe-truthfulness-lying-integrity, where dem take truth as absolute matter, and the two files show say the corpus hold two positions wey no fit agree. À-sẹ́-kú na compressed nominal on top the frame à- plus verb, wey dey give name to whole policy with only one word.
Literal: Àgbàlagbà ń fìrọ́jú rọ̀run an-elder is with-reluctant-face making-for-heaven, a ní kó kí lé kó kọ́nà we say let-him greet the-household and the-road; ojú rere ló fi ń lọ is-it with a-good face that he-goes?
Idiomatic: "An elder is making his way to heaven with great reluctance, and we ask him to give our regards to all and sundry; is he departing cheerfully?"
Meaning: To pack message give person wey dey go place wey im no want go na failure to notice im condition.
Used when: Owomoyela: "One should be sensitive to other people's predicaments," wey note say this one na variant of the entry wey dey before am for im collection, where the elder just dey go Ìlọrin with vex .
Notes: E make sense to put the two side by side. For 3310 the elder dey go Ìlọrin with vex and dem tell am make e bring galena come back; for 3311, wey print here, the journey na to heaven and the message na to deliver greetings . How the matter take jump from journey wey person vex go reach person wey dey die na the joke, and e depend on the Yorùbá tradition of telling any traveler make e carry message, wey dem discuss for owe-road-journey-traveller. Rọ̀run na rọ, to face place, plus ọ̀run, the beyond.
Literal: Àgbà ní ń jẹ ọkàn it-is elders who eat the-heart; ọmọdé ní ń jẹ ara ẹran it-is youths who eat the-body of-the-animal.
Idiomatic: "Only elders eat the heart; the youth eat the flesh."
Meaning: The prized portion dey follow rank, and rank here na age.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Each station has its particular obligations"
Notes: Owomoyela explain rule about privilege as rule about obligation, wey no be mistake but na the Yorùbá reading: na the heart be the part wey carry meaning, and to chop am na duty of office just as e be privilege. Ọkàn na both the physical heart and the place where will and courage dey stay, double meaning wey dem discuss for owe-stomach-appetite-inner-person, so the elder dey chop the animal resolve.
Literal: Àgbà an-elder ní ń kọ́ àpò àgbà is-who hangs-up the-satchel of-an-elder.
Idiomatic: "Only an elder may hang the satchel of an elder [on his shoulder]."
Meaning: Na only person wey hold the position get right to carry the insignia of that position.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Certain privileges are restricted to elders"
Notes: The sentence repeat àgbà for the two sides of the verb, so e almost no talk anything propositionally, but e talk everything positionally: dem define the bag as elder own by the fact say na only elder dey carry am. Na the same circular reasoning wey dem use for entry 1, and the corpus dey use am when dem treat rule say e no need any outside justification.
Literal: Àgbà ló tó Orò-ó lọ̀ it-is an-elder who is-fit to-invoke Orò; ọba ló tó ehín erin-ín fun it-is a-king who is-fit to-blow the-elephant's-tusk.
Idiomatic: "Only a [male] elder is qualified to invoke Orò; only a king is qualified to blow a horn carved out of elephant tusk."
Meaning: Two offices, two exclusive instruments, and no substitution between them.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Certain tasks are for august people only"
Notes: Orò na men cult wey their rites close against women on top death penalty, restriction wey Owomoyela record for another place inside the collection, and the bracketed "[male]" inside im translation na im own clarification of wetin àgbà mean for this context . The ivory horn na royal instrument, so the proverb join age qualification with office qualification and treat them as the same kind of fact. Look owe-taboo-pollution-forbidden and owe-palace-shrine-grove.
Literal: Ohùn àgbà an-elder's voice: bí kò ta ìgún if it does-not yield pounding-yams, a ta èbù it yields seed-yams.
Idiomatic: "An elder's voice: if it does not yield yams ready for pounding [for food], it will yield yam seedlings ready for planting."
Meaning: Anything wey elder talk get value, either immediately or as something to plant and use later.
Used when: Owomoyela: "There is some value in whatever comes out of an elder's mouth"
Notes: Ìgún na di yam wey good to pound into iyán, and èbù na di cut seed-yam wey dem keep for planting, so di two outcomes na either food now or crop for next season, and di proverb no gree make elder talk useless for any of di two ways. Compare entry 25 of owe-speech-silence-tongue, where dem make di same claim with hunting and war image instead of farming one.
Literal: Ẹni tó mọ èyí tí yó gbẹ̀hìn ọ̀rọ̀ the-one who knows what will come-last in-the-matter là ń pè lágbà is-whom we call an-elder.
Idiomatic: "Only the person who knows the last word in a matter deserves the title of elder."
Meaning: Na ability to settle quarrel dey define person as elder, no be how many years person get.
Used when: Owomoyela: "An elder earns his status by his effectiveness in settling disputes"
Notes: Na dis be di sharpest correction inside dis file to di assumption say age alone dey make person elder, and e stand directly against entry 25, where dem say to survive reach old age don dey enough. Di two claim no reconcile anywhere inside di collection, and dem leave di disagreement as e dey here. Compare entry 44, wey talk di same thing for di level of status instead of function.
Literal: Àgbà ò sí elders being-absent ìlú bàjẹ́ the-town is-ruined; baálé ilé kú the-head of-the-house dies, ilé dahoro the-house becomes-derelict.
Idiomatic: "Without elders a town is ruined; the patriarch of the compound dies, and the household becomes an empty shell."
Meaning: Elders na pillar wey dey carry load, and settlement wey no get dem go collapse.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Elders hold a community together"
Notes: Dahoro, wey mean to turn to abandoned ruin, na word wey dem dey use for settlement wey people don leave, and e carry di physical image of roof wey fall collapse, na why di second clause no just be repeat of di first one for smaller level but na di mechanism itself. Di proverb na standing argument for gerontocracy and dem dey quote am like dat; owe-family-lineage-compound discuss di baálé position well well.
Literal: Agbè ní ń jẹ ẹ̀gbin omi it-is the-gourd that consumes the-dregs of-the-water; àgbàlagbà ní ń jẹ ìyà ọ̀rọ̀ it-is the-elder that consumes the-suffering of-the-matter.
Idiomatic: "It is the gourd that inherits the dregs of water; it is the elder that inherits the unpleasantness of a dispute."
Meaning: Anybody wey hold di vessel na im hold wetin settle for di bottom.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Every position carries its responsibilities"
Notes: Na di same verb jẹ control di two clause, so di elder dey swallow di wahala just as di gourd dey hold di sediment, and English need two different verbs where Yorùbá use one. If dem put am beside entry 18, dis one make settling of dispute to be both di qualification for di title and di cost wey dey follow am.
Literal: Àgbà tó bú ọmọdé an-elder who insults a-child fi èébú-u rẹ̀ tọrọ uses his-insult to-solicit.
Idiomatic: "An elder who insults a youth makes a present of his own insult."
Meaning: Elder wey drop di respect wey old person suppose give youth go lose di respect wey di youth suppose give back.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Only those who show respect for others may expect respect in return," wey be explanation wey e join with dis entry together with di two wey dey around am .
Notes: Di verb tọrọ, to beg or ask for, as dem apply am to elder wey dey insult child, make di elder become di person wey dey ask for disrespect, and dis one turn di normal direction of respect upside down. Owomoyela print shorter version for 3305, Àgbà tó bú èwe lèwe ḿbú, "It is an elder who insults a youth that a youth insults" , and di shorter form dey easy to use pass for speech.
Literal: Àgbà tó fi ara-a rẹ̀ féwe an-elder who gives himself over-to-youths lèwe ḿbú is-whom youths insult.
Idiomatic: "It is an elder who delivers himself unto youths that the youth will insult."
Meaning: Elder wey wipe comot di customary distance between di two levels go lose di protection wey dat distance dey provide.
Used when: Owomoyela: "If one wants to be respected, one should respect oneself," with cross-reference wey mark entries 21 and 22 as one set .
Notes: Owomoyela print dis two and di third one back-to-back as one argument wey dem look from three angle: insult dey bring insult, too much familiarity dey bring insult, and self-respect na di first condition before youth fit give respect. Di proverb no be complaint about how youth dey behave, but na claim about wetin di elder don do to imself, wey be how di corpus dey usually put responsibility.
Literal: Bí àgbà kò bá ṣe ohun ẹ̀rù if an-elder does-not do a-fearful thing, ọmọdé kì í sá a-youth does-not flee.
Idiomatic: "If an elder does not do something fearful, the youth do not flee."
Meaning: Di fear wey youth dey show na wetin di elders do produce am, and e be evidence about di elders instead of di youth.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Youth responds to age according to how age acts"
Notes: Di proverb read social fact backwards from di effect wey e produce, wey be standard Yorùbá inferential move: di thing wey person fit see na di running away, and di sentence use am as evidence about di person wey dem run from. If person read am with entries 21 and 22, di group form consistent claim say every failure for di relation between old and young dey start from di older person side.
Literal: Bí ọmọdé bá fẹ́ẹ́ ṣìṣe àgbà if a-youth wants to-do-the-work-of an-elder, ọjọ́ orí-i rẹ̀ ò níí jẹ́ the-days of-his-head [his age] will-not permit-it.
Idiomatic: "If a youth attempts to act like an elder, his age will stop him."
Meaning: Na the years by demself dey reject the attempt, no mata wetin the young person fit do or wetin dey im mind.
Used when: Owomoyela: "A youth does not have what it takes to be an elder"
Notes: Ọjọ́ orí, wey literally mean the days of the head, na the normal Yorùbá phrase for person age and na im supply this file im title; the orí inside am na the same word wey dem treat as destiny and as head for owe-head-face-ori, so for grammar, person age na property of dem destiny. Here, na the age dem make the grammatical agent wey dey refuse, so noting and nobody need to enforce the rule.
Literal: Bí ọmọdé ò kú if a-youth does-not die, àgbà ní ń dà an-elder is-what he-turns-into.
Idiomatic: "If a youth does not die, he becomes an elder."
Meaning: To just dey alive, as time dey pass, dey turn youth to elder, and nothing extra dey needed.
Used when: Owomoyela: "In time even a youth assumes the mantle of an elder"
Notes: The structure na plain conditional wey get only one condition, wey be say make person no die. Dis one make am closer to biology statement pass counsel, and dem dey use am to console person or to prick person body, depending on who dey talk am to who. E stand directly against entry 18, where dem must earn the title through competence to settle palava, and the collection print the two without any comment.
Literal: Ojú kan náà that-same one point lèwe ń bá gbà is-where a-youth arrives-and-takes-over.
Idiomatic: "It is at the same place that the youth will come up on the elder."
Meaning: As time dey go, the youth go reach the exact position wey the elder dey occupy now.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Sooner or later the youth becomes an elder; patience is all"
Notes: Owomoyela print one fuller variant for 3536, Ibi tí àgbà-á bá pin sí lọmọdé ti ḿbá a, "Wherever age comes to rest, there youth will catch up with it," wey dem explain as the same claim . The two stages no be separate categories but positions for one track, wey be the logic wey the whole file rest on, and the second version add say the elder go eventually stop to dey move.
Literal: Bí ọmọdé bá máa só if a-youth is-about-to fart, a wo iwájú he looks in-front; bí àgbà á bá máa só if an-elder is-about-to fart, a wo ẹ̀hìn he looks behind.
Idiomatic: "If a youth wants to fart, he looks ahead; if an elder wants to fart, he looks behind."
Meaning: Young people dey look who dey above dem and elders dey look who dey come behind dem, and na opposite worries dey control the same action.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The youth should consider what his elders will make of his actions, whereas the elder should consider what example his actions set for the youth"
Notes: Iwájú and ẹ̀hìn, front and back, na still the Yorùbá spatial terms for future and past, and when e come to age mata, for people wey senior and junior person. Na why the geometry of the proverb exact: the youth dey look toward people wey senior am for age, while the elder dey look toward people wey dey behind am. Compare entry 3100 for the collection, Iwájú latí ń jogún; ẹ̀hìn latí ń ṣàgbà, "One inherits from one's front, and one sets an example at one's back" , wey make the same axis clear without the joke.
Literal: Bí ọmọdé láṣọ bí àgbà though a-youth has-cloth like an-elder, kò lè lákìísà bí àgbà he cannot have-rags like an-elder.
Idiomatic: "A youth may have as many clothes as an elder, but he will not have as many rags as an elder."
Meaning: Person fit quickly get wealth wey match anoda person own, but person no fit quickly get the many years of wear and tear; so the elder keep one advantage wey money no fit buy.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Though a youth may enjoy the same rank as an elder, he cannot match the elder in experience"
Notes: The proverb use rag instead of cloth take measure life, wey turn the normal meaning of the two upside down, and na the corpus most elegant statement of wetin experience really be: wetin remain after use. Àkísà here na collection of worn-out cloth instead of the single rag for entry 8, and the change for number na wetin carry the whole argument. Compare owe-clothing-nakedness-what-is-worn.
Literal: Kàkà kí ọmọdé pàgbà láyò rather-than a-youth beating an-elder at-ayò, àgbà a fi ọgbọ́n àgbà gbé e the-elder will with an-elder's cunning carry it.
Idiomatic: "Instead of permitting defeat by a child in a game, an elder should resort to elderly wiles."
Meaning: Elder wey dey face defeat for small pikin hand go use anything wey years don teach am instead make e lose for public.
Used when: Owomoyela: "An elder should save face and protect his standing by all means available"
Notes: Ayò na the seed-and-board count-and-capture game wey dem dey play across Yorùbá land, where people wey dey watch fit see skill and person no fit give excuse for loss, na why na im be the game wey the proverb choose. The phrase ọgbọ́n àgbà, elder cunning, dem leave am without definition, and the dry tone of the proverb dey inside how e no talk weda e mean better play or cheating.
Literal: Ewú logbó grey-hair is old-age; irùngbọ̀n làgbà a-beard is eldership; máa mú làfojúdi a-moustache is impudence.
Idiomatic: "Gray hair shows age; a beard shows maturity; a mustache shows impudence."
Meaning: Dem dey interpret three types of hair growth as three social claims, and na only two of dem dey respectable.
Used when: Owomoyela: "One's appearance in a group sometimes indicates one's attitude toward the group"
Notes: Ewú na grey hair and ogbó na old age, and the first clause identify the sign with the thing wey e dey mean direct instead of to say one dey show the other, wey be the same equative construction like Ìwà lẹwà for entry 1 of owe-iwa-character. The third clause break the pattern by giving attitude instead of age, wey be the joke: moustache wey no get beard na young man wey dey claim seniority wey e no get.
Literal: Irun dúdú black hair ní ń ṣíwájú ewú is-what goes-before grey-hair.
Idiomatic: "Black hair is the forerunner of white hair."
Meaning: Youth na the stage wey dey come before old age, and if person pass through the first one, e sure say e go reach the second one.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Old age go surely follow after youth"
Notes: Ṣíwájú, to go front, na the verb wey dem dey use for herald or forerunner wey dey waka for front of procession, so black hair dey come out as announcement of grey hair instead of the opposite. Owomoyela print the same colour pair for 965 use am teach moral lesson, Ẹni tó fi irun dúdú ṣeré, yó fi funfun sin ẹni ẹlẹ́ni, "Anybody wey play with im black hair go serve other people with im white hair" , wey dem treat for entry 6 of owe-children-parenthood-inheritance.
Literal: Ogbó old-age ò lóògùn has-no medicine.
Idiomatic: "Aging has no antidote."
Meaning: No preparation dey against to grow old.
Used when: Owomoyela: "We all go grow old, whether we like am or not"
Notes: Òògùn na medicine in the full Yorùbá sense, wey cover herbal preparation and prepared power join, and to deny say any dey for one condition na the strongest way wey the language dey take talk say something must surely happen. Dem use this same construction for death, and owe-aje-medicine-hidden-power show wetin the claim dey deny: no be say no herb fit cure am, but say no power of any kind fit touch am.
Literal: Bí a bá dàgbà if we grow-old, tí a gbó and become-aged, bó pẹ́ títí if it lasts long-enough ojú á kájọ́ the-eyes will gather-in the-days.
Idiomatic: "If one lives long and grows old, in time one's eyes will encompass all."
Meaning: If you live reach long time, you go see everything wey dey to see.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Age na experience"
Notes: Kájọ́ join ká, to gather or encircle, with ọjọ́, days, so dem talk say eye dey collect days like how hand dey gather scattered things, and Owomoyela "encompass all" keep the full scope but lose the harvesting image. Na the positive case of the sight-and-age claim be this; entry 34 give the version wey wetin eye see don cost the eye something.
Literal: Ohun tí ojú àgbà-á rí what an-elder's eyes have-seen tó fi jìn such-that they-became-sunken; bí tọmọdé bá rí i if a-youth's should see it á fọ́ they-would-burst.
Idiomatic: "That which the elder's eyes saw and became sunken, if a youth's eyes see it, they will go blind."
Meaning: Wetin elder don absorb with real cost go destroy person wey never build the capacity to bear am.
Used when: Owomoyela note talk say wetin elder fit endure easily go destroy youth .
Notes: Owomoyela gloss talk say "easily endure" where im own translation talk say the elder eye sink enter inside for the process, and this difference dey important to note: the Yorùbá dey describe damage, no be ease, and the difference between sunken eye and eye wey burst na difference of degree. Fọ́ na the verb for eye to burst or spoil, wey dem treat for owe-eyes-seeing-blindness. The main point of the proverb na say endurance na wetin person dey build, no be wetin dem just dey dash person.
Literal: Ìgbà yí làárọ̀ is-this-time morning? Arúgbó ń ṣoge the-old-person is-dressing-up.
Idiomatic: "Is it just morning now? The old person is grooming himself or herself."
Meaning: Effort wey for make sense earlier don reach point for life wey e no fit do the work wey dem do am for again.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Make you never wait until e don too late before you look after your well-being"
Notes: The Yorùbá day na the standard metaphor for person life, morning na youth and evening na old age, and the sarcastic question na the whole argument: the speaker dey point out say this one no be morning again. Owomoyela print the same frame for 2118 with the old man wey dey make two hundred yam heaps for one day instead of to groom body , and the two cover vanity and hard labour with one joke. See entry 41 for the same day-and-life metaphor wey dem use in a positive way.
Literal: Ikán ń jẹ ilé termites are eating the-house, àgbà ń sọ̀ the-old-person is complaining; àgbà náà that-same old-person oúnjẹ ikán is-food-for termites.
Idiomatic: "Termites eat up the house, and the old person complains; but the old man or woman himself or herself is food for termites."
Meaning: The person wey dey protest against the destruction of the structure dey the same schedule with the structure.
Used when: Owomoyela: "If certain fate dey wait for person, the person no suppose make useless effort to protect other people from am"
Notes: Yorùbá burial for compound floor make the second clause dey literal instead of figurative: the same insects wey dey chop the mud-and-timber house go reach the body wey dem bury inside am. The proverb no dey console person and e no even try to do so, and e also belong with owe-death-ancestors-beyond.
Literal: Ti ikú ti ikú death-and-death là ń ro àgbà is-how we regard an-elder; àgbà ní ń pète àìkú the-elder is-who plans not-dying.
Idiomatic: "People always look at aged people with death in their eyes; the aged are the ones who strive to stay alive."
Wetin e mean: Everybody around old person don already write dem off, but di old person never write demsef off.
Dem dey use am when: Owomoyela: "Each person is the most reliable guardian of his or her own well-being"
Notes: Di way dem repeat ti ikú ti ikú no get English equivalent, and e mean something like for-matter-of-die and for-matter-of-die, something wey dey mind all di time, no be just wetin person dey think once-once, and na im be di proverb evidence for how dem really dey treat old people. Pète, to plan or scheme for something, na verb wey clearly show say person dey take action on purpose, so di elder no just dey hope, e dey work towards am, and na dat one give dis entry dignity.
Literal: Àgbà tí ń fọ̀ níká àlá an-elder who is holding-forth in-the-back-yard ìlówó lọ́wọ́ without-money in-hand, akọ ajá ní ń gbó it-is a-male dog barking.
Idiomatic: "An elder sounding off in the back yard without money in his possession is like a barking male dog."
Wetin e mean: Elder wey no get anything na noise e dey make wey nobody must listen to.
Dem dey use am when: Owomoyela: "Money makes the person"
Notes: Na dis entry harsh pass for di file and e dey drag against di whole decorum group: entry 1 reach 13 assume say elder word get weight, but dis one dey talk say di weight no be from age at all. Owomoyela put am beside 2797, where dem say elder man wey no get money no get wisdom while rich man na king for im farm , and di two of dem dey for im section on material wealth instead of im section on elders, wey be where di corpus dey keep di claim wey e no wan use di other voice talk. Compare entry 2826, "If one does not have the accouterments of elders, one seems a mere youth"
Literal: Ẹ̀mí gígùn long life lèrè ayé is the-profit of-the-world.
Idiomatic: "Longevity is the reward of living."
Wetin e mean: Wetin person gain from life na more life, no be wetin di life produce.
Dem dey use am when: Owomoyela: "Longevity is most to be desired by all," and e note say na variant of 2953 .
Notes: Èrè na profit for business sense, di extra gain wey trader dey get from market, and dis one make di claim look like business matter instead of emotional matter: to dey alive na di business, to live longer na di profit margin. Owomoyela put di variant for 2953, Pípẹ́ láyé lèrè ayé, "Longevity is the profit of living," wey e explain say na di reward for person wey live good life , one condition wey dis current entry no put.
Literal: Ẹ̀mí gígùn long life ní ń sàn yà is-what makes-up-for suffering.
Idiomatic: "It is longevity that makes up for suffering."
Wetin e mean: When years plenty reach, e dey settle di record of wetin happen inside dem.
Dem dey use am when: Owomoyela: "Longevity makes all suffering worthwhile"
Notes: Ìyà, suffering, na di same word wey appear for jẹ ìyà ọ̀rọ̀ for entry 20 and inside àgbà-ìyà for entry 9, and di corpus dey consistent say life get plenty of am well well. Wetin dem dey claim here no be say long life sweet, but say e dey settle di balance, and na dis one be di strongest thing wey di collection talk in favour of old age, and na im entry 35 reach 38 make hard to believe.
Literal: Ọjọ́ alẹ́ the-evening of-the-day là ń tọrọ is-what we beg-for.
Idiomatic: "It is nighttime [i.e., old age] that one should pray for."
Wetin e mean: Na di end of di day dem dey pray for, since say person go reach there no be guarantee.
Dem dey use am when: Owomoyela: "Old age is everybody's desire"
Notes: Di explanation inside bracket na Owomoyela own and e really dey needed, because ọjọ́ alẹ́ mean evening directly and na only through di usual metaphor wey dey use day represent life (wey entry 35 also use) e take mean old age. Tọrọ, to beg or ask for something, na di verb of prayer here just as e be di verb for to ask for insult for entry 21, and as di same word dey carry both petition and begging, na im make di corpus fit move easily between to ask human being and to ask spiritual power.
Literal: Agẹmọ the-chameleon kì í kú ní kékeré does-not die while small.
Idiomatic: "The chameleon does not die young."
Wetin e mean: Dem talk am as fact about di animal and dem use am as wish for person.
Dem dey use am when: Owomoyela: "A prayer for longevity"
Notes: Chameleon na Ọbàtálá's messenger for Yorùbá narrative and e dey move slowly, wey di proverb turn to long life, so di reason why dem choose di animal na about belief and tradition, no be zoology matter. Owomoyela print one parallel for 5037, Igún nugún kì í kú séwe, "The vulture never dies young," wey e also explain as prayer for long life , since vulture na di sacrifice bird wey nobody dey kill. Di two of dem dey work by naming creature wey person never see say die young.
Literal: Òwúrọ̀ latí ḿmọ from the-morning is-when-one-knows bí alẹ́ yó ti san ni sí how the-evening will turn-out for-one.
Idiomatic: "It is from the morning that one knows how good one's night will be."
Wetin e mean: Person fit see how di end go be from di beginning.
Dem dey use am when: Owomoyela: "From youth one can tell how pleasant one's old age will be"
Notes: Owomoyela usage note convert di metaphor of day to di metaphor of life clearly, wey di Yorùbá leave open for person to understand for di two ways, and na dis one be di clearest example for dis file of proverb wey dey mean ordinary thing and big thing inside di same words. Compare 718, Àì-gbọ́n-léwe ni à-dàgbà-di-wèrè, "Lack-of-wisdom-in-youth is imbecility in adulthood" , wey make di same claim without metaphor and e talk am straight without soft mouth at all.
Literal: Àtètè dáyé being-first-to-arrive-in-the-world ò kan tàgbà has-nothing-to-do-with eldership; orí ẹni one's own head ní ń gbé ni ga is-what lifts one high.
Idiomatic: "Primogeniture has nothing to do with elderliness; it is the head that elevates one."
Meaning: To born pesin first no dey give pesin di position of elder; na destiny dey give am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Age no dey guarantee status"
Notes: Orí for here na di destiny-head, di personal portion wey pesin choose before dem born am wey dem discuss well well for owe-head-face-ori and owe-fate-gods-responsibility, so di proverb take replace one condition wey pesin no fit change, order of birth, with anoda one, and e no open ground for human effort. Wen you read am beside entry 25, where to just survive alone reach, and entry 18, where competence na di test, di collection dey hold three different explanations of wetin dey make pesin elder wey no agree with each oda, and e no judge between dem.
Literal: Ẹni tó sọ pé òkúta a máa dàgbà whoever says that stones do grow-old ò purọ́ does-not lie; ẹni tó sọ pé òkúta kì í dàgbà whoever says that stones do-not grow-old ò purọ́ does-not lie.
Idiomatic: "The person who says that rocks age does not lie; the person who says that rocks do not age does not lie."
Meaning: Di two statements about how stone dey grow old na true, on different timescales.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Two people fit see di same situation for different ways wey correct equally"
Notes: Di proverb choose stone precisely because na di limiting case: e dey wear out, and e no dey happen on any scale wey human being fit observe, so di contradiction na real tin wey pesin no fit settle, no be trick. As dem put am for di end of one file wey di entries inside no agree with each oda on wetin dey make pesin elder, e dey read like di collection own comment on dat disagreement, and e belong with owe-disputed-meanings.
Literal: Adìẹ funfun the-white chicken ò mọ ara ẹ̀ lágbà does-not know itself as-an-elder.
Idiomatic: "The white chicken does not recognize itself as an elder."
Meaning: E carry di clear sign of seniority but e no dey behave like dat.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Pesin suppose dey behave according to im age always"
Notes: White feather dey show as di bird grey hair, so di fowl wear di sign of old age wey dem discuss for entry 1476 of dis collection while e dey conduct imself like any ordinary fowl. Di proverb no dey blame di absence of seniority, but say pesin fail to notice im own seniority, wey make am different from di entries for dis group wey dey blame elder say e misbehave: for here di elder never even register di promotion. Owomoyela print am for 86, straight before di second fowl proverb for 87, and di two proverbs no connect for meaning.
Three things stand out across dis forty-five proverbs.
Age na position wey get prescribed conduct, and di collection dey harder on di elder pass di youth. Entries 1 reach 13 all describe things wey elder no suppose do, and almost none of dem describe action wey go make people talk if young pesin do am: to play, to rejoice loud loud, to chop cheap food, to make dem pursue pesin, or to receive food from hand. Where proverb discipline di young, like for entries 24, 27 and 29, di rule na about respect rather than decorum, and wetin e dey guide against na lack of manners rather than lack of dignity. Dis difference dey consistent, and e follow wetin entry 19 tok, say elders na di structure wey town rest on. Something wey dey carry load, dem dey hold am to stricter test.
Di collection no fit agree on wetin actually dey make pesin elder, and e print all im answers. Entry 25 talk say to just survive don reach. Entry 18 talk say na only pesin wey fit give di final word for dispute deserve di title. Entry 44 talk say neither age nor birth order matter and na destiny dey decide. Entry 38 talk say elder wey no get money na barking dog. All dese no agree, and di collection no try to make dem agree, wey be fact about how dem dey use proverbs instead of say na defect for di record: dem dey use each one for di argument wey e fit, and speaker wey need one no dey worry say di odas dey. Entry 45, on whether stone dey grow old, read almost like note on top dis matter.
People want long life for itself, no matter wetin long life actually be like. Entries 39 to 43 treat long life like di profit of living, like compensation for suffering, and like di thing wey dem dey pray for, and entry 42 show say dem dey make dat prayer through chameleon and vulture. But entries 35 to 38 show wetin old age actually be like for dis collection: body wey wear out reach rag, eyes wey sink because of wetin dem don see, termites wey dem don already count, and man whose words no get weight because e no get money. Di collection no dey claim say old age good. E dey claim say people want am, wey be different and stronger position, and na wetin entry 40 talk exactly: di years no need to dey sweet before e go worth to get.
Fifty-eight Yorùbá proverbs on character, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.
Sourced Yorùbá proverbs on bearing and raising children, the duties of parents, the training of the young, and what passes from one generation to the next.
Twenty-six Yorùbá proverbs on mortality, ìkú (death), and ọ̀run (the beyond), drawn from Owomoyela's dedicated section on the subject, showing how ordinary speech treats death as certain, undodgeable, and impartial.
Sourced Yorùbá proverbs on what age and seniority are owed, what they owe back, and the limits of both.
Forty-eight Yorùbá proverbs on the ọmọlúàbí ideal, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.
Sourced Yorùbá proverbs about telling the truth, the mechanics of lying and self-deception, and the value placed on a person whose word is reliable.