Sixty Yorùbá proverbs on cloth as the marker of standing, on clothing worn, patched and outgrown, and on nakedness as the condition beneath every covering, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.
Machine na im translate dis page and no person don check am. The Yorùbá wey dem quote, the proverbs, the meanings and the citations dey exactly as the original. Everything else fit wrong.
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.
Aṣọ na cloth, and inside the Yorùbá proverb corpus, na him be the number one thing wey dem dey take know person level, and na why the corpus dey spend plenty time dey warn say person fit fake am. Cloth na wetin people dey buy, weave, borrow, dye, patch, wear till e tear finish, and lastly use tie dead body, and proverbs dey for each of all these stage. Wetin join the whole set together no be say dem just like how dress fine, but na the economic side: cloth na property wey dey last for society wey few things dey last, so how person take get cloth, keep am, and how dem take see am wear am dey show wetin the proverbs wan talk about person character and wetin e get.
Dem give sixty proverbs for here, the first forty-eight dey inside five group: wetin cloth dey show and wetin e dey hide, borrowed cloth and the one wey person get, how to make and keep cloth, cloth as wetin dey show person level and season, and nakedness. The proverbs about cloth dey easy to know the time dem come out, because dem mention cowrie price, velvet wey come from abroad, oyinbo shoes and woolen cloth wey get English name, so this group dey help check the thought say all proverb collection na ancient thing.
Dem give the proverbs as Owomoyela write and translate dem . The usage notes wey Owomoyela put for bracket na wetin dem use write the Used when lines; where the words na im own directly, dem put quote. Anything wey dem mark say na the compiler own belong to this corpus, and the level of confidence no high reach the other one.
Owomoyela use full standard spelling with tone mark and subdot, and dem copy im text come here exactly as e print am . E no link any informant to any proverb, as e hold say proverbs na property of the whole community , so people confirm the texts but dem no attach dem to particular place or date, except where the proverb use im own inside words date itself.
Plenty proverbs for this topic dey wey dem don already put for other place inside the corpus and dem no repeat dem: the white cloth for palm-oil shop and cloth wey dem wash white dey for entry 18 and 17 of owe-beauty-ugliness-appearance, borrowed trouser dey for entry 15 of the same file, and the elder-for-front-with-cloth-for-shoulder proverb dey for owe-laziness-waste-improvidence. Where proverb get another style wey dem don talk about inside another file, the Notes go talk am.
Literal: Ọmọ ẹwà kan ò sí a child of-beauty none exists; ọmọ aṣọ ní ḿbẹ a child of-cloth is-what exists.
Idiomatic: "There is no such thing as a child that is a creation of beauty, but there is something like a child that is a creation of clothing."
Meaning: Wetin people dey think say na natural beauty na mostly wetin the person wear cause am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Na cloth, no be face wey fine, dey determine how other people dey see person"
Notes: Ọmọ aṣọ, pikin of cloth, dey use the same ọmọ pattern wey dey call person the product of one place or work, so the phrase dey claim say person wey dress well na made dem make am, no be born dem born am so. This one directly oppose the position wey dey across owe-beauty-ugliness-appearance, where dem dey continuously talk say how person look no dey prove anything, and the corpus print the two without judging which one correct.
Literal: Bàtà ò jẹ́ ká mọ agésẹ̀ òyìnbó shoes do-not let us know the-toe-lacking white-man; aṣẹ́ aṣọ létí the-hemming of-cloth at-the-edge kò jẹ́ ká mọ ẹni tí ń fi aṣọ ìyà bora does-not let us know who covers-himself with-the-cloth of-suffering.
Idiomatic: "Shoes keep one from knowing which white man has lost his toes; hemming dresses keeps people from knowing who is clothed in wretchedness."
Meaning: Edge wey dem hem well dey hide the condition of the cloth, and shoe dey hide the condition of the leg.
Used when: Owomoyela: "How outside look dey often hide problem wey dey inside"
Notes: The proverb pick two cover wey dey work by hiding edge, wey be precise mechanical observation instead of just general talk about how things look. Aṣọ ìyà, the cloth of suffering, na the corpus phrase for poverty wey person wear for body, and e repeat again for the nakedness group wey dey below. As e mention shoe and òyìnbó, the European, e dey show say the text na from the time wey coastal contact start or after.
Literal: Ọ̀rọ̀ wo what speech ló wà lẹ́nu is in-the-mouth-of alaṣọ pípọ́n the-owner-of-reddened cloth?
Idiomatic: "What sort of speech can there be in the mouth of the person whose clothes are brown from dirt?"
Meaning: The condition of person cloth dey disqualify dem to talk.
Used when: Owomoyela: "People wey get fault suppose keep low profile"
Notes: Pọ́n na the verb for reddish-brown, the color wey red sand dey turn cloth, so wetin dem dey talk na specifically say person no wash cloth. The proverb follow entry 4 and the entries on top right to talk for owe-ears-hearing-mouth, because for all of dem, the right to make people hear person na something wey person fit lose through wetin eyes dey see instead of anything wey the person talk.
Literal: Ẹnu asoṣọ kọ́ the-mouth of-the-one-who-ties-a-loincloth kì í tó ọ̀rọ̀ is-never equal-to speech.
Idiomatic: "The mouth of the person whose garment is a loincloth is never welcome in a discussion."
Meaning: Dem no dey listen to man wey wear loincloth, because loincloth na wetin man dey wear when e no get any other thing.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person wey no get direction no get any privilege for community"
Notes: Dem also put dis proverb for owe-speech-silence-tongue, where dem read am for wetin e talk about who get right to speak. Dem repeat am here because wetin e take start na cloth: di ṣọkọ́ or loincloth na undercloth for work, and to show up with only am na di clear fact wey make dem disqualify di person. Owomoyela explanation turn talk about cloth into talk about character, wey be di way di collection dey always do things, and e dey important make dem note am instead of just accepting am.
Literal: Bí obìnrín bá máa dán èké wò if a-woman intends to-try deceit, a da aṣọ dúdú bora she throws dark cloth over-herself.
Idiomatic: "When a woman wishes to engage in mischief, she wears dark clothing."
Meaning: Di choice to wear dark cloth dey announce di plan wey e suppose hide.
Used when: Owomoyela: "A woman's furtiveness portends mischief"
Notes: Di proverb no work if na advice to hide something, and dem dey use am as wetin dem observe, no be instruction: e dey talk say dem fit easily read di disguise. Owomoyela print another one wey follow am for 3714 wey no talk about only women, Bí òru bí òru ní ń ṣe aláṣọdúdú, about person wey wear black cloth wey dey wait make night reach, wey dem treat for owe-secrets-gossip-rumour; di two proverb show say dem use di same picture, one time for women specifically and another time for anybody wey get secret business.
Literal: Aṣọ abilà striped cloth gbogbo ló lórúkọ all of-it has a-name.
Idiomatic: "Every striped cloth has a name."
Meaning: Every pattern get name and na type wey people know, so nothing dey without name.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Every person has a name; an offender has a name to be mentioned"
Notes: Yorùbá handwoven cloth get specific pattern names, and di power of di proverb depend on di fact say everybody know dis thing: weaver, trader, or any adult fit call di name of stripe once dem see am. Di way dem apply am to accusation, say person wey do wrong get name and dem suppose call am, na Owomoyela own and e turn fact about how dem dey classify cloth into argument against talking without making things clear.
Literal: Ọ̀bún the-filthy-person ba irú aṣọ jẹ́ spoils the-kind of-cloth.
Idiomatic: "The filthy person destroys the appeal of a style of clothing."
Meaning: Once dem see di wrong person wear one pattern, dat pattern don finish for every other person.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Anything a filthy person touches is ruined for others"
Notes: Di proverb assume one kind economy where everybody fit see who get which cloth, and na dat one make di connection dey spread like disease. Irú aṣọ na di type or category of cloth, so wetin spoil no be dat single cloth but di whole category, and na dis proverb alone for inside di file where di loss dey fall on top people wey never wear di cloth before.
Literal: Ẹní bá ṣẹ̀ jalè lẹ́ẹ̀kan whoever has-once stolen, bó bá fàrán ogún ọ̀kẹ́ bora if he covers-himself with-velvet of-twenty-times-twenty-thousand, aṣọ olè ló wọ̀ it-is a-thief's cloth he-wears.
Idiomatic: "Whoever stole once, if he or she later drapes himself or herself in expensive velvet cloth, is draped in stolen goods."
Meaning: Nothing wey person buy after dat time fit clear wetin happen; dem dey look di cloth through wetin don happen before.
Used when: Owomoyela: "A reputation once ruined is impossible to mend"
Notes: Àrán na velvet, luxury cloth wey dem import, and ogún ọ̀kẹ́, twenty times twenty thousand cowries, na standard way to call huge amount of money instead of ordinary price, so di proverb mention di most expensive thing wey dey and talk say e no work. Di way dem count cowries show say di text na from before di currency collapse for di later part of nineteenth century, and di velvet put am for after Atlantic trade goods don dey enter inside land.
Literal: Bí ajá bá ń wọ agbádá iná if the-dog wears a-gown of-fire, tí àmọ̀tẹ́kùn ń wẹ̀wù ẹ̀jẹ̀ and the-leopard wears a-gown of-blood, tí ológìní ń sán àkísà jìnnì mọ́ dìí and the-cat ties a-rag around its-waist, ẹgbẹ́ apẹranjẹ ní ń ṣe it-is the-company of-flesh-eaters they-belong-to.
Idiomatic: "If the dog wears a garment of fire, and the leopard wears a dress of blood, while the cat ties a tattered rag around its waist, it is nevertheless a member of the clan of carnivores."
Meaning: Three animal wey wear three different levels of fine cloth and rag still remain di same kind of animal.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Innate quality, not clothing, is what matters"
Notes: Dem arrange di three cloth by level with plan: di agbádá na di big formal gown, di ẹ̀wù na ordinary one, and di àkísà na rag, so di proverb touch all di social levels of cloth and come cancel am. Ẹ̀wù ẹ̀jẹ̀, garment of blood, na standard Yorùbá picture for surface wey red or wey dey ripe, and e show again for 4586 for locust bean and for 2215 for bitter tomato, na why di phrase no sound violent for di original language di way e sound for English. Na dis be di sharpest statement for inside di file against using cloth as evidence, and e suppose dey near entry 1, wey talk di exact opposite.
Literal: À-gbàbọ̀-ọ ṣòkòtò borrowed trousers, bí kò fúnni lẹ́sẹ̀ if they-are-not tight at-the-leg a ṣo ni they-hang-loose on-one; rẹ́mú-rẹ́mú exactly ni ohun ẹni ḿbá ni mu is-how one's own thing fits one.
Idiomatic: "Borrowed trousers, if they are not too tight around the legs, will be too loose; one's own things fit one exactly."
Meaning: Cloth wey person borrow must fail for one way or di other, e no fit dey perfect.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Borrowed articles are never like one's own"
Notes: Di ideophone rẹ́mú-rẹ́mú mean say sometin fit well well and tight exactly, and English no get one single word for am, so di translation use three words where Yorùbá use one reduplicated form. Owomoyela print di same text again for 121 without any explanation and one longer three-clause version for 215 wey start with to borrow money spend, wey show say di proverb dey circulate as joke about fitting, rule about lending, and warning about debt depending on how much of am dem talk.
Literal: À-wín-ná-wó borrowing-money-to-spend ò yẹ ni does-not suit one; à-gbà-bọ̀-ọ ṣòkòtò borrowed trousers ò yẹ ọmọ èèyàn do-not suit a-person; bí kò fún ni lẹ́sẹ̀ if they-are-not tight at-the-leg a dòrògí they-become hard-to-remove; ohun ẹni ní ń yẹ ni it-is one's own thing that suits one.
Idiomatic: "Borrowing-money-to-spend does not speak well of one; borrowed trousers do not become a person: if they are not tight around the legs, they are difficult to remove; it is one's own things that fit."
Meaning: Borrowed money and borrowed cloth na di same failure, and di trouser na di part wey person fit see.
Used when: Owomoyela: "One should not live beyond one's means"
Notes: Di full form make wetin entry 10 leave implicit clear, say di trouser na just example of credit instead of to be di main topic on its own, na why dis proverb dey inside di corpus economic argument as well as di one about clothing. Di compressed nominal à-wín-ná-wó dey built on di same à- pattern as à-gbàbọ̀, so di two half of di proverb parallel each other grammatically and dat parallel na di main argument.
Literal: Alágbàró ò yege the-borrower-of-a-wrapper is-not in-the-clear; aláṣọ á gbà á bọ̀ dọ̀la the-owner-of-the-cloth will take it back tomorrow.
Idiomatic: "She who borrows a wrapper skirt to wear is not home free; the owner of the cloth will take it back tomorrow."
Meaning: Di borrowed cloth dey on loan wey get deadline, so di show-off wey e bring na temporary tin from day one.
Used when: Owomoyela: "There is nothing like having one's own"
Notes: Owomoyela print dis text two times, for 1335 and again for 1975, with di exact same words and di same explanation, one of di several duplicate dem inside di collection wey show say different independent sources meet for di same item. Yege, wey mean to dey clear or get acquitted, na word wey get legal tone, so dem describe di person wey borrow say e still get liability pass just to say e still dey owe debt.
Literal: Ẹni tí a bá ń dáṣọ fún the-one for-whom we make cloth kì í ka èèwọ̀ does-not enumerate taboos.
Idiomatic: "The person who is clothed by others does not list what he will not wear."
Meaning: Anybody wey another person dey buy cloth for no get right to choose wetin dem want.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Those who depend on the charity of others must be satisfied with whatever they can get"
Notes: Èèwọ̀ na di word for ritual prohibition, real and serious category wey dem treat for owe-taboo-pollution-forbidden, so to apply am to dependant wey dey select cloth na intentional sarcasm: di proverb dey talk say e dey make wetin e prefer look like prohibition. Owomoyela cross-reference 81, di proverb about person wey reject di gift of bean-grit-pattern cloth wey junior sibling give am .
Literal: Àbúrò rẹ ń dáṣọ fún ọ your junior sibling makes cloth for you, o ní o ò lo elékuru you say you do-not wear the-bean-grits-pattern; ta ni ń lo alákàrà who then wears the-bean-fritter-pattern?
Idiomatic: "Your junior brother [or sister] buys clothing for you, and you say you will not wear anything with bean-grits patterns; who has the right to opt for clothing with a bean-fritter pattern?"
Meaning: Di person wey receive gift reject di cheaper pattern even though e no get any right to demand di one wey cost pass.
Used when: Owomoyela: "One should act in accordance to one's station in life"
Notes: Elékuru and alákàrà na cloth pattern names wey get dia name from two cheap beans food, èkuru wey be steamed beans pudding and àkàrà wey be fried beans cake, so di proverb dey reject distinction between two things wey dey di bottom of di same level. Di two food appear again for entries 33 and 39 below inside completely different argument, wey be good example of how small set of everyday referents dey get reused across di corpus.
Literal: Orogún ìyá ẹ-ẹ́ dáṣọ fún ọ your mother's co-wife made cloth for you, o ní kò balẹ̀ you say it does-not reach-the-ground; mélòó nìyá ẹ-ẹ́ dá fún ọ tó fi kú how-many did-your-mother make for you before she died?
Idiomatic: "Your mother's co-wife made a garment for you, and you complain that it is not long enough; how many did your mother make for you before she died?"
Meaning: Di complain about di length dey measured against mother wey no sew any cloth at all.
Used when: Owomoyela: "People dependent on charity should be grateful rather than difficult to please"
Notes: Dem also treat dis proverb for owe-family-lineage-compound for wetin e talk about orogún, di co-wife wey di corpus generally report say her relation with rival pikin dey always hostile; but here na di co-wife dey provide. Balẹ̀, to reach ground, na di standard of wrapper wey dem cut well, as e dey for entry 27, so di complain dey technically legitimate but dem dismiss am anyway.
Literal: Ẹni tí ó ní èjìká the-one who has shoulders ò lẹ́wù has-no gown; ẹni tó lẹ́wù the-one who has-a-gown ò léjìká has-no shoulders.
Idiomatic: "The person who has a shoulder has no garment; the one who has a garment has no shoulder."
Meaning: The body wey fit wear the gown and the gown itself no dey ever dey the same person hand.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Wetin person need and wetin dey ground no dey always match"
Notes: Yorùbá gowns dey hang from shoulder and na how e take balance there dem dey use judge am, so the shoulder na the body part wey really matter, no be just any random part. Owomoyela print the companion for 4216 about head and cap, and e cross-reference plenty entries before am wey follow the same mismatch pattern , wey show say the formula dey bring out new ideas instead of to just dey fixed. Compare entry 42 for owe-hands-feet-working-body about the general Yorùbá habit to dey use body parts take argue.
Literal: Àbùlẹ̀ ní ḿmú aṣọ tọ́ patching is-what makes cloth last; ẹni tí kò tọ́jú àbùlẹ̀ whoever does-not keep patching-material yó ṣe ara-a rẹ̀ ló fò aṣọ will make himself the-one-who-lacks cloth.
Idiomatic: "Patching extends the life of clothes; whoever does not save materials for patching deprives himself or herself of clothing."
Meaning: The small piece cloth wey dem keep to take patch am na wetin dey decide how long the cloth go tey.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Everything get wetin dem dey use am do; manage wetin you get"
Notes: The proverb na house-care technique first before e turn moral lesson, and the sense inside depend on handwoven cloth wey dem dey weave in narrow strips wey person fit match with leftover pieces. E stand opposite entry 21, wey talk say when cloth scarce e dey teach person to manage, and the two together show the practical position of the collection on top how to repair cloth.
Literal: Aṣọ tó kù ni kù the-cloth that remains to-one ní ń jẹ́ gọgọwú is-what is-called the-best.
Idiomatic: "Whatever clothing one is left with is one's best."
Meaning: "Best" na just position inside group of things, so na anything wey survive dey take that position.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person dey make the best use of wetin e get"
Notes: Gọgọwú na the name of high-grade cloth, so the joke na say dem dey use the word for high quality call wetin just remain. The proverb get the same shape like entry 19, wey carry the logic go reach where wetin remain na rag, and the two together form tight argument about how standard dey change based on wetin dey ground.
Literal: Bí a kò bá dáṣọ lé aṣọ if we have-not made cloth upon cloth, a kì í pe ọ̀kan lákìísà we do-not call one of-them a-rag.
Idiomatic: "If one has not acquired one garment after another, one does not call the first one a rag."
Meaning: Cloth dey only become rag once another one dey to replace am, so na the second buying dey make am turn rag.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person no suppose look down on old tool until e fit replace am"
Notes: Àkísà, wey mean rag, na one of the fixed signs of poverty inside this collection and e appear for entries 9, 22 and 31 inside this file. The proverb deep point, say the lower category dey only exist because better one don show, na the exact argument wey entry 18 make from the opposite side, and English no get single word for am the way àkísà be.
Literal: Àkísà aṣọ a-rag of-cloth la fi ń ṣe òṣùká is-what we use to-make the-head-pad.
Idiomatic: "A rag is what one uses as a carrying pad."
Meaning: The cloth wey don wear out na wetin dirty work really need.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person most valuable property no be for careless use"
Notes: The òṣùká na the rolled cloth pad wey dem dey put for head under load, and water dey soak am and e dey scratch as dem dey use am, na why nothing wey good dey enter inside am. As Owomoyela explain am, e turn the proverb face down: e take wetin dem talk about wetin rags dey do turn rule about wetin good cloth no suppose do, and na Owomoyela turn am like that, because the Yorùbá sentence no get any prohibition inside.
Literal: Ohun tí kò jẹ́ ká ṣọ pé méjì the-thing that does-not let one's cloth reach two ni ò jẹ́ kó dú is-what does-not let it become-black.
Idiomatic: "The same thing that keeps one from having more than one item of clothing also keeps that one from getting blackened by dirt."
Meaning: To get only one cloth dey force the care wey dey keep am clean.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Misfortune dey teach person to endure; scarcity dey teach person to manage"
Notes: The proverb na one of the few words inside this collection wey truly comfort person about poverty, and e do so with clear practical reason instead of ordinary sentiment: the man with one cloth dey wash am because e must wear am tomorrow. E stand directly against entry 17 for owe-beauty-ugliness-appearance, where dem talk say clean cloth dey make poor person and rich person look the same, and when person read the two together, dem dey talk say poor person neatness na wetin condition force am to do and wetin bring reward join.
Literal: Aláṣọ-kan the-owner-of-one-cloth kì í náà ná rẹ does-not bargain until-he-is-soaked.
Idiomatic: "A person who has only one set of clothing does not bargain until he is wet."
Meaning: Person wey get only one cloth no fit afford to stand dey drag price inside rain.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person wey get small resources suppose manage am well"
Notes: Owomoyela print the twin for 183, Aláṣọ-kan kì í ṣeré òjò, "Person wey get only one set of cloth no dey play inside rain," and e cross-reference each of dem to the other . The two proverb separate the two ways person wey get one cloth fit take wet, through market business and through play, and the collection keep both of dem because the market matter na about discipline while the play matter na about careless life.
Literal: Adùn-ún tán lára aṣọ ogóje the-pleasure is-finished from a-cloth-of-140-cowries; a nàán han ẹni méje one spreads-it to-show seven people; a bẹ̀ẹ́ wò a rí iná méje one examines-it and finds seven lice; ó di ọjọ́ keje ó fàya on the-seventh day it tore.
Idiomatic: "One's delight in a cloth costing 140 cowries is over; one spreads it out to show to seven people, one finds seven lice, and on the seventh day it is torn."
Meaning: The whole life of cheap cloth na only seven days.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Na wetin person pay for na im e dey get"
Notes: The proverb build on top number seven four different times: for the price ogóje wey be seven twenties, the seven people wey look am, the seven lice, and the seventh day; dis repetition na the poetic way dem take build the argument, no be say na report. Ogóje, wey be 140 cowries, na real price wey low well well, and dis one dey help place the proverb inside the time of cowrie economy and show the kind class of goods wey e dey mock.
Literal: Bí a sọ́ bá pẹ́ lápò if a cloth stays-long in-the-bag, á bu it grows-mould.
Idiomatic: "If a cloth remains too long in the sack, it goes moldy."
Meaning: To keep tin inside store no mean say e go remain fresh; wetin person no use dey spoil where e lie down.
Used when: Owomoyela: "If person stay tey for one place, e go start to get the character of dat place"
Notes: The explanation take the mould as character wey person pick from the place instead of somtin wey dey spoil, and dis one na real change for how the metaphor dey work, wey be Owomoyela own idea; wetin Yorùbá just talk na say the cloth dey spoil. Check entry 41 of owe-road-journey-traveller on top to stay for one place, where the same physical matter dey useful for another different argument.
Literal: Ó di ọjọ́ tí aláró bá kú it-becomes the-day the-dyer dies ká tó mọ oye aṣọ tó gbà rẹ before we know the-number of-cloths she took to-dye.
Idiomatic: "It is on the day of the dyer's death that one knows how many pieces of cloth she had taken in to dye."
Meaning: Na only when person stop work dem dey fit know how plenty the work really reach.
Used when: Owomoyela: "When person die, all im secret go open for public eye"
Notes: Dem look dis proverb inside owe-secrets-gossip-rumour for wetin e talk about how secret dey open. Dem mention am here because wetin e dey talk about na the work of to dye cloth with indigo, wey be work wey women dey do for compounds with deep pits, and the main power of the proverb dey on top how the dyer dey hold other people cloth: when she die, wetin be private record before go turn to public list of who get wetin.
Literal: Òjò ò dá the-rain does-not stop, ìrì ò da the-dew does-not cease; eji wẹ́rẹ́ gba ọjọ́ aláṣọ fine drizzle takes the-day of-the-cloth-seller.
Idiomatic: "The rain does not stop, and the drizzle does not stop; the gentle precipitation takes the day away from the cloth seller."
Meaning: Small rain wey no reach disaster still fit stop market for dat day.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Small small wahala wey dey follow one another and no dey stop dey prevent person to face important tins"
Notes: Na cloth be the only market market wey dem no fit spread under rain, so the cloth seller na the exact trader wey fit dis proverb pass, and no be trader wey dem fit just change put another person. Eji wẹ́rẹ́, wey be small drizzle, dey below òjò, so Yorùbá call three different levels of rain inside one sentence where English language need to use different adjectives take describe am.
Literal: À-ró-kan-lẹ̀ wrapping-until-it-touches-the-ground la aṣọ ayaba is-the-way-of the-queen's cloth; à-wà-kan-lẹ̀ digging-until-it-reaches-the-bottom ni ti yàrà is-the-way-of the-moat.
Idiomatic: "Wrapping-from-waist-to-the-floor is the style of the queen's wrapper; digging-down-to-the-deepest-bottom is the requirement of the dry moat."
Meaning: Na wetin reach ground complete dey define wrapper and the ditch wey dem dig for defense.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Wetin ever person dey do, make e do am finish well well, no agree for half work"
Notes: The two short noun phrases dey built on top the same à- ... kan-lẹ̀ structure, to reach ground, and the pun be say lẹ̀ mean ground for both cases even though the direction wey dem dey go different: down inside ground for the ditch, and down-and-outward for the wrapper. The yàrà na dry ditch for defense wey dem dig round Yorùbá towns, wey plenty of dem still dey till today as archaeological remains, so the proverb join the work wey fine pass for body and the work wey tough pass for war wey dem do completely. Owomoyela print the text two times, for 779 and 2451.
Literal: Àgbẹ̀ ò dáṣọ lóṣù the-farmer does-not make cloth monthly, àfi ọdún only yearly.
Idiomatic: "A farmer does not make new clothes monthly, only annually."
Meaning: As farmer money dey come once every year, na so im new clothes sef dey come once a year.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The reward for person hard work dey often take long time before e reach"
Notes: To wear new cloth for annual festival na the normal Yorùbá time for am, so the proverb dey describe normal way of life, no be say person dey suffer lack. E belong to entry 34 on top how season dey dictate cloth, and with entry 39 of owe-work-farming-diligence on top the farmer calendar: the corpus consistently treat the farming year as the unit wey dem take dey calculate wetin farming people dey buy.
Literal: Ṣòkòtò tí ń ṣiṣẹ́ àrán the-trousers that do the-work of-velvet, oko ni ń gbé it-is-the-farm they live-on.
Idiomatic: "The pants that do the work that purchases the velvet fabric stay on the farm."
Meaning: The cloth wey work get money buy luxury cloth no dey ever comot for farm.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The people wey really dey work and produce wealth no dey usually dey public eye reach the people wey dey enjoy the benefit"
Notes: Di proverb compare work trouser with imported velvet, wey be di clearest statement for inside dis file about di gap between production and show-off, and na di clothing version of di argument wey dem make about food for entry 29 of owe-work-farming-diligence. Àrán show say di text belong to di time of imported textile dem, so na proverb about market goods wey dem import, no be about ancient wealth.
Literal: Ìyá tó bí aṣọ the-mother who bore cloth ló bí ẹ̀wù is-who bore the-gown.
Idiomatic: "The mother who gave birth to the cloth also gave birth to the shirt."
Meaning: Di wrapper and di sewn gown na di same material for two different form.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Two or more things wey look different na di same thing for inside"
Notes: Aṣọ na cloth as raw material or as wrapper wey dem never sew, and ẹ̀wù na complete dress wey dem sew finish, so di proverb dey talk about di real technical relation between bolt of cloth and wetin dem cut from am. Di way dem take frame am as family matter, say na one mama born di two of dem, na di regular way wey di corpus dey take show say two things na di same kind; na di same move dem make for 5099 about trouser and loincloth, and for 5097 about di three kings. Dem treat di family idiom wey dem use for dis purpose for owe-blood-bone-kinship-body.
Literal: Ìyá aṣòkòtò the-mother of-trousers ló bí bàǹtẹ́ is-who bore the-loincloth.
Idiomatic: "The mother of the trousers also gave birth to the loincloth."
Meaning: Trouser and loincloth na different version of each other, no matter how dignity take differ.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Even though dem look different, di two things almost be di exact same thing"
Notes: Di point sharp well-well and e no neutral at all, because bàǹtẹ́ na di mark of person wey no get anything for entry 4 and 40, while trouser na ordinary dress, so to make dem equal dey wipe out real social difference. Owomoyela print 5098, 5099 and 5097 together as three variant of di same formula, and e cross-reference dem to each other .
Literal: Ìgbà laṣọ the-season determines cloth, ìgbà lẹ̀wù the-season determines the-gown, ìgbà lòdèrée-kókò nÍlọrin the-season determines the-Senegal-dove in-Ìlọrin.
Idiomatic: "The season prescribes cloth; the season prescribes clothes; the season determines the presence of the Senegal dove in Ìlọrin."
Meaning: Wetin person dey wear na di time of year dey decide am, just as bird presence take be.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Everything get im own correct time or season"
Notes: Di third clause give di proof by naming something wey nobody fit control, wey be di regular way wey di corpus dey take make social custom look like natural fact. As e place di dove for Ìlọrin, e tie di text to one specific town for di northern boundary of Yorùbá land, wey be one of di very few geographic reference for di clothing group.
Literal: Àgbà lẹ́tù the-ẹtù cloth is-the-elder; àlàárì lọba aṣọ àlàárì is-the-king of-cloths.
Idiomatic: Owomoyela's English is "The ẹtù cloth is the elder; the reddish dyed ..." and breaks off at the page edge in the source consulted . The completed sense, that àlàárì is the king of cloths, is the compiler's, drawn from the parallel at 4701 below.
Meaning: Dem rank di two big handwoven prestige cloth against each other with words of elder status and kingship.
Used when: Na di compiler own interpretation, since dem no fit find Owomoyela usage note from di source wey dem check: dem dey use am when dem dey rank two things wey dey top level together. Confidence on di usage: medium.
Notes: Ẹtù na di deep indigo cloth wey get guinea-fowl pattern and àlàárì na di cloth wey dem dye crimson with silk weft, di two most valued Yorùbá handwoven cloths, and di proverb give dem di two highest social title wey dey: elder and king. Owomoyela print di second half alone for 4701 as Àlàárì, baba aṣọ, "Reddish hand-woven cloth, father of all cloths," wey dem explain as "No cloth glorious pass àlàárì" , and dat one confirm di reading wey dey here. Di ẹtù gown still appear for 1245 inside owe-family-lineage-compound, wey person wear to impress in-law dem.
Literal: Kíjìpá kì í ṣe awọ thick-handwoven-cloth is-not leather.
Idiomatic: "Durable hand-woven cloth is not leather."
Meaning: Di strongest cloth wey dey still be cloth.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person no suppose overvalue wetin e get or make mouth too much about im position"
Notes: Kíjìpá na di heavy handwoven cloth for everyday use, di one wey dey last well, and na dat make am di right subject for proverb about wetin strong cloth fit do and wetin e no fit do. Owomoyela print di longer form for 1656, Kí á tó mọ̀ pé kíjìpá kì í ṣe awọ, ó di ọdún mẹ́ta, "Before one realizes that tough hand-woven cloth is not leather, three years will have passed," wey dem explain as "E fit take time, but person go later realize say nobody dey free from misfortune" , and dat three years na di realistic lifespan of di cloth.
Literal: Kíni ìyá aláṣọ ń tà what does the-cloth-selling woman sell tó yọ ẹgba lọ́wọ́ that she draws a-whip in-hand? Ewúrẹ́ ń jẹ wúlìnì do goats eat woollen-cloth?
Idiomatic: "What does the cloth-selling woman have to sell that she carries a whip in her hand? Do goats eat woolen fabrics?"
Meaning: E dey guard im market goods from animal wey no get any interest for inside.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person no suppose dey do work wey no get meaning or wey no necessary"
Notes: Wúlìnì na word wey dem borrow from English "woollen" and e show say the text na from after contact with oyinbo, and say e dey inside proverb about goat for market show say imported cloth don reach normal market trade. The joke dey rely on how goat be the regular disturbance for market, like for entry 12 of owe-market-as-place, so the woman dey do the usual defense against the wrong threat.
Literal: Aṣọ tuntun new cloth ní ń ṣe olúwa-a rẹ̀ tòde-tòde is-what makes its owner outdoors-outdoors.
Idiomatic: "A new dress impels its owner to roam outdoors."
Meaning: Person no fit wear new cloth sit down inside house, so e dey create waka-waka errand.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person dey always eager to show off the new things wey e get"
Notes: The Yorùbá text na Aṣọ tuntun ní ń ṣe olúwa-a rẹ̀ tòde-tòde ; the double word tòde-tòde, outside-outside, na adverbial intensifier wey English no fit carry without adding verb, na why the translation put "roam." The proverb agree with entry 21 of owe-beauty-ugliness-appearance, say to dress fine mean say public must dey to see am, and e no contradict anything for inside the corpus.
Literal: Òde ò sú aláṣọ-ọ́ lọ public-occasions do-not weary the-owner-of-cloth.
Idiomatic: "Public functions do not faze a person with many clothes."
Meaning: Invitation na wahala only for person wey must find wetin e go wear every time.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Nothing fit overwhelm person wey get plenty resource"
Notes: Yorùbá ceremonial life dey always demand proper cloth every time, and aṣọ ẹbí, family cloth wey dem buy together for occasion, still be the way dem dey do am, so this proverb dey describe money wey person must spend instead of just personal taste. Na the positive match to entry 22 about the man wey get only one cloth.
Literal: Òkú tó bá láṣọ a-corpse that has cloth, Ifẹ̀ ni ń sinín it-is Ifẹ̀ that buries-it.
Idiomatic: "A dead person who owns a wealth of clothes is buried by Ifẹ̀ itself."
Meaning: The plenty cloth wey the dead person leave behind dey call the whole town come the funeral.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The community itself dey take care of the funeral of person wey get name; the wahala of person wey people know dey touch everybody"
Notes: Cloth na the main property and wealth wey dem fit show for funeral and share after the burial, so the proverb dey describe inheritance and the social effect wey e get, no be just feeling. Ifẹ̀ stand here for the whole town together, and how dem specifically choose Ilé-Ifẹ̀ give the claim heavy weight; the town ritual position na the subject of 4243 about crown wey belong to Ilé Ifẹ̀ and hat for everybody else.
Literal: Ọ̀lẹ̀lẹ̀-ẹ́ ti ráṣọ wọ̀ the-steamed-bean-pudding already has cloth to-wear, tàkàrà ló ṣòro it-is the-bean-fritter's case that is-hard.
Idiomatic: "The steamed, seasoned bean mash is already blessed with clothes to wear; it is the case of the fried-bean fritters that constitutes a problem."
Meaning: One out of the two bean food get wrap and the other one no get, and the difference no be wetin dem work earn.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Blessing dey follow some people naturally, while other people must struggle for everything wey dem get"
Notes: Dem dey steam Ọ̀lẹ̀lẹ̀ inside leaf wrapper and dem dey fry àkàrà without cover, so the proverb take cooking method as cloth and take the inequality as something wey follow person from birth. This same picture show again for entry 41 below where corn meal replace the bean pudding, and the two show how one single joke about food wey dem wrap and the one wey dem no wrap fit make two different argument, inequality for here and seniority for there.
Literal: "Ta ni ḿbẹ níbẹ̀" "who is there?" làgbẹ́ fi ń sán ìbàǹtẹ́ wọ̀lú is-why the-farmer ties a-loincloth and-enters-town.
Idiomatic: "'Who is there whose opinion matters?' is the attitude that makes the farmer come into town dressed only in a loincloth."
Meaning: To enter town with farm cloth wey open body na statement say nobody for there matter.
Used when: Owomoyela: "People wey make show of themselves no get respect for other people"
Notes: The ìbàǹtẹ́ dey proper for farm but na insult for town, so the offense na about the place instead of just body wey open, and the proverb dey turn on how town be place where people wey person suppose respect dey see person. Owomoyela print 3314 wey closely relate to am, Àìfinipeni, àìfèèyànpèèyàn laráoko-ó fi ń sán ìbàǹtẹ́ wọ̀lú, "No-get-respect-for-anybody, no-get-respect-for-people dey make person wey dey stay bush enter town with loincloth," wey dem explain as "To respect yourself mean say you must respect other people" , where dem see the same action as lack of self-respect instead of disrespect to other people.
Literal: Àti ogún ọdún tí ẹ̀kọ́ ti ń lo aṣọ for the-twenty years that corn-pap has-been wearing cloth, ìhòòhò làkàrà-á wà naked is-how the-bean-fritter has-been.
Idiomatic: "In the twenty years that the corn meal has been wearing clothes, the bean fritters have always been naked."
Meaning: The seniority between the two of dem don tey, so none of dem suppose treat am as new thing.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Say person position better pass his rival no be today thing"
Notes: Ẹ̀kọ́, maize pap, dey inside leaf wrapper while dem dey fry and sell àkàrà without cover, na this physical reality the proverb dey use, and the twenty years na just standard way to talk say e don tey, no be exact count. Ìhòòhò na the plain word for nakedness and how dem use am for food dey funny instead of to shock person, wey make sense to point out because the same word mean real disgrace for entry 43.
Literal: Òjò ń rọ̀ rain is-falling, Orò ń ké Orò is-crying-out; atọ́kùn àlùgbè tí ò láṣọ méjì the-shuttle-worker who has-not two cloths a ṣe ògèdè ḿgbé sùn will lie down bare.
Idiomatic: "The rain is falling, and the call of the secret cult is sounding loudly outside; the shuttle that lacks a change of clothing will sleep naked."
Meaning: Two obligation come at di same time and person wey get only one cloth no fit do any of dem.
Used when: Owomoyela: "If person no prepare for rainy days, wen e come di person must suffer di hardship wey dey follow am"
Notes: Orò na di cult wey dia night call dey clear people comot for street, wey dem discuss for owe-orisa-tradition-speech, so di proverb join emergency of nature and emergency of ritual put for di same sentence, come make di single cloth fail against di two. Di weaving wey dem mention for atọ́kùn àlùgbè put textile worker for di centre of proverb about person wey no get cloth, wey be di neatest irony for inside dis file and di collection no talk about am.
Literal: Àrífín ilé-ìgbẹ́ the-disgrace of-the-latrine, tí ḿmú ọmọdé wo ìhòòhò àgbà which makes a-child look-at the-nakedness of-an-elder.
Idiomatic: "The disgrace that comes of using a communal latrine exposes an elder's nakedness to the young."
Meaning: To dey share facilities dey destroy di separation wey age suppose get.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Di condition of living together inside group sometimes dey expose person to insult wey di person for fit avoid"
Notes: For Yorùbá tradition, dem dey maintain seniority through different physical things wey people dey avoid, and if junior person see senior person naked, e don break di most basic one among dem. Dis na why di proverb call am àrífín, dat na insult wey person suffer, pass ordinary shame. Di proverb na one of di very few for inside di corpus wey mention pit toilet, and e use am explain structural point about compound living instead of to just crack dirty joke.
Literal: Ọmọ́yẹ-ẹ́ ti rìn hòòhò dọ́ja Ọmọ́yẹ has-already walked naked to-the-market; aṣọ ò bá Ọmọ́yẹ cloth does-not meet Ọmọ́yẹ.
Idiomatic: "Ọmọ́yẹ has arrived at the market naked; clothes are too late for Ọmọ́yẹ."
Meaning: People don already see di exposure, so di remedy no get any work left to do again.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Matter wey don pass remedy don pass care"
Notes: Dem choose market because na place wey people dey see person pass for Yorùbá life, as dem treat throughout owe-market-as-place, so di argument wey di proverb make about timing depend on di fact say whole town don already look. Ọmọ́yẹ na person name and dem structure di proverb like short story, wey be common way wey di corpus dey use join general rule to something wey happen before wey people remember.
Literal: Òbúrẹ́wà ẹni one's ugliness, tòrìṣà ni it-is the-god's; àìraṣọ lò not-having cloth to-wear, tolúwa rẹ̀ ni it-is the-owner's-own.
Idiomatic: "A person's ugliness is the god's doing; the person's lack of clothing is his or her own fault."
Meaning: Appearance na wetin dem assign give person, but cloth na wetin person earn, so na only one of dem dem fit hold person responsible for.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person must take responsibility for some condition, but dem no fit blame person for odas"
Notes: Na dis be di main argument for dis file and e hard well-well: di corpus dey excuse how face be, but e refuse to excuse cloth wey person wear, wey put poverty of dress strictly under matter of effort. Òrìṣà for here na di shaping divinity wey dem credit with forming di body, wetin dem treat for owe-orisa-tradition-speech, so di excuse na theological instead of charity. E stand directly against entry 4412, "Person no fit ever poor reach say e no get even one piece of cloth," and di two of dem show di limit of how far di corpus fit endure person wey no dress well.
Literal: Fìrífìrí ò jọ kolombo vaguely is-not like clearly; ìhòòhò ò jọ awọ nakedness is-not like leather.
Idiomatic: "Vaguely is not like clearly; nakedness is not like leather."
Meaning: For each pair, di second term na di one wey dey clear and complete, while di first one no be so.
Used when: Owomoyela: "E better make person clear about something pass make e dey vague, e better to wear leather cloth pass make person dey naked"
Notes: Di proverb put two ideophones, fìrífìrí for something wey just pass quickly or wey no clear and kolombo for something wey plain and complete, beside two physical states; dis matching come make clarity of speech and covering of body be di same kind of good thing. Awọ, leather or animal skin, na di humblest kind of covering wey still qualify as covering, and na why dem choose am instead of cloth: di proverb set di standard for di very ground. Compare entry 34, where dem compare kíjìpá with dis same leather, come see say e low pass am.
Literal: Ẹni tí ò mú nǹkan wá sáyé whoever did-not bring anything into the-world ò lè mú nǹkan lọ sọ́run cannot take anything to heaven.
Idiomatic: "People who brought nothing into this world cannot expect to depart from it with something."
Meaning: Entry and exit na empty-hand, so nothing for between dey stay.
Used when: Owomoyela: "We come dis world naked, and we go depart naked"
Notes: Owomoyela usage note bring di nakedness wey di Yorùbá text leave as "anything," and how e write am near wetin dey Job 1:21 and 1 Timothy 6:7 reach say person must consider say biblical naturalisation dey inside, just as e be for family proverbs for owe-family-lineage-compound. Di corpus own native statement on top dis same point na entry 48, wey pass through cloth and grave to explain di point instead of through heaven.
Literal: Òwú là bá gbìn cotton is-what we should plant, a ò gbin idẹ we do-not plant brass; òwú là bá gbìn cotton is-what we should plant, a ò gbìn lẹ̀kẹ̀ we do-not plant beads; àti dẹ àti ìlẹ̀kẹ̀ both brass and beads, ọ̀kan kì í bá ni dé hòrò òkú neither accompanies one to the-grave-pit; ọjọ́ a bá kú the-day we die aṣọ ni ḿba ni lọ it-is cloth that goes with-one.
Idiomatic: "Cotton is what one should plant, not brass; cotton is what one should plant, not beads; as for brass and beads, neither goes with one to the grave; on the day one dies, only cloth accompanies one."
Meaning: For everything wey person gather for life, na only cloth dey follow the body go.
Used when: Owomoyela: "When we die, our jewelry no dey useful to us again"
Notes: Na dis be the last word for the file and e close the circle wey entry 47 open: person dey arrive naked, spend im life dey gather cloth, and na cloth dem take dey bury am. The proverb match wetin dey happen for ground, since Yorùbá burial dey wrap the body inside cloth while brass and beads na wetin people dey inherit or use again, and e name cotton as the crop wey dey produce the only thing wey dey last, wey make am be agricultural advice and statement about death at the same time. Hòrò, the grave pit, na rare and clear word where English dey talk grave, and 5096 supply the case for person wey no get anything: "if e lack shroud, e no go lack sand to take cover body"
The twelve entries wey dey below, dem compile dem separately and add dem here make the file fit hold all the material dem collect on clothing for one place. Dem follow the same sourcing rule like the rest.
Literal: Kíjìpá coarse-hand-woven-cloth laṣọ ọ̀lẹ is-the-cloth of-the-lazy; òfì fine-loom-cloth laṣọ àgbà is-the-cloth of-the-elder; àgbà tí ò ní tòfì an-elder who has-not the-fine-cloth a rọ́jú ra kíjìpá will strive to-buy coarse-cloth.
Idiomatic: "Durable hand-woven cloth is the material for shiftless people; loom-woven cloth is the material for the elders; whichever elder cannot afford loom-woven cloth should strive for durable hand-woven cloth."
Meaning: Dem dey grade cloth quality by social rank, and person wey no fit reach the standard of im position still suppose try reach the next best thing.
Used when: Owomoyela: "If person no fit get the perfect thing, make e try get at least something"
Notes: Kíjìpá na thick, strong, rough cloth wey fit endure hard wear, na why e suit people wey too poor or too lazy to change their cloth often; òfì na finer cloth wey dem weave for loom wey dey show say the owner no need that kind durability. The proverb take the grade of cloth as clear social message instead of just matter of taste.
Literal: Irú aṣọ the-likeness of-a-cloth ò tán is-not exhausted nínu àṣà among those-in-fashion.
Idiomatic: "The likeness of a particular type of cloth is not lacking among those in fashion."
Meaning: Nobody get sole right to fashionable style; another person go always get wetin reach am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Nobody get monopoly on certain qualities"
Notes: Owomoyela pair dis one with the next entry for im collection, about elephant wey no dey scarce for particular place, and cross-reference the two say dem dey make the same point say monopoly no dey through different examples.
Literal: Ará ọ̀run natives of-heaven ò ṣẹ́tí aṣọ do-not hem cloth.
Idiomatic: "Natives of heaven do not sew their hems."
Meaning: People wey no know the way dem dey do things for one place no dey follow their customs, because nobody teach dem.
Used when: Owomoyela note talk say: "People wey dem never initiate no know the customs of a place"
Notes: To fold and sew edge of cloth na normal finishing work; to say dead people no dey do am, because dem think say dem no need to protect cloth make e no spoil for edge, turn ordinary domestic matter to metaphor for anybody wey dey operate outside customs wey e never dey inside to learn.
Literal: A kì í fi aṣọ one does-not use cloth ṣèdìdí keep-it-bundled yọwó while-extracting-money [bargaining].
Idiomatic: "One does not leave cloth in a bundle while bargaining over it."
Meaning: Person suppose check wetin e dey buy instead of to dey negotiate blind.
Used when: Owomoyela: "E make sense make person know wetin e dey negotiate to buy"
Notes: The proverb describe real bad market practice, where seller dey fold cloth make defect remain hidden when dem dey drag price, and e apply that specific trick to any transaction wey person enter without proper inspection.
Literal: Kò sí ìgbà there-is-no time tí a dá aṣọ that we sew a-garment tí a ó rí lè fi wọ̀ that we will not find opportunity to wear.
Idiomatic: "There is no time one makes a dress that one lacks opportunities to wear it casually."
Meaning: Wetin dem make for use go find occasion; effort wey person put inside no dey waste because time to use am never show.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Time go always dey to enjoy wetin person work for; person no suppose dey unnecessarily impatient"
Notes: Dis point na assurance against impatience instead of statement about fashion: cloth wey dem make now no need occasion wey already dey ground before e make sense to make am.
Literal: Labalábá tó dìgbò the-butterfly that collides lẹ́gún with-a-thorn, aṣọ ẹ̀ its-cloth á fàya will tear.
Idiomatic: "The butterfly that collides with a thorn will have its cloth shredded."
Meaning: Ting wey weak wey carelessly go jam wetin naturally dey harm am, na dat exact encounter wey e suppose avoid go destroy am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person suppose wise reach to know wetin fit destroy am and avoid am"
Notes: Dem dey call the butterfly wing e cloth, which na small figurative extension of aṣọ to animal own covering, the same tin wey dem do with the vulture shroud for entry 16 under and the mosquito hand wey no dey elsewhere for inside this collection.
Literal: Ojú kì í pọ́n ni one's-eyes are-never-so-red [distressed] ká má nìí aṣọ kan that-one has-not a-single garment.
Idiomatic: "One is never so poor that one does not own one single item of clothing."
Meaning: No matter how hardship take hard reach, e no dey ever complete reach to strip person of every single tin.
Used when: As the compiler understand am, following how Owomoyela put this proverb among statements on human vulnerability: suffering no dey ever absolute.
Notes: Ojú pọ́n, red or distressed eyes, na the standard Yorùbá idiom for hardship, the same idiom wey dey for owe-head-face-ori entry 36; for here na cloth answer am instead of conduct, and the comfort wey the proverb dey give specifically na say destitution get limit wey e no fit pass.
Literal: They said, "Àparò partridge, aṣọ ẹ ṣe pọ́n báyìí why-is your-cloth so dirty?" Ó ní it said, ìgbà wo what-time laṣọ òun ò níí pọ́n would its-cloth not be-dirty? Before it finishes making two-hundred heaps by-morning, before it scratches the ground continuously until-dawn; what-time would it find leisure to-wash-its-cloth?
Idiomatic: "People asked the partridge, 'Why is your clothing so dirty?' He responded, 'Why would my clothing not be dirty? Given the time it takes me to make a hundred heaps in the morning, and the time I need to scratch the ground at dawn, what time is left for me to wash my clothes?'"
Meaning: The reason why person appearance dey neglected na because of heavy work wey no dey stop, wey no leave any time to look after am.
Used when: Owomoyela explain this one among proverbs about lazy people, even though wetin the partridge take defend itself dey argue the opposite: say the dirty body na sign of continuous work, no be say na laziness.
Notes: How the partridge dey scratch ground to find food, dem see am here as work wey resemble farm labor, "making heaps," which na term for gathering soil to plant, so dem reframe the bird dirty feather from natural fact turn am to worker grievance. One related footnote for inside Owomoyela quote another saying about egret, wey dey wash e cloth for somewhere wey God hide from partridge clan, wey extend the joke go meet second bird.
Literal: A kì í ró aṣọ ajé one does-not wear the-ritual-loincloth sídìí around-the-waist ká dájọ́ òdodo lẹ́bi and judge the-righteous guilty.
Idiomatic: "One does not wear the ritual loincloth for presiding over a trial-by-ordeal and judge the righteous guilty."
Meaning: The office wey particular cloth dey represent get obligation wey the person wey wear am must not betray.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person must not break the oath wey dem swear to obey"
Notes: Aṣọ ajé na the specific ritual garment wey the person wey dey preside over trial by ordeal dey wear, so the proverb no be about clothing in general but about one single official vestment wey wearing am mean say person don take oath; to wear am and con judge falsely na violation wey dey inside the act of wearing the cloth itself.
Literal: Aṣọ èṣín last-year's clothing ò yẹni does-not become-one, bíi ti aṣọ ẹ̀wọ̀n kọ́ unlike that of-prison-clothing not-so.
Idiomatic: "Last year's clothing is not proper for people, but that does not apply to prison uniforms."
Meaning: The rule say cloth suppose dey current no dey bind person wey condition don already remove choice from e hand.
Used when: Owomoyela note, as dem print am, dey talk about bad situation wey fit force people to accept wetin dem for ordinarily reject.
Notes: One footnote to this entry inside Owomoyela record one piece of Yorùbá cloth-lore: cloth wey wide pass normal, dem dey talk say e "get hand," and wrapper wey long well well pass normal, dem dey talk say e get the quality of "reaching floor," vocabulary wey this proverb ordinary meaning of èṣín, last year own, dey play against.
Literal: Pátá-pátá completely lẹ́gún ń fẹ̀ṣọ borí is-how the-masquerader covers-his-head with-cloth.
Idiomatic: "It is completely that the masquerader covers his head with his shroud."
Meaning: Task or covering, once person start am, make e do am complete without doing half measure.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person must do everything complete for anything wey e dey do"
Notes: The masquerader covering no be ordinary dress but the ritual shroud wey must cover the performer human identity complete; if dem cover am halfway e go defeat the institution whole purpose, na why the proverb dey insist on completeness instead of just recommending am.
Literal: Ooru-ú gba aṣọ the-heat takes cloth lọ́wọ́ onílé from-the-hand of-the-host; ó fi abẹ̀bẹ̀ lé àlejò lọ́wọ́ it puts a-fan into the-guest's hand.
Idiomatic: "Heat takes the garment off the host and hands a fan to the guest."
Meaning: Condition wey pass person power dey strip away the formalities wey ordinarily dey separate person public dress from guest more casual comfort.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Too much heat dey force people commot from ceremonious pretense"
Notes: To pull outer cloth comot for visitor front normally na breach of hospitality etiquette; di proverb put di blame for di heat body instead of di host, and na wetin give permission for di free level without to say na person fault.
Three things stand out across dis sixty proverbs.
Dem treat cloth first as property before fine look. Entries 17 to 24 dey talk about to buy, to repair, to keep and to wear, and di vocabulary na asset vocabulary: wetin somtin cost, how long e go last, wetin e worth once dem replace am. Even di proverbs wey look like say na beauty dem dey talk, if you look dem well na economic mata, since entry 23 dey mock cloth by im price and entry 29 trace velvet gown go back to di trousers wey dem use buy am. Na dis make di clothing set overlap well well with owe-wealth-poverty-money and hardly touch anything about taste.
To borrow na di main offence. Entries 10 to 16 form di longest single argument inside di file and all of dem dey talk di same thing for different ways: borrowed cloth no dey fit person well, owner go collect am back, e dey disqualify di person wey wear am from complaining, and e dey show di lender standard. Di Yorùbá argument no be say to borrow dey bring shame, but say people go see am clear, wey be sharper point, and na di same doubt about surface appearance wey di corpus apply to speech inside owe-speech-silence-tongue.
Nakedness mark di lowest level of person for society, and di corpus put di fall for di person head. Entry 46 set di minimum standard at leather instead of cloth, entry 4 comot right to speak from man wey tie loincloth, entry 43 show how nakedness dey melt di separation wey seniority depend on, and entry 45 talk am straight say if person no get cloth na im own fault, but if e ugly na god make am so. Na only entry 42 give condition instead of judgement, and even dere dem still blame di man say e no bring second cloth. Di corpus no generous at all here compare to entry 33 of owe-beauty-ugliness-appearance, wey talk say person wey no dey owe debt no fit get shame no mata wetin else happen to am.
Fifty-eight Yorùbá proverbs on character, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.
Thirty-eight Yorùbá proverbs on beauty and its uses, the danger it attracts, adornment, and the gap between how a person looks and what a person is, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.
Sourced Yorùbá proverbs about riches, destitution, debt and the uses and limits of money, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.
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.
Forty-three Yorùbá proverbs on sùúrù, patience, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.