Forty-six Yorùbá proverbs on facing danger, the coward's self-betrayal, toughness and invulnerability, and endurance under hardship, each given with the original, a literal gloss, and a named translation.
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.
Dis file gather forty-six Yorùbá proverb-dem on ìgboyà, courage or boldness, and di opposite, ìbẹ̀rù or cowardice, plus anoda related group of proverb-dem on toughness, invulnerability, and ability to bear suffering without breaking. If person read dem togeder, dem dey treat courage not just as feeling, but as someting wey person fit see and test: person dey show courage di way army dey face anoda army, face to face, and person no dey catch coward through accusation, but through sign wey dey show, hesitation, or excuse wey dem make on di spot. Di collection also dey look anoda type of bravery wey hard and quiet pass, di endurance of hardship wey person no fit fight commot, na only to survive am.
Di proverb-dem wey dey under come from Oyekan Owomoyela digitised work The Good Person: Excerpts from the Yorùbá Proverb Treasury, wey University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries Electronic Text Center host, Part 4, "On perseverance, industry, resilience, self-confidence, self-reliance, resourcefulness, daring, fortitude, and invulnerability" Dat page print each proverb for standard orthography with full tone marking, followed by Owomoyela own English translation and usage note inside bracket. For where entry under carry mark, di Yorùbá text and di quoted idiomatic English na Owomoyela own, copied as dem print am. Di literal gloss-dem and di Used when framing na di compiler own, built from di Yorùbá, except for place where dem quote Owomoyela usage note directly. Dat collection come from di same fieldwork as im Yoruba Proverbs (Nebraska, 2005) .
Owomoyela Part 4 wide well-well, and most of di roughly 470 entry-dem dey touch perseverance, hardworking spirit, and resourcefulness for normal work and trade instead of courage as itself: proverb-dem about serious farming, careful trading, and lazyness of lazy person, wey none of dem dey talk about fear or bravery, dem commot dem completely from dis file. Di forty-six proverb-dem wey dem gather here na di ones where fear, boldness, toughness, or endurance during trouble na di main point wey dem dey make, no be just di setting. None of dem repeat di proverb-dem wey dey already for yoruba-owe-proverbs or for owe-iwa-character, including di latter own Ìwà ọ̀lẹ ḿba ọ̀lẹ lẹ́rù (coward own character dey make am fear), Dídán lẹyẹlé ńdán kú, and Ọwọ́ ẹni la fi ńtú ìwà ara ẹni ṣe, wey dem cross-reference instead of repeating dem.
Literal: Ẹ̀rù kì í ba igbó fear does-not afflict the-forest, bẹ́ẹ̀ni kì í ba odò nor does-it afflict the-river; ẹ̀rù kì í ba ọlọ lójú ata fear does-not afflict the-grindstone in-the-face-of pepper.
Idiomatic: "The forest knows no fear, and neither does the river know fear; the grind-stone never shows fear in the face of pepper."
Meaning: Person wey get value dey face wetin come front of am di way dis three tins dey do, without any sign of shaking.
Used when: Owomoyela: "A worthy person should not give way to fear"
Notes: Di three example-dem dey increase for how dem fit: forest and river just big pass wetin fit show fear, but stone wey dem dey take grind pepper dey actively grind pepper wey suppose pepper person eye, so di third image change passive calmness enta active engagement with di exact tin wey suppose hurt. Dat movement from not caring go reach confrontation na di main argument of di proverb.
Literal: Ẹ̀rù kì í ba orí fear does-not afflict the-head kó sá wọnú such-that it-flees into-the-inside.
Idiomatic: "The head is never so frightened that it disappears into the shoulder."
Meaning: No matter how di fear big reach, di part of person body wey dey open no dey pull back from where e dey.
Used when: Owomoyela: "One should be brave enough to meet one's fate"
Notes: Orí dey do double work here, di literal head wey no fit pull back enta neck and di inner head or destiny wey dem discuss across di corpus proverb-dem on orí; reading wey dey watchful of di two meaning dey hear say di proverb dey advise person make e balance before physical danger and wetin destiny don write. See owe-head-face-ori on di wider meaning of orí as body part and as destiny.
Literal: Ẹ̀rù ogun fear of-war kì í ba does-not afflict jagun-jagun a-warrior.
Idiomatic: "Fear of battle never afflicts a warrior."
Meaning: Person trade dey define wetin people no must see say e dey fear.
Used when: Owomoyela: "One should be bold in pursuing one's goals"
Notes: Jagun-jagun na reduplicated agent noun wey dem build on jà ogun, to fight war, so di proverb dey talk wetin close to tautology, warrior na di exact person wey by definition no suppose get war-fear, and e dey use dat near-tautology as di standard wey dem take dey measure di proper fearlessness of any oda pursuit.
Literal: Ogun an-army kì í rí does-not see ẹ̀hìn ogun the-back of-an(other)-army.
Idiomatic: "An army does not see the rear of an(other) army."
Meaning: Two opposing force-dem meet face to face; to retreat no be position wey person take dey handle confrontation properly.
Used when: Owomoyela: "One should face one's adversary squarely"
Notes: Di compression full ground, four words each for di Yorùbá and di English, and di image dey work purely by negation: di proverb never state wetin army dey do, na only wetin e structurally no fit see, wey be di enemy back wey turn face am.
Literal: Labẹ́-labẹ́ the-labẹ́labẹ́-plant ò bẹ̀rù does-not fear ìjà a-fight.
Idiomatic: "The labẹ́labẹ́ plant is not afraid of a fight."
Meaning: To dey ready to face wahala, no be to dey find am, na di character wey dem dey praise.
Used when: Owomoyela: "One is prepared for whatever trouble might come one's way"
Notes: Owomoyela print dis one as shorter version of di full proverb wey dey follow next; di two dey waka as pair, and to pair short form with di longer source na normal ting for dis whole collection.
Literal: Labẹ́-labẹ́ ò bá tìjà wá odò the-labẹ́labẹ́-plant did-not come with-a-fight to-the-river; kanna-kánná ò bá ti ẹ̀kọ wá oko the-crow did-not come with corn-gruel to-the-farm.
Idiomatic: "The labẹ́labẹ́ plant did not come to the river looking for a fight; the crow did not come to the farm in search of corn gruel."
Meaning: Wahala fit meet person wey just dey do im own normal errand, and to dey ready to respond no mean say person go find trouble.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person fit dey mind im business wen dem provoke am; but still, person suppose ready to respond"
Notes: Di two image get di same structure: animal or plant wey dey dere for one normal reason (to grow near water, to find food for farm) wey still no dey unready wen another kind wahala come. Di proverb separate provocation from wen person dey find trouble, na distinction wey entry 5 squeeze comot.
Literal: "Bí mo lè kú ma kú" if I can die let-me die lọmọkùrín fi ńlágbárá is-what a-man uses to-become-strong; "Ng ò lè wáá kú" I cannot go-and die lọmọkùnrín fi ńlẹ is-what a-man uses to-become-lazy(-or-cowardly).
Idiomatic: "'If I must die let me die' is what makes a man strong; 'I simply will not court death' is what makes a man lazy or cowardly."
Meaning: Mind to risk death na wetin dey produce strong character; to refuse to risk anyting dey bring di opposite.
Used when: Dem dey talk am to argue say courage dey make person, but too much caution dey bring am down .
Notes: Ọ̀lẹ, wey dem translate here as "lazy or cowardly," na di same word wey dis corpus translate elsewhere simply as lazy or shiftless (see di laziness cluster for owe-iwa-character and di wider corpus), and di way Owomoyela take explain am twice as "lazy or cowardly" show clearly say Yorùbá dey treat coward and lazy person as di same kind moral character: di two no dey put di effort wey di situation require. Dis proverb na di clearest statement for dis set wey show say dem be di same.
Literal: "Ó kù díẹ̀ kí nwí" a-little remained before I-would-speak: ojo ní ńsọni da cowardice is-what turns-one into-a-turncoat.
Idiomatic: "'I was just on the verge of speaking my mind': it only makes one into a coward."
Meaning: To claim say person almost do someting no be half-mark for courage; na just how cowardice dey sound wen e dey give excuse.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person suppose either enter action or make e stop to dey give excuse"
Notes: Dem put Ojo, wey mean coward or cowardice, immediately after di excuse wey dem quote without any joining explanation, so di way di sentence set dey judge itself: dem talk di excuse, and di judgement follow sharp sharp, na di same style dem use elsewhere for dis corpus wen lie catch person for act (see di quoted-boast proverbs for owe-truthfulness-lying-integrity).
Literal: Ọ̀lẹ́ mọ èèwọ̀ ìjà the-coward knows the-taboo-remedy for-fighting: ó ní bàbá òún ní kóun má jà he says his-father said he-should-not fight lọ́nà oko on-the-road to-the-farm.
Idiomatic: "The coward knows the preventive for fighting: he says his father has ordered him not to fight on the way to the farm."
Meaning: Coward dey keep excuse wey dey ready already, wey nobody fit prove wrong, just to avoid any fight.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Coward go use every excuse to comot body from fight"
Notes: Ọ̀lẹ́ carry both "lazy person" and "coward" again, just like for entry 7. Èèwọ̀ na taboo or prohibition, wey normally be serious religious or family restriction, and di joke na say di coward dey bring up sacred prohibition for wetin clearly be excuse wey e just invent on di spot.
Literal: Ọ̀lẹ́ ní the-coward says ọjọ́ tí òún bá kú the-day he dies òun ó yọ̀ he will-rejoice; ohun tí ojú ọ̀lẹ́ máa rí the-thing that the-coward's-eyes will see kó tó kú ńkọ́ before he dies, what-of-it?
Idiomatic: "The coward says he will rejoice on the day he dies; but what about the woes he will experience before he dies?"
Meaning: Death no dey give coward any escape from di suffering wey im own cowardice don cause am before time.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Death fit give di coward small rest, but e go suffer before death come"
Notes: Owomoyela record dis one as variant of another proverb wey get di same structure about lazy person (Ọ̀lẹ́ ní ọjọ́ tí ikú bá pa òun, inú òhun á dùn), wey still dey confirm say laziness and cowardice dey inside di same category for dis proverb tradition, and di main difference na whether di failure na to work or to fight.
Literal: A-lèjà-má-lè-jà-pẹ́ one-who-can-fight-but-cannot-fight-for-long, ẹlẹgbẹ́ ojo the-equal of-a-coward.
Idiomatic: "He who can fight but cannot fight for long, the equal of a coward."
Meaning: Power to start fight no get value if person no get power to finish am, and person wey get only di first one still be coward anyhow.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Ability to start fight no be anyting like ability to finish am"
Notes: Dis short epithet a-lèjà-má-lè-jà-pẹ́, wey dem build on top di a- agentive prefix wey dey show throughout dis corpus character proverbs, pack whole concession and di reversal of di concession put inside one word: yes, e fit fight, but no be for long, and na dat qualification bring am down go join cowards. Di proverb dey measure courage by how person fit endure for inside contest, no be by readiness to enter am.
Literal: Kìnìún a-lion ò níí ṣàgbákò will-not face-peril-from ẹkùn a-leopard.
Idiomatic: "A lion does not face peril from a leopard."
Meaning: Creature wey get real power simply no get anytin to fear from creature wey just strong ordinary strong.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Di person wey strong pass no get anytin to fear from di one wey weak pass"
Notes: Di two animals na dangerous predators for real life, na wetin make di comparison work: di proverb no dey put strength against weakness for abstract way, but e dey rank two real threat and dey show say di gap between dem still decisive well well.
Literal: Kò ka ikú it does-not count death: àdàbà sùú-sùú the-pigeon flitting-about tí ńjẹ̀ láàrin àṣá that feeds among hawks.
Idiomatic: "It fears not death: the pigeon that forages among hawks."
Meaning: Some creatures, and by extension some people, dey continue dia normal business inside danger wey for hold any oda person down make e no fit move.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Dem dey talk am for people wey dey always find danger"
Notes: Dis one no be like entry 12 wey dey claim say person no fit touch am because e get power pass. Di pigeon no strong pass di hawk; na just say, even as e dey risky, e no send di danger at all, na why Owomoyela note on usage sound like say e dey criticize small instead of to praise am, e near to say person dey reckless pass say e dey brave.
Literal: Àkèekèé ní the-scorpion says òún kúrò ní kòkòrò-o kí nìyí it is-apart-from the-question of-what-kind-of-insect-is-this.
Idiomatic: "Scorpion says that its status transcends what-type-of-insect-is-this?"
Meaning: Creature wey fit genuinely injure person wey underrate am dey reject make dem put am under ordinary category wey no dey harm person.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Size and importance no dey always match; make dem no underrate some people"
Notes: Di style of rhetorical question, "na which kind insect be dis," na di exact question wey person fit ask when e dey look down on scorpion say e no matter, and di proverb put dat kind looking down inside di scorpion own mouth only to reject am. Compare di companion entry for under.
Literal: Àkèekèé the-scorpion rìn travels tapó-tapó accompanied-by-its-quiver-of-venom.
Idiomatic: "The scorpion travels accompanied by venom."
Meaning: Person or creature wey get strong power dey carry wetin e take dey defend body all di time, no be only when trouble dey come.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person wey stand strong no dey ever unready to answer call"
Notes: Tapó, quiver, compare di sting of scorpion to weapon wey warrior carry, wey make di war words wey dem use for oda place for inside dis file (entries 3 and 4) reach insect body, and na part of di humour and part of di point: readiness, no be size, na wetin di proverb dey actually praise.
Literal: Kò sí alápatà there-is-no butcher tí ńpa igún that slaughters the-vulture (for-sale).
Idiomatic: "There is no butcher who slaughters the vulture for sale."
Meaning: Taboo wey forbid people fit protect person from whole category of harm, no be by strength, but by standing prohibition wey make dem untouchable.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Dem forbid some kind actions: person dey beyond di powers of dia enemies"
Notes: Na taboo dey protect vulture for Yorùbá practice, no be say e get any capacity to fight butcher comot, so dis proverb show different way person take dey untouchable, wey different from di poison of scorpion or di lion strength for entries 12 and 14: safety for here dey come from rule wey bind every oda person, no be from di vulture own power.
Literal: Eégún tí ńjẹ orí ẹṣin the-masquerader who eats horse heads, orí àgbò the-head of-a-ram ò lè kò ó láyà cannot daunt him in-the-chest.
Idiomatic: "The masquerader who is accustomed to eating horse heads will not be daunted by ram heads."
Meaning: As person don already face and absorb di harder version of challenge, di one wey easy no dey worry am again.
Used when: Owomoyela note tell di reader make e compare entry 19 .
Notes: Kò láyà, wey mean straight say to hit chest, na di idiom for when dem dey frighten or intimidate person, so di proverb dey talk in physical way say di smaller challenge no even fit land blow on top person wey di bigger one don already harden. Check entry 19 for di pair image with di sea and di lagoon, wey Owomoyela cross-reference directly to dis proverb.
Literal: Kí ní ḿbẹ nínú isà what is there inside the-grave tí yó ba òkú lẹ́rù that would frighten a-corpse?
Idiomatic: "What is there in the grave to frighten a corpse?"
Meaning: Person wey don already reach di worst possible state no get any oda tin left to fear from am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "No tin dey come wey person no fit handle"
Notes: Di form of rhetorical question, wey nobody fit answer by design, na di same device dem use for entry 14; for here e give di most direct statement say fear no dey at all, since dead body by definition don pass di reach of any further harm wey grave fit hold.
Literal: Ojú tó ti rókun the-eyes that have seen-the-ocean ò ní rọ́sà will-not see-the-lagoon kó bẹ̀rù and be-afraid.
Idiomatic: "The eyes that have seen the ocean will not tremble at the sight of the lagoon."
Meaning: Pesin wey don survive di biggest kind of danger no go dey troubled by smaller one.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Once pesin don survive serious danger, small wahala no go really shake am"
Notes: Owomoyela connect dis one to entry 17 (di masquerader horse head and ram head) and to anoda proverb wey use gbẹ̀lẹ̀dẹ́ masquerade for di same role as di ultimate thing wey pesin fit see; di three of dem dey build di same argument from different areas, waka for sea, warfare, and ritual performance, wey dey show say di main point, say di level of wetin pesin don pass through before dey determine how e dey fear things now, na wetin Yorùbá speakers dey use well well sotey dem need many idioms for am.
Literal: Ìgbín the-snail kọ rejects mímì ejò being-swallowed by-a-snake.
Idiomatic: "The snail rejects the fate of being swallowed by a snake."
Meaning: Creature wey look like say e no get any defence at all, get protection against di one predator wey people for normally expect say go catch am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Some danger dey wey pesin get protection against"
Notes: Di shell of di snail specifically dey stop di way snake dey swallow things, so di protection na matter of how e body dey and e dey specific instead of general toughness, na di same difference dis proverb share with entry 21 below.
Literal: Ìkọ́ a-snare kì í kọ́ ejò lẹ́sẹ̀ does-not catch a-snake by-the-leg.
Idiomatic: "A snare never catches a snake in the leg."
Meaning: Trap wey dem build for creatures wey get leg simply no fit work against creature wey no get leg at all.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Pesin go dey safe from any danger"
Notes: As e dey for entry 20, di invulnerability na mechanical matter instead of matter of strength or courage: di snake dey safe because dat whole kind of leg-trap no fit hold am at all, wey be different kind of safety from di lion or di warrior safety for di entries above.
Literal: Ìríkúrìí the-seeing-of-horrible-things kì í fọ́ ojú does-not blind the-eyes.
Idiomatic: "Evil sights do not make the eyes go blind."
Meaning: To see terrible thing, no matter how e disturb pesin reach, no dey automatically incapacitate di pesin wey see am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Nothing dey wey dey come wey pesin no fit withstand"
Notes: Dis proverb dey talk about endurance of shock instead of physical toughness: di eyes still dey work, wey stand for di point say pesin ability to continue no dey actually get destroyed by di worst thing wey e fit see. Compare entry 33 below, wey make almost di same point using di same organ.
Literal: Oríta mẹ́ta a-crossroads of-three-roads ò kọnnú ẹbọ does-not fear the-inside-of a-sacrificial-offering.
Idiomatic: "A crossroads where three roads meet is not afraid of sacrificial offerings."
Meaning: Place, or pesin, wey don master to dey receive wetin go disturb odas dey treat am like normal business instead of threat.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Pesin no dey fear anytin wey fit happen"
Notes: Di crossroads na di customary place for dropping sacrifice and for propitiating Èṣù, so wetin for look like bad omen, sacrifice wey dey pile up for junction, na instead di crossroads normal condition, and di fearlessness for di proverb na really matter of over-familiarity with one specific ritual danger.
Literal: Ìrókò o-nígun-mẹ́rìn-dín-lógún an-ìrókò-log with-sixteen-edges ò tó erin-ín gbémì is-not-enough for-an-elephant to-swallow, áḿbọ̀ǹtorí ìtóò a-lara-boro-boro much-less something-of-a-smooth-slippery-body.
Idiomatic: "An ìrókò stick with sixteen edges is nothing for an elephant to swallow, much less the melon fruit with a smooth body."
Meaning: Creature wey harder, jagged obstacle no fit defeat definitely no go stop because of easier, smoother one.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Pesin wey formidable obstacle no defeat definitely no go stop because of minor irritant"
Notes: Di reasoning clearly follow a fortiori pattern, wey dey move from di harder case (log wey get sixteen edges) to di easier one (smooth melon), di same logical shape like entries 17 and 19, but e dey stated here as physical fact about swallowing instead of remembered experience.
Literal: Àràbà ńlá a-huge silk-cotton-tree fojú di àáké looks-with-eyes belittling the-axe.
Idiomatic: "The huge sik-cotton tree belittles the axe."
Meaning: Obstacle wey big reach fit look di tool wey dem wan use bring am down with something like contempt.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Na mighty pesin fit defy powerful force"
Notes: Fojú di, to look down on with eye, dey personify di tree as active party for di confrontation, no be passive object wey just dey wait make dem cut am down, wey shift di proverb from statement about size to statement about attitude under threat.
Literal: Ṣàngó Ṣàngó ò lè pa cannot kill igi ńlá a-huge tree.
Idiomatic: "Ṣàngó cannot destroy a huge tree."
Meaning: Even di òrìṣà of lightning and thunder, wey routinely dey split ordinary trees, no fit bring down di biggest ones.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Pesin wey substantial and stand well fit withstand adversity pass weaklings"
Notes: Ṣàngó's lightning na di normal tin wey dem dey expect say go destroy tree for Yorùbá bilif, wey make am say to call im name specifically, instead of just any kind storm, make di point sharp well well: dis one no be say person escape danger wey no likely happen, but say person escape di main danger wey everybody bin dey tink say go finish am. Check owe-orisa-tradition-speech for more proverbs wey mention Ṣàngó.
Literal: Ìkòkò tí yó jẹ ata the-pot that will eat pepper(-stew) ìdí ẹ̀ á gbóná its-bottom will become-hot.
Idiomatic: "The pot that wishes to eat pepper (stew) will first endure a scalded bottom."
Meaning: Di beta tin wey person dey look for, you no fit separate am from di wahala of di process wey produce am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Beta tins dey come only afta heavy hard work or suffer"
Notes: Di pot no dey choose to chop pepper stew; na inside di pot dem dey cook di stew, so di picture wey di proverb dey show quietly make di point say di suffer no be by-chance tin wey just follow di beta result, but na di main way wey dey produce am, as na fire wey dey under pot dey cook di stew at all.
Literal: O ní kí o gbó ogbó Olúàṣo you pray that you live-to-the-old-age of-Olúàṣo; o lè jìyà bí Olúàṣo can-you suffer like Olúàṣo?
Idiomatic: "You pray to live as long as Olúàṣo, but can you endure the trials of Olúàṣo?"
Meaning: To wish for wetin person life show for outside no be di same tin as to dey ready to bear wetin dat life really cost.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Anybody wey want di kind glory wey anoda person dey enjoy must also dey ready to bear any wahala wey dat person don bear"
Notes: Olúàṣo look like person wey dem know for both long life and wahala, even dough person no fit know di full tori from Owomoyela page alone; di power of di proverb no depend on knowing di full details, na only on how di agreement wey e describe take stand.
Literal: Bí ẹrú yó bàá jẹ ìfun if a-slave would eat intestines, ibi ẹ̀dọ̀ ní-í tí ḿbẹ̀rẹ̀ it-is at the-liver that-they begin.
Idiomatic: "A slave that would eat intestines must begin with the liver."
Meaning: To reach di part of bad work wey easy small to bear, person must first pass through di part wey bad pass.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person must bear wahala before e reach wetin e want"
Notes: Dis proverb belong to di historical words wey dey follow Yorùbá domestic slavery mata, and di picture wey e bring, say slave person wey dem give only di meat part wey no get value and tell am make e chop dem for one particular order, dey record di normal everyday detail of dat system instead of just making up example; di proverb take real way dem dey arrange food make general point about how to arrange wahala order by order.
Literal: Bí ìṣẹ́ bá ńṣẹ́ ọ̀dọ́ láṣẹ̀ẹ́jù if destitution afflicts a-youth excessively, kó lọ sígbó erin let-him go to-the-forest of-elephants; bó bá pa erin if-he kills an-elephant ìṣẹ́-ẹ rẹ̀ a tán his destitution will-end; bí erín bá pá a if the-elephant kills him, ìṣẹ́-ẹ rẹ̀ a tán his destitution will-end.
Idiomatic: "If a youth is in the grips of excessive privations, he should go after an elephant; if he kills an elephant his privations will be over; if an elephant kills him, his privations will be over."
Meaning: When suffer don too heavy, to take dangerous gamble come make sense because any of di two results go still end di suffer.
Used when: Owomoyela: "People wey dey tight corner suppose do desperate tins; whatever come out of am, e no go worse pass how e dey before"
Notes: Di sense wey dey di proverb dark well well instead of to give person hope: e no promise di youth say e go succeed, e only mean say death sef na acceptable way to settle poverty wey don too worse, wey be harder talk pass di normal Yorùbá proverbs wey dey praise person to hold body because of beta reward wey go come later.
Literal: Ìpọ́njú àgbẹ̀ a-farmer's affliction ò ju ọdún kan does-not exceed one year.
Idiomatic: "A farmer's suffering will not last longer than a year."
Meaning: Wahala wey follow how nature dey rotate get limit wey already dey inside am, because di cycle itself go still turn.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Every setback get end"
Notes: Di farming year give di proverb clear limit wey person fit check, instead of just vague promise say e go beta later, wey make am different from proverbs about endurance wey no get clear boundary like entry 32.
Literal: Ìṣẹ́ tó ṣẹ́ ọmọ lógún ọdún the-destitution that has-afflicted a-child for-twenty years, ìyà tó jẹ ọmọ lọ́gbọ̀n oṣù the-suffering that has-fed-on a-child for-thirty months, bí kò pa ọmọ if it-does-not kill the-child, a sì lẹ́hìn ọmọ it-should then leave-the-back-of the-child.
Idiomatic: "The poverty that has plagued a child for twenty years, the suffering that has been the fate of a child for thirty months, if it does not kill the child it should leave the child in peace."
Meaning: Long suffer wey fail to destroy person don, through im own failure, lose di right wey e get over di person.
Used when: Owomoyela: "To endure dey eventually end all suffer"
Notes: Di two time span, twenty years and thirty months, dem no join dem make dem be one single number, wey look like say e no be careless writing but two different proverb wey dem fuse into one, where each one dey bring its own measure of very long suffering. Di logic of di proverb (say if person survive e no suppose suffer again) na moral claim dem dey make, no be guarantee, and real Yorùbá life clear well well say e no always happen like dat; e dey serve as comfort instead of prediction.
Literal: Ojú rẹ́gbin kò fọ́ the-eye looks-on-filth and-does-not go-blind: a-jọ̀pọ̀-ìyà-má-rù one-who-bears-a-heap-of-suffering-without-wasting-away.
Idiomatic: "The eye looks on a filthy sight and does not go blind: 'like' one who sustains a succession of sufferings without wasting away."
Meaning: Person fit take plenty bad luck wey gather together and still dey intact, di same way eye dey still see road after e look wetin bad.
Used when: Owomoyela: "With resilience one will overcome all problems"
Notes: Di short title a-jọ̀pọ̀-ìyà-má-rù, wey dem build di same way as entry 11 a-lèjà-má-lè-jà-pẹ́, dey name di resilient person by describing their whole situation with one word, heap of suffering wey person carry without wasting away, wey be di same rhetorical style wey character proverbs inside dis collection dey use for other places (check di à- and a- agentive constructions wey dem discuss inside owe-iwa-character).
Literal: Ojú ti kókó the-face has-shamed the-lump, ojú ti eéwo the-face has-shamed the-boil; ojú ti aáràgbá ìdí pẹ̀lú the-face has-shamed the-hardened-tissue of-the-buttocks also.
Idiomatic: "The lump that attacks the head is shamed, the boil is shamed, and the hardened tissue on the buttocks is shamed also."
Meaning: Di sickness or trouble wey attack person na dem shame dey catch, no be di person wey carry dem and still continue regardless.
Used when: Owomoyela note see dis one as "assertion of defiance in the face of adversity"
Notes: Di proverb turn di direction of shame wey person dey expect: normally sickness wey clear for body dey bring shame to di person wey carry am, but here na di sickness itself dey get shame, probably because e fail to break di person wey dey carry am. All di three sickness wey dem name, lump for head, boil, and hard skin from sitting or work, na chronic, low-level, everyday hardship instead of dramatic ones, wey fit wetin di proverb really dey talk about, ordinary endurance instead of heroic crisis.
Literal: Ẹni tí eégún ńlé the-one whom a-masquerader is-chasing kó máa rọ́jú should keep-enduring; bó ti ńrẹ ará ayé just-as it-tires the-person-of-the-world, bẹ́ẹ̀ ní ńrẹ ará ọ̀run so-too it-tires the-being-of-heaven.
Idiomatic: "The person being chased by a masquerader should persevere; just as an earthling tires, so does the being from heaven."
Meaning: Even person wey get supernatural power wey dey pursue somebody dey tire for body, so di endurance of di person wey dem dey pursue no be hopeless contest.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Perseverance solves all problems"
Notes: Dem understand Eégún masquerade during performance say na ancestral spirits wey dey temporarily among di living, so ará ọ̀run, di being of heaven, dey name di supernatural status wey di masquerader claim directly; di reassurance wey di proverb dey give depend on treating dat status as real and then noting say even dat status no dey excuse di person wey wear am from getting tired, one small irreverent practical reasoning about figure wey dem normally treat with serious ritual respect.
Literal: Ìrọ́jú ni ohun gbogbo perseverance is everything; ojoojúmọ́ ní ńrẹni every-single-day is-when one-grows-tired.
Idiomatic: "Perseverance is everything; one gets tired daily."
Meaning: To persist na wetin matter, and di proverb agree at di same time say persistence na everyday work against everyday tiredness, no be one-time act of will.
Used when: Owomoyela: "One should not fold up in the face of the first trial"
Notes: Di second clause make di first one no be just empty encouragement: dem no present perseverance as something wey no dey take effort once person start am, and di proverb dey honest say tiredness dey come back every day instead of say person go defeat am once and for all. Compare entry 37 companion form, wey Owomoyela cross-reference to dis one.
Literal: Ìyànjú là ńgbà effort is-what one-takes-up; bí a ò gbìyànjú if one does-not make-an-effort bí ọ̀lẹ là ńrí like a-lazy-or-cowardly-person one appears; ojoojúmọ́ ní ńrẹni every-single-day one-grows-tired.
Idiomatic: "One simply makes an effort; if one does not make an effort one seems like a shiftless person; one copes with weariness daily."
Meaning: Di clear difference between person wey get resilience and coward or lazy person no be say tiredness no dey, but na di decision to still act through am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "In spite of weariness, one must still make a decent effort at one's calling"
Notes: Ọ̀lẹ carry dat double meaning again wey dem note for entries 7 and 9, and here di proverb talk wetin dose entries imply clearly: di alternative to effort wey dey endure no be neutral rest, but one clear category, lazy person or coward, wey person go fall enter by default once dem stop.
Literal: Dùndún the-talking-drum fọ̀ràn gbogbo with-every matter ṣàpamọ́ra keeps-composed-and-restrained.
Idiomatic: "The talking drum endures all matters without complaint."
Meaning: Anything wey dem do to di drum, no matter how hard dem beat am, wetin e go give back na disciplined performance instead of protest.
Dey use am wen: Owomoyela: "E better make person endure with strong heart"
Wetin to note: The whole work of talking drum na make dem dey beat am, again and again with real pawa, so dat e go fit produce im tonal sound; so the picture wey the proverb draw accurate: the way drum take dey endure no be by chance or by mistake, but na so dem make am to be, an instrument wey no go fit do im work at all if e no take all the beating.
Literal: Bí ó pẹ́ títí however-long it-takes, akólòlò á pe baba the-stammerer will call father.
Idiomatic: "However long it may take, the stammerer will eventually say, 'Father.'"
Wetin e mean: Wahala wey person face against real obstacle, if person hold body reach well, e go reach wetin e dey find.
Dey use am wen: Owomoyela: "With perseverance, person go fit finish even the hardest work at last"
Wetin to note: Dem pick Bàbá, papa, as the main word wey stammerer dey struggle to talk because na one of the first and simplest words wey pikin suppose fit call, so the proverb dey measure the stammerer im endurance against the ordinary thing wey any other normal pikin dey do without sweat, and this one dey show the real weight of the difficulty instead of to make am soft.
Literal: Ẹní bá ńjẹ òbúkọ tó gbójú whoever eats a-he-goat that has-grown-bold, yó jẹ àgùtàn tó yọ̀wo will eat a-sheep that has-sprouted-horns.
Idiomatic: "Whoever is used to eating full-grown he-goats will eat lambs that have sprouted horns."
Wetin e mean: Person wey don dey break normal rule before, people go expect say e go break the special type of dat rule too.
Dey use am wen: Owomoyela: "Person wey people know say e get mind to do bold things, people go always expect say e go break tradition; person no fit cure habit wey don enter body"
Wetin to note: Sheep wey get horn and he-goat wey get mind na special strange things wey person suppose notice, and Owomoyela im note take the pattern as ordinary observation instead of praise, e closer to entry 13 im doubt about pigeon among hawks pass the full approval wey dem give warrior or scorpion for early part of this file: to get mind here dey bend towards deep habit wey no dey choose road pass say na well-planned response to danger.
Literal: Ìjà ò mọ ẹ̀gbọ́n a-fight does-not know the-elder-sibling, ó sọ àbúrò dakin it makes the-younger-sibling into-a-hero.
Idiomatic: "Fighting knows not who is the elder; it makes a hero of the younger."
Wetin e mean: Inside fight or physical contest, who elder pass no matter at all; na skill and strong mind dey decide who win, no matter who senior.
Dey use am wen: Owomoyela: "For some situations, skill pass age"
Wetin to note: Owomoyela link this one to Owó ò mọ ẹ̀gbọ́n, ó sọ àbúrò dàgbà wey almost be the same, say money no dey know elder and e dey lift younger person up, wey join money and fighting together as the two powers inside Yorùbá social life wey people understand say dey override age seniority wey normally strong well well. Dat joining na clear evidence about where the proverb tradition dey put exception to who senior pass.
Literal: Obìnrin tí yó fẹ̀ẹ́ alágbára a-woman who would marry a-formidable-man, ọkàn kan ní ḿmú one heart is-what-she-holds.
Idiomatic: "A woman who would marry a formidable man must have an unwavering mind."
Wetin e mean: To attach body to person wey get real power or danger, person need to hold im own ground steady, no be just quick decision wey go soon disappear.
Dey use am wen: Owomoyela: "Once person don make decision for important matter, e suppose stand ground well"
Wetin to note: Ọkàn kan, one heart, na the standard Yorùbá idiom for strong mind and single focus; the proverb extend the courage words inside this file, wey dem use for warriors and dangerous creatures elsewhere, bring am enter family decision like marriage, wey dey treat resolve as character wey person dey carry enter marriage instead of wetin marriage dey give person.
Literal: Àro-ó pẹ́ lóko Àro stayed-long on-the-farm, kò tún mọ ìlù-ú lù he-no-longer knows how-to-beat the-drum.
Idiomatic: "Àro stayed so long on the farm that he forgot how to beat the drum."
Wetin e mean: Skill or strong mind wey person no dey practice dey weak, even for person wey bin get am before.
Dey use am wen: Owomoyela: "If person abandon im work reach long time, e go forget how to do am well"
Wetin to note: Dem put am here because e make the triumphant entries inside this file complex: courage and sharp competence inside this corpus no be things wey dem treat as permanent character wey person get once and for all, but as something wey person must continue to practice, just as entry 36 insist say perseverance na everyday work, no be one-time thing.
Literal: Kí á gbé ọkọ́ so sájà to hang the-hoe up-in-the-loft ká pète ìmẹ́lẹ́ and plan idleness; ojúgun-ún yó tán the-shin will-eat its-fill ó fikùn sẹ́hìn and grow-a-stomach at-its-back.
Idiomatic: "Hiding the hoe in the loft and contriving to shirk work; the shin ate its fill and developed a stomach at its back."
Wetin e mean: Person wey run from the hard work wey task need still dey expect, in a foolish way, make e share from wetin only dat hard work fit produce.
Dey use am wen: Owomoyela: "Dem dey talk am about people wey dey run from work but dey rush to collect reward"
Wetin to note: The strange picture, shin wey grow belle where belle no suppose dey, show say wetin the lazy person dey expect na impossible thing for body, the same kind style wey dey inside the pool proverbs about lazy people elsewhere inside this corpus; the proverb belong here as the opposite example wey the endurance and daring proverbs inside this file use define themselves.
Literal: Ebè kan ṣoṣo a-single farm-heap àkùrọ́ excuses one kúrò ní from "Mo fẹ́rẹ̀ẹ́ ṣíwọ́" "I am almost done."
Idiomatic: "A single heap on the farm does not warrant 'I am just about done.'"
Meaning: To try once, even if na from heart e comot, no mean say work wey hard don finish, and to claim say e don finish na rush.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The first step is not nearly the completion of a long journey"
Notes: Dem put am for di end of dis section because e dey correct wrong understanding wey pesin fit get from di entries wey dey praise people pass: for dis tradition, endurance and bold face na wetin dem dey measure across whole work or pesin whole life, no be sometin wey dem dey credit pesin for just one dramatic thing wey e do, wey be di same warning wey entry 43 give about skill through different image.
Literal: Ojú là ńrọ́ one's-best is-what-one puts-forth; ògó ṣòro-ó ṣe a-heroic-deed is-hard to-do.
Idiomatic: "One only tries one's best; heroic deeds do not come easy."
Meaning: Wetin pesin fit reasonably ask from person na make e try im best from im heart, no be to guarantee say e must achieve heroic result.
Used when: Owomoyela connect dis one to entry 37 .
Notes: Dem mention Ògó, wey be heroic or extraordinary action, and explicitly show say e hard, wey make dis proverb no just turn to simple encouragement: e no promise say to try hard go produce heroism, e only talk say to try hard na di whole thing wey pesin owe. As closing note to di file, e dey bring down instead of to crown di courage and endurance wey dem praise for di forty-five entries before am, and dat kind bringing down na normal way dis proverb tradition dey treat im own claims.
Two things stand out across dis forty-six proverbs wey pesin no go see if na only one proverb e look.
Dem dey treat cowardice and laziness as one moral failure, no be two. Ọ̀lẹ́, di word wey dis corpus translate for other places simply as lazy or shiftless person, dey do double work throughout dis file: Owomoyela own translations render am as "coward" as often as "lazy person" (entries 7, 9, 10, 37), and di excuse of coward for entry 9 and di excuse of lazy person for companion proverb from owe-iwa-character (Ìwà ọ̀lẹ ḿba ọ̀lẹ lẹ́rù) share di exact same grammar of self-justification. Yorùbá proverb-speech no appear to separate sharply between pesin wey no wan work and pesin wey no wan fight; di two of dem hold back effort wey situation demand, and dem dey use di same word call di two. Dis one na real finding about di moral vocabulary, no be translation mistake, since e dey appear across plenty independent proverbs instead of to depend on only one ambiguous word.
To dey beyond harm for dis corpus no dey always depend on power alone. If pesin read entries 12 to 26 together, dem show at least four different ways wey pesin or animal dey take dey safe from harm: power wey pass di other (lion over leopard), body wey dem build in a way wey di threat no fit touch am (snail shell, snake wey no get leg), weapon wey pesin dey carry every time (scorpion poison), and standing taboo wey remove creature from whole category of danger (vulture wey butcher no fit kill). Di proverbs no mix these mechanisms together, and reader wey arrange dem into single doctrine say "na strong people dey safe" go flatten set of proverbs wey dey actually precise about di different-different ways dem fit secure safety.
Di third pattern dey worth to mention because e make di file complex instead of to just confirm am: plenty of di closing entries, especially 39, 43, 45, and 46, dey actively resist to turn dis collection into plain praise of grit. Courage inside these proverbs na wetin pesin dey practice every day and pesin fit lose am if e no use am; single effort no dey clear whole obligation; and even to try pesin real best, dem separate am clearly from heroic deed, wey di tradition agree plainly say e no dey easy at all. Di proverbs wey dey praise fearlessness and di proverbs wey dey warn say fearlessness hard, e no dey always dey, and pesin no fit secure am completely, sit down side by side for Owomoyela source without dem trying to force dem agree, and dis one match how dis whole corpus dey treat proverbs generally: as tools wey dem pick for particular occasion, no be clauses inside one settled account of wetin courage be.
Fifty-eight Yorùbá proverbs on character, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.
Forty-three Yorùbá proverbs on sùúrù, patience, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.
Fifty Yorùbá proverbs on foolishness, wisdom as practical judgement, and the way experience, not instruction alone, is what actually teaches.
Forty Yorùbá proverbs on war as an institution, the warrior's obligations, cowardice and boasting, and what battle exposes about a person, 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.