Òwe on Laziness, Waste and Improvidence
Seventy Yorùbá proverbs on the idler, the shirker and the squanderer, each with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation it is spoken in.
intermediatehigh·
Loading…
Seventy Yorùbá proverbs on the idler, the shirker and the squanderer, each with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation it is spoken in.
The Yorùbá wey dem quote, the proverbs, oríkì, ẹsẹ Ifá, word list headwords, Odù names and citations dey exactly as the corpus record dem, for every language.
Ọ̀lẹ na lazy person, and di Yorùbá proverb collection no treat am like person wey just dey disappoint small, but like person wey don receive judgement already. Dis file gather seventy proverb wey talk about idleness, work-dodging, and how person dey squander money: wetin laziness dey do to body, how lazy person dey explain imself, wetin im family and town dey do am, and wetin separate person wey dey waste im money from person wey just spend am. Di main point wey clear across di whole set na say poverty and suffering na wetin person manufacture by imself, no be say e just happen to am, and wetin lazy person talk say cause im wahala na di exact tin wey di proverbs reject pass.
Di proverbs dey inside Owomoyela text and translation except if dem mention another source. Di explanation for bracket wey Owomoyela write on how to use dem na wetin dem use write di Used when lines, and anywhere wey na im exact words dey, dem put am inside quotation marks. Anything wey dem mark as compiler own na dis corpus add am and e no dey as solid.
Di Yorùbá text dem for under dey exactly as Owomoyela print dem inside di digitized Good Person collection, with standard spelling, full tone marks and under-dots . Dat collection present im Yorùbá as character-by-character image encoding instead of plain text, and na directly from dat encoding dem take bring out di words wey dey here, so forms like ḿpọ̀lẹ and lọ̀lẹ́ show as dem print dem instead of normalised citation form. Owomoyela keep how people dey cut words short for normal speech and e put hyphen join compressed noun phrases, like for A-fasẹ́-gbèjò and Ọ̀-jẹ-wọ̀mù-wọ̀mù-kú-wọ̀mù-wọ̀mù, and dis work follow dat same style.
No proverb for dis file get diacritics wey compiler add by imself. Anywhere wey Owomoyela own English use quotation marks inside translation to show word wey e add instead of translate, like for entries 22, 43 and 51, di marks na im own.
Owomoyela refuse to put name of any particular person wey tell am di proverbs, because e believe say proverb na property of everybody for community . Because of dat, di proverbs get proof say people dey use dem, but dem no get date or particular place wey dem come from, except where internal marker like cowrie money or Quranic school allow person guess roughly where or when e happen.
Literal: Ọ̀lẹ laziness, baba àrùn father of-disease.
Idiomatic: "Laziness, father of all diseases."
Meaning: Na laziness be di source wey all other sickness and trouble come from.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Laziness is worse than any disease" Dem dey talk am to person wey dey use say body dey pain am take excuse say e no fit work.
Notes: Three words, no verb. Di baba X formula, "father of X," na di standard Yorùbá way to call sometin di root or oga for im group, and e appear again for entries 43 and 44 inside dis file with different subjects. How e put ọ̀lẹ as ancestor to disease instead of ordinary sickness na wetin give di proverb im power: laziness no be just one sickness among others, but na wetin dey produce dem.
Literal: Ọ̀lẹ èèyàn a-lazy person ò rí ayé wá has-not found a-world to-come-to.
Idiomatic: "A lazy person has found no world to come to."
Meaning: No world dey where lazy person life go make sense.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The lot of a lazy person in this world is misery"
Notes: Rí ayé wá word-for-word mean to find world come, wey be di normal Yorùbá way to talk about how dem take born person enter life. Di proverb say di lazy person no even manage arrive at all, wey heavy pass just to talk say im life hard: e deny am di level of person wey really show face well for dis world.
Literal: Ìyà tó ńjẹ ọ̀lẹ the-suffering that is-eating the-lazy-one ò kéré is-not small; a-lápá-má-ṣiṣẹ́ one-who-has-arms-and-does-not-work.
Idiomatic: "The malaise that afflicts the lazy person is not trifling; one-who-has-arms-that-will-not-work."
Meaning: Idleness na serious condition, and im name na to get hand and leg wey person no dey use.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Laziness is a great affliction"
Notes: Jẹ, to chop, na di normal verb for suffering wey dey catch person, so di suffering dey chop di lazy person finish instead of just to visit am. Di second part na title wey dem build on top di a- ... má- pattern wey dey turn whole sentence to name, and e dey act here like sickness name wey dem state as title. Compare am with di oríkì-form titles for entries 33, 34 and 57.
Literal: Ọ̀lẹ́ kákò the-lazy-one curls-up, ó di òjòjò it becomes an-ailment.
Idiomatic: "The lazy person curls up, and his condition becomes a serious ailment."
Meaning: Wetin start like ordinary body-heavy dey turn enter real sickness wey make person no fit do anything.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The simplest tasks become impossible undertakings for the lazy person"
Notes: Kákò na how body bend or fold up, and òjòjò na sickness wey dey drag for body instead of one wey just catch person sharply. Di proverb describe di process instead of just to give final judgement: di folding-body come first, and na from inside am dem manufacture di sickness. Read am together with entry 5, wey extend di same observation to how long di sickness dey last.
Literal: Òjòjò ọ̀lẹ the-lazy-one's ailment ò tán bọ̀rọ̀ does-not end easily; ọ̀lẹ́ bà á tì when the-lazy-one is-cornered ó dáná orí he makes-a-fire for-the-head.
Idiomatic: "A lazy person's illness is not soon over; the lazy person finds no way out and prepares a fire to warm his head."
Meaning: Lazy person sickness dey last only as long as e dey useful for am, and when dem corner am, na only small careless effort e go put.
Used when: Owomoyela: "A lazy person will use every excuse to avoid any obligation, and when he cannot avoid it, his fulfillment of it is always pitiable"
Notes: Bà á tì mean say road don close for person, say space no dey again. To warm head for fire na sign say person dey nurse body, so wetin lazy person dey do wen ground tight na to act like say e dey recover instead make e work. The proverb join two accusation: the sickness na fake, and the recovery self na fake.
Literal: Ọ̀lẹ́ fẹ́ àrùn kù the-lazy-one wanted a-disease and-it-was-lacking, ó bú pùrù sẹ́kún he burst suddenly into-weeping.
Idiomatic: "The lazy person cannot find a disease to contract, he bursts into tears."
Meaning: Wen excuse no even dey again, lazy person go just start to show grief.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Lazy person go prefer catch sickness pass make e agree work"
Notes: Bú pùrù na ideophonic phrase for wetin just burst out at once, and dem dey use am for tears and laugh alike, and how e take burst out suddenly na wetin bring the comedy. The proverb assume say the person wey dey hear am already know say lazy person dey look for sickness everywhere, na why e be say wen e no see any, e come funny instead make e sad.
Literal: Ọ̀lẹ́ kún àárẹ̀ lọ́wọ́ laziness fills weariness in-the-hand.
Idiomatic: "Laziness lends weariness a hand."
Meaning: Tiredness and laziness dey add power give each other.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Laziness dey often contribute to weariness"
Notes: Kún ... lọ́wọ́, to fill person hand, na the normal idiom for helping person. This proverb calm down pass other ones for this set, and e gree say tiredness real, but e only talk say laziness dey make am worse, wey be different and more careful claim pass wetin entry 3 talk.
Literal: Ọ̀lẹ́ ní the-lazy-one says ọjọ́ tí ikú bá pa òun the-day that Death kills him, inú òhun á dùn his inside will be-sweet. Ikú ní Death says òun ó jẹ̀ẹ́ kí ojú ẹ̀ rí màbo he will make his eyes see hardship.
Idiomatic: "The lazy person says on the day he dies, he will be happy. Death says he will visit him (the lazy person) with suffering that is out of this world."
Meaning: Lazy person dey look death as way to escape, but dem tell am say e no be escape.
Used when: Owomoyela: "No way dey for lazy person to avoid suffering"
Notes: The proverb na two-turn dialogue, shape wey Yorùbá dey use well-well, and the second speaker na Death personified wey dey answer back. Inú dùn, the inside sweet, na the standard idiom for joy. The bracket "(the lazy person)" wey Owomoyela put na him own clarification for the pronoun. The rhetorical structure block every exit: the only place wey lazy person call say e go run go, the person wey dey inside don collect am commot for him hand.
Literal: Ẹ̀tẹ́ disgrace bá ọ̀lẹ meets the-lazy-one.
Idiomatic: "Disgrace comes upon the shiftless."
Meaning: Public disgrace na wetin lazy person must surely meet for end.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Disgrace dey follow laziness"
Notes: Three words, no beating around the bush. Ẹ̀tẹ́ na disgrace for the specific sense of person losing respect wey people dey see, wey different from private guilt, and na im be the main term for the Yorùbá proverbs about lack of moderation generally. The verb bá, to meet or reach person, show say the disgrace dey travel come meet the person instead of say na somebody cause am put for him body.
Literal: Òkú ọ̀lẹ a-lazy-one's corpse ò ní pósí does-not have a-coffin.
Idiomatic: "A lazy person's corpse does not merit a coffin."
Meaning: The kind burial wey person get dey depend on the kind life wey e live.
Used when: Owomoyela record two meaning: "Person no dey receive for death the kind treatment wey him life no work for; or, Wetin person plant na wetin e go reap"
Notes: Pósí na loanword for imported wooden coffin, wey place this proverb after dem bring that burial furniture come, and show say na relatively late proverb. People wey remain dey do Yorùbá burial based on wetin the dead person do for dem wen e dey alive, so the proverb na statement about obligation wey don gather, no be about ritual rules. The "merit" wey Owomoyela use dey bring judgement wey the Yorùbá talk as plain fact: the corpse no get any.
Literal: Ọ̀lẹ́ jogún ìbànújẹ́ the-lazy-one inherited sorrow, ó ní he says òún jogún ìran òun he inherited the-lot of-his lineage.
Idiomatic: "The lazy person inherits unhappiness, he says he has inherited the fate of his lineage."
Meaning: Lazy person dey turn the result of him action to inheritance.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Na lazy person suppose blame himself, no be him destiny"
Notes: The proverb depend on how dem take use jogún, to inherit, two times with different objects, so the sentence perform the change wey e dey expose. Ìran na the family lineage and by extension wetin dey follow the lineage. Yorùbá thought agree say misfortune wey person inherit na real category, na why e easy for lazy person to point hand there and why dem must talk the proverb. Compare entry 12, where dem direct the same excuse go meet other people instead of ancestry.
Literal: Ìwà ọ̀lẹ the-lazy-one's character ḿba ọ̀lẹ lẹ́rù fills the-lazy-one with-fear; ọ̀lẹ́ pàdánù the-lazy-one loses-out, ó ní he says aráyé ò fẹ́ràn òun the-people-of-the-world do-not love him.
Idiomatic: "The lazy person's character fills him or her with fear; the lazy person loses all and complains that the world hates him or her."
Meaning: The loss wey lazy person dey face come from him own character, but e dey put the blame on hatred from people.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Na person hand him own fortune dey pass say na victim of other people bad mind"
Notes: Aráyé, pipo of di world, na di standard Yorùbá term for di human agency wey dem no mention name wey dem dey blame for misfortune, and e dey often carry meaning of witchcraft. Wetin di proverb dey target na dat habit to dey blame pesin instead of di laziness itself. Dis proverb still appear for owe-iwa-character as ìwà text; e dey kept here sake of say di subject of di sentence na di lazy pesin.
Literal: Ọ̀lẹ́ jogún ìbáwí the-lazy-one inherits reproach.
Idiomatic: "The lazy person inherits recriminations."
Meaning: Na lazy pesin blame dey fall ontop by default.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The lazy person is an tempting scapegoat" Dem reproduce wetin Owomoyela write exactly as e print am.
Notes: Ìbáwí na verbal reproach wey dem talk directly to pesin face. If you read am against entry 11, wey use jogún for wetin di lazy pesin claim say e inherit, dis proverb use di same verb for wetin e actually get, and di way dem pair dem show say na intentional.
Literal: Ọ̀lẹ a-lazy-one ò yẹẹ́ ní lọ́mọ is-not fitting to-have as-a-child.
Idiomatic: "A lazy person is not something one wants as a child."
Meaning: No household dey want lazy pikin.
Used when: Owomoyela explain am as rhetorical question: "Who wants a lazy child?"
Notes: Di proverb dey target young pesin for front of dia parents wey dey hear, and wetin make am sharp na say e no talk anything directly about di pikin, but only about wetin parents want. Yorùbá proverbs of correction dey very often work through dis kind indirection, wey dem treat further inside owe-iwa-character.
Literal: Àkùkọ-ọ́ kọ the-cock crowed, ọ̀lẹ-ẹ́ pòṣé the-lazy-one hissed.
Idiomatic: "The cock crows, and the lazy person hisses."
Meaning: Di signal to start di day dey come as annoyance.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The coming of the morning is an annoyance to the lazy person"
Notes: Two clauses, four words, and di whole description dey inside di second verb. Pòṣé na di Yorùbá hiss of contempt or annoyance wey pesin dey make by sucking air pass di teeth, one gesture wey get clear social meaning and no English equivalent, so to say "hisses" small pass wetin e really mean: di lazy pesin no just dey reluctant but e dey insolent toward di morning. As cock dey crow na di normal Yorùbá sign wey dey mark di start of working day.
Literal: Bí ilẹ̀-ẹ́ bá mọ́ when the-ground becomes-light, ojú orun in-the-eye of-sleep lọ̀lẹ ńwà is-where the-lazy-one is.
Idiomatic: "When day breaks the lazy person will still be asleep."
Meaning: Morning meet di lazy pesin for where night leave am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Lazy people will not rouse themselves to do an honest day's work"
Notes: Ilẹ̀ mọ́, ground don bright, na di normal Yorùbá expression for dawn and e dey locate daybreak for ground instead of sky. Ojú orun, di eye or face of sleep, dey treat sleep like place wey pesin fit dey inside. Farm work dey start before heat, so to dey sleep when day first break no be small lateness but na loss of di useful part of di day, wetin entry 17 state clearly.
Literal: Kùtù-kùtù early-dawn kì í jíni lẹ́ẹ̀mejì does-not wake-one twice; kùtù-kùtù ní ńjẹ́ òwúrọ̀ early-dawn is-what is-called morning; biri ní ńjẹ́ alẹ́ deep-dark is-what is-called night.
Idiomatic: "Early dawn does not wake one twice; early dawn is the morning; deep darkness is night."
Meaning: Di useful hour dey come once and e no dey repeat.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The morning comes only once; whoever wastes it will discover too late that night has fallen"
Notes: Kùtù-kùtù and biri na two time words wey be reduplicated or ideophonic wey dey carry texture wey English adverbs no get, di first one sharp and di second one heavy. Di second and third clauses look like tautologies but dem dey do real work: dem refuse make di hearer redefine di terms, as dem dey insist say morning mean dis particular hour and no be anytime pesin wake up. Di proverb still belong equally to di corpus on time.
Literal: Ọwọ́ tó dilẹ̀ the-hand that is-idle là ńfi lérán is-what we use to-prop-the-chin.
Idiomatic: "It is on an idle hand that one rests one's chin."
Meaning: Hand wey no dey busy go find work do, and no be useful one.
Used when: Owomoyela: "It is when one has nothing to do that one's engages in mischief" Dem reproduce wetin Owomoyela write exactly as e print am.
Notes: Dilẹ̀ na to dey tied down or to dey rest, so e mean say pesin no get work. To place chin ontop hand na di recognised posture of pesin wey no get anything to do and, inside Yorùbá reading of di gesture, of pesin wey dey brood. Di proverb note physical fact and leave di moral for di hearer to draw, wey Owomoyela note come draw.
Literal: Ọwọ́ àìdilẹ̀ the-hand of-not-being-occupied ní ńyọ koríko is-what removes grass lójú àna ẹ̀ from-the-eye of-his in-law.
Idiomatic: "Idle hands are the ones obliged to remove grass specks from their in-law's eyes."
Meaning: To no get your own work dey make you available for everybody else message.
Used when: Owomoyela: "People who are unemployed can expect to be asked to perform all sorts of belittling tasks"
Notes: Àìdilẹ̀ na di negated nominal of di verb for entry 18, so di two proverbs dey built from di same root with opposite polarity. To pick dirt comot from in-law eye na intimate, delicate and low-status service, and in-law obligation inside Yorùbá household na real and demanding work, wetin make di example sting instead of to make pesin laugh.
Literal: Ọ̀lẹ́ wáṣẹ́ rírọ̀ ṣe the-lazy-one seeks-work that-is-soft to-do.
Idiomatic: "The lazy person seeks out an easy task to do."
Meaning: Lazy person dey work, but na only wetin no cost anything at all e dey do.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Trust the lazy person to find the easiest tasks"
Notes: Rírọ̀ na soft or wetin dey bend easily, wey dem dey use for food wey don cook and rope wey loose, so dem describe the work by how e soft reach, no be by size. The proverb agree say lazy person no be say e fold hand totally, wetin be true observation and na the premise for entries 21 to 24.
Literal: Iṣẹ́ ọ̀gẹrọ̀ light work lọ̀lẹ́ mọ̀-ọ́ ṣe is-what the-lazy-one knows to-do; kò jẹ́ wá iṣẹ́ agbára he will-not seek work of-strength.
Idiomatic: "The lazy person knows how to do only things that call for little effort; he/she never seeks out work that demands strength."
Meaning: True true lazy person get wetin e sabi do, but na only work wey no get wahala at all e dey fit do.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Said of those who always seek the easiest way out of a dilemma"
Notes: Iṣẹ́ agbára, work of power, na regular category for farming economy and e cover to clear bush, dig ground with hoe, and carry heavy load. The sharp point for the proverb dey for mọ̀-ọ́ ṣe, say e sabi how to do: the complain no be say e no fit do am, but na wetin e choose to do.
Literal: Ọ̀lẹ́ bà á tì when the-lazy-one is-cornered, ó kó sílé Ifá he moved into-the-house-of Ifá.
Idiomatic: "The lazy person fails at everything, whereupon he becomes an Ifá acolyte."
Meaning: As e fail for normal work, lazy person go choose work wey look like say person just dey sit down.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The lazy person finds easy tasks to do"
Notes: Dis one na yabis for divination work wey people inside the society wey take Ifá very seriously make by demselves, and make person no think say dem dey doubt Ifá itself. The main point na how the work dey look from outside: the babaláwo dey sit down, dey hold palm nuts and dey talk, and for farmer, dat one no be real work. Entry 23 make dis same kind joke about Quranic schooling, and Owomoyela print the two together with cross-reference .
Literal: Ọ̀lẹ́ bà á tì when the-lazy-one is-cornered, ó kó sílé-e kéú he moved into-the-house-of Quranic-study.
Idiomatic: "The lazy person fails at everything, whereupon he goes to a Quaranic school." Owomoyela's spelling is reproduced as printed.
Meaning: Lazy person dey run enter kind life wey no need any physical work.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The lazy person always seeks out the easiest employment"
Notes: Kéú come from Arabic through Hausa language to mean study of Quranic recitation, and as e dey here, e show say dis proverb come after Islam don stand well among the Yorùbá, wey be one of the few internal time markers for dis set. As dem pair am with entry 22 na im be the interesting part: the proverb tradition throw the same accuse give both traditional religion and foreign religion without difference, wey show say na work wey person just dey sit down do dem dey yab, no be any particular faith.
Literal: "Oní ló ḿmọ" "today is-what it-ends," ìjà ọ̀lẹ the-fight of-the-lazy-one.
Idiomatic: "'It will all end some time today': a lazy person's motto in a fight."
Meaning: Lazy person dey endure work because e rely say the day must finish.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The idler or shirker forced to perform some task is always eager for the day's end"
Notes: Dem treat the quoted clause like name, style wey Yorùbá dey use well well. Ìjà, fight, na wetin dem use here for any struggle to endure, so wetin lazy person dey do for struggle na to wait pass the time instead of to win. The way the proverb dey look like say e get pity small, since to wait make bad day pass na normal human behavior wey person understand, and the yabis na only say dem take am do lazy person regular policy.
Literal: Ọ̀lẹ́ the-lazy-one fi ọ̀ràn gbogbo ṣe "hòo" makes of every matter "hòo."
Idiomatic: "The lazy person replies 'yes' to all propositions."
Meaning: To agree no dey cost anything and e no hold lazy person down to anything.
Used when: Owomoyela: "You will get no argument from a lazy person"
Notes: Hòo na the sound wey person dey make to agree instead of the word bẹ́ẹ̀ni, yes, and dat difference na im be the proverb: lazy person no really dey agree, e just dey make the smallest sound wey go end the conversation. Owomoyela translate am to word and dat one make am miss the sound. The proverb na sharp observation say wen person just agree without fight, na another way to refuse cooperate.
Literal: Ó gbọ́ tiyán he heard the-matter-of-pounded-yam sògìrì mọ́dìí he-tied melon-seed-condiment to-his-waist; o gbọ́ toko he heard the-matter-of-the-farm sọ àdá nù he-threw the-cutlass away.
Idiomatic: "On hearing about pounded yam he girded himself with cooked melon seeds for stew seasoning; on hearing about farm work he threw his cutlass away."
Meaning: The same person dey ready sharp sharp to chop, but e go quickly disarm imself wen work come.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The lazy person will eagerly heed the summons to eat, but not to work"
Notes: Dem build the two clause as pair wey match each other with opposite verb of to tie and to troway, mọ́, to tie on, against sọ ... nù, to troway. Ògìrì na fermented melon seed condiment, the tin wey person dey bring contribute to food, so to tie am for waist mean say person don prepare come chop and make dem see say e contribute. Cutlass na the one farm tool wey person must get. The way the proverb manage words well na say e no judge at all, na just two natural reflex e show.
Literal: Kí á gbé ọkọ́ so sájà to hang the-hoe up in-the-loft ká pète ìmẹ́lẹ́ and plot idleness; ojúgun-ún yó tán the-shin having-eaten-its-fill ó fikùn sẹ́hìn it-put the-belly behind.
Idiomatic: "Hiding the hoe in the loft and contriving to shirk work; the shin ate its fill and developed a stomach at its back."
Meaning: To hide wetin dem take dey work na deliberate plan, and body wey no work still dey expect say food go enter belly.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Dem dey talk am about people wey dey dodge work but go dey eager to join chop the benefit"
Notes: Pète, to plan or scheme, na im be the main word wey carry the weight: laziness here na wetin dem plan well, no be wetin just happen by mistake. The second part na wetin no fit happen for real body, since shin no get belly, and the picture of belly wey dey show for back of leg na funny way to describe person wey appetite don catch where work no dey. Owomoyela carry the meaning come out, but the full picture only show small.
Literal: Ọ̀bún the-filthy-woman ríkú ọkọ tìrànmọ́ found her-husband's death to-cling-to; ó ní she says ọjọ́ tí ọkọ òún ti kú since the-day her husband died òun ò fi omi kan ara she has-not put water to-body.
Idiomatic: "The filthy person takes advantage of her husband's death for blame; she says since her husband died she has not violated her person with water."
Meaning: Person use real sorrow take cover old bad habit wey don dey before the sorrow start.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Lazy people go hold anything as excuse make dem for fit dodge duty"
Notes: Tìrànmọ́ mean to hold something tight like support, and the whole proverb dey inside that verb: the death na wetin the person just take hold body. Yorùbá widowhood dey get particular time wey dem set down say person no go bath or dress body, so the excuse no be lie wey dem cook up, na real thing wey dem just stretch make e no end, and this sharp pass ordinary lie. Owomoyela own translation "violated her person with water" maintain the serious way the woman take talk am with vex.
Literal: Wọ́n ní they said, "Àparò aṣọ ẹẹ́ ṣe pọ́n báyìí?" "Partridge, why is your cloth this red-brown?" Ó ní ìgbà wo laṣọ òun ò níí pọ́n? He says at-what time would his cloth not be-soiled? Kóun tó kọ igba láàárọ̀ before he makes two-hundred heaps in-the-morning, kóun tó họ ilẹ̀ kùrẹ̀-kùrẹ̀ lábùsùndájí before he scratches the-ground scratch-scratch at-early-waking. Ìgbà wo lòun ó ràáàyè fọṣọ? At-what time would he find leisure to-wash-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 excuse flow well, e long, and e dey describe work wey nobody send the bird make e do.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Lazy people fit always find excuse to explain their condition"
Notes: Igba na two hundred, and Owomoyela translate am as "a hundred"; the Yorùbá number na just to show say the thing plenty well well, no be exact count, and the difference na just how e take make am smooth to read, no be say e miss the main point. Kùrẹ̀-kùrẹ̀ na ideophone for scratch-scratch wey bird dey repeat, wey be wetin partridge bird dey really do, so the way the bird take describe imself dey correct, but e still be excuse. The proverb long pass all the ones inside this file, and the length na the joke: the long talk wey e use defend why the cloth dirty for don reach to wash am clean.
Literal: Ohun tó ṣe ìwọ̀fà whatever affected the-pawn tí kò fi wá sóko olówó that-he did-not come to-the-creditor's farm, bójú bá kan ojú when eye meets eye yó sọ fún olówó-o rẹ̀ he will tell his creditor.
Idiomatic: "Whatever caused the pawned worker to stay away from the creditor's farm, when the two come face to face he will have some explaining to do."
Meaning: To dey absent dey delay reckoning, e no dey cancel am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Anybody wey dodge duty go still explain why later"
Notes: The ìwọ̀fà na person wey dem use hold pawn, wey im work dey pay debt until the debt finish, na custom wey dem record well across nineteenth-century Yorùbá society and wey plenti proverbs for this file take as normal thing without extra talk, including entry 55. Bójú bá kan ojú, when eye meet eye, na the normal idiom for face-to-face meeting wey person no fit escape. The proverb tone dey neutral, and e read like statement of how things dey go, no be like say dem dey scold person.
Literal: Ẹní bá yẹ ọ̀nà Ìjẹ̀bú tì whoever weeds the-Ìjẹ̀bú road and-leaves-it-undone ni yó yẹ̀ ẹ́ tán is-who will weed it completely.
Idiomatic: "The same person who weeds the road to Ìjẹ̀bú without carrying off the weeds will eventually remove them."
Meaning: Work wey person do half-half go still come back to the person wey do am half.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The person wey dey dodge work go must face the duty later or sooner; if person must do something, make e do am well, no be half-hearted"
Notes: To clear bush from road na communal work wey dem dey assign to strong men for town, so the background na real obligation with supervisors wey get name, no be metaphor. The proverb repeat the verb yẹ̀ with and without tán, completely, and the whole point dey inside that single particle.
Literal: Ẹnu iṣẹ́ ẹni at-the-mouth of-one's work ni a ti ḿmọ ẹni lọ́lẹ is-where we know one as-an-idler.
Idiomatic: "It is at one's occupation that one proves oneself an idler."
Meaning: Na for the work ground dem dey know lazy person, no be from wetin the person dey talk with mouth.
Dey use am wen: Owomoyela: "Na for person place of work dem dey know wetin e fit do"
Notes: Ẹnu, mouth, na so dem use am for here for space matter to mean the point or start of an activity, which be normal extension of the word. The proverb dey state rule about evidence: na wetin dem see for place of work dem dey use assign the category ọ̀lẹ, and this one follow the Yorùbá way of placing character judgement for wetin people fit see, wey dem explain well for owe-iwa-character.
Literal: Ẹ̀gbọ́n ṣíwájú the-senior walks-in-front ó so aṣọ kọ́ he has-hung cloth-up; àbúrò-ó kẹ́hìn the-junior walks-behind ó wẹ̀wù he wears a-garment; bí a ò mọ̀lẹ if we do-not know-the-idler, ọ̀lẹ ò mọ araa rẹ̀? does-the-idler not know himself?
Idiomatic: "The elder walks in front, a loincloth draped over his shoulder; the younger walks behind, wearing a garment; if people cannot tell which one is shiftless, does he not know himself?"
Wetin e mean: As one person come get money pass the other, e don turn birth order upside down, and the man wey fall behind know am whether person talk am or not.
Dey use am wen: Owomoyela: "Person wey dey idle no fit hide im idleness from himself or from other people"
Notes: The detail about cloth na im carry the argument: the senior only get ordinary cloth wey dem no sew throw put for shoulder, while the junior wear cloth wey tailor sew well. Ẹ̀gbọ́n and àbúrò na strictly relative terms for seniority wey dem dey use for siblings and cousins both. The rhetorical question for the end na the sharpest tin for this file, because e remove the consolation say nobody go find out. This proverb still appear for owe-family-lineage-compound, where dem read am for wetin e talk about seniority; for here the topic na the idleness wey cause the turnaround.
Literal: A-fasẹ́-gbèjò one-who-uses-a-sieve-to-catch-rain ńtan ara-a rẹ̀ jẹ is-deceiving himself.
Idiomatic: "He-who-would-collect-rain-water-in-a-sieve deceives himself."
Wetin e mean: Work wey dem arrange so dat e no fit hold im result na self-deception, no be work.
Dey use am wen: Owomoyela: "Person wey dey idle dey hurt himself pass other people"
Notes: The epithet na oríkì-style formation wey compress whole clause put inside one name, the same device wey dey for entries 3 and 57. Tan ... jẹ, to deceive, literally mean to spread out and chop, so the man na both the deceiver and the food. Owomoyela print second version of this proverb for Part 5 with the epithet join together as Afasẹ́gbèjò and identical usage note ; the difference na just spelling, no be substantive change.
Literal: Àpàkòmọ̀rà wasteful-one-who-does-not-know-the-cost-of-things, tí ńgẹṣin lórí àpáta who rides-a-horse on rock.
Idiomatic: "A-shiftless-person-who-knows-not-what-things-cost rides a horse on rocks."
Wetin e mean: Person wey no pay dey use the tin in a way wey go destroy am.
Dey use am wen: Owomoyela: "Person wey no join pay for tin hardly dey take care use am"
Notes: Àpà na the wasteful person, the term wey still anchor entries 56, 58 and 59, and kò mọ̀ rà, no know how to buy, dey call the specific fault by name. To ride horse pass over bare rock dey spoil the horse hooves, so the image technically correct, no be just ordinary carelessness. Compare entry 36, wey make the same point with dead body instead of rider.
Literal: Òkú the-corpse ò moye does-not know-the-amount à ńràgọ̀ that-we spend-buying-the-shroud.
Idiomatic: "The corpse does not know the cost of the shroud."
Wetin e mean: Person wey no dey pay the bill no get opinion about how big the bill be.
Dey use am wen: Owomoyela: "Person wey no get bill to settle no dey care how expensive the tins wey e dey waste cost"
Notes: Burial cloth na heavy expense wey the people wey dey alive dey bear, and Yorùbá burials na major occasion for lineage expenditure, so the example come from the most expensive tin wey family routinely dey buy for person wey no fit appreciate am. The proverb direct pass entry 35 and state the principle without the picture.
Literal: A kì í rán ọ̀lẹ one does-not send an-idler wo ojú ọjọ́ àárọ̀ to-look-at the-face of-the-morning weather.
Idiomatic: "One does not send a shirker to go see what the morning looks like outside."
Wetin e mean: No appoint person wey go benefit from the report make e be your reporter.
Dey use am wen: Owomoyela: "Never rely on advice from people wey get personal interest for the matter wey dem dey consider"
Notes: Ojú ọjọ́, face of the day, na the ordinary word for weather. The joke sharp: the lazi person wey dem send make e check whether weather good to go farm go come back talk say rain dey fall. The proverb dey talk about conflicted testimony generally and e belong with proverbs about evidence and witnesses, but e name the lazi person as the standing example.
Literal: Àì-roko not-going-to-the-farm, àì-rodò not-going-to-the-river tí ńṣápẹ́ fún eégún jó who claps for the-masquerade to-dance.
Idiomatic: "Not-going-to-the-farm, not-going-to-the-river that claps for masqueraders to dance."
Wetin e mean: Person wey get chance to attend festival for middle of working day get chance because e no get wetin e dey do.
Dey use am wen: Owomoyela: "Na person wey dey idle dey play music make masquerade dance"
Notes: Dem use di two negative noun wey dem form wit àì- take name di pesin, so dem dey call am No-Dey-Farm-No-Dey-Fetch-Water instead of make dem just describe am say im dey lazy. Farm and river na di two normal work wey pesin dey do every day, one for man and one for woman, so di joined word cover all normal work. To clap hand for eégún na participation wey no need money or stress, and na dat exact position for society di proverb take describe am.
Literal: Mábàjẹ́ Do-not-let-it-spoil ò jẹ́ fi aṣọ-ọ ẹ̀ fún ọ̀lẹ bora would-not give his cloth to an-idler to-cover-himself.
Idiomatic: "Mábàjẹ́ will never think of giving his covering cloth to a shiftless person to use."
Meaning: Anybody wey value im property dey keep am far from people wey no go take care of am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Pesin wey value im property no go put am for hand of useless people"
Notes: Mábàjẹ́ na pesin name wey mean "no let am spoil," and to use am as subject make di sentence turn to small allegory wey carefulness by itself refuse to lend out property. Cloth wey pesin dey wear cover body na big property and pesin dey use am sleep, so to lend am give pesin na real value pesin transfer so. Di proverb dey talk about to borrow pesin something pass say im dey talk about laziness, and im show say lazy pesin na pesin wey dey risky to lend something.
Literal: Ó dé orí akáhín it-arrived at-the-head-of a-toothless-one àkàràá deegun bean-fritter became bone.
Idiomatic: "In the mouth of a toothless person bean fritters become like bones."
Meaning: For wrong hand, di thing wey easy pass dey become impossible.
Used when: Owomoyela: "For lazy pesin, di work wey easy pass hard well well"
Notes: Àkàrà na fried bean cake wey soft reach say pesin no even need chew am, and na dat make am di correct example. As pesin look di proverb, im no talk about laziness directly, na Owomoyela note on how dem dey use am attach am to lazy pesin; for surface, im just talk general truth say work and pesin power no match. If pesin read am word for word, na proverb about pesin wey get disability pass laziness, and pesin fit understand am in both ways.
Literal: Kò sí ibi tí kò gba ọ̀gọ̀ there-is-no place that does-not accept a-fool; ọ̀lẹ layé ò gbà it-is-the-idler that the-world does-not accept.
Idiomatic: "There is no place where a fool is not welcome; the world rejects only shiftless people."
Meaning: Dem fit endure mumu behavior anywhere; na only laziness dem no dey tolerate at all.
Used when: Owomoyela: "People fit dey foolish, but e better make dem no lazy"
Notes: Di proverb compare two bad character against each other, and im dey very clear about wetin dem take judge am, wey be wetin pesin dey contribute instead of wetin im get capacity to do. Ayé, di world, mean di community of people for here, no be di whole universe. Na this place for di file make am clear pass why di proverb collection dey hard for lazy pesin body like dat: mumu pesin no fit help imself, but lazy pesin refuse to help imself.
Literal: Lójú òpè in-the-eye of-the-ignoramus, bí-i kọ́lọgbọ́n dàbí ọ̀lẹ it-is-as-though the-wise-one should-be like an-idler.
Idiomatic: "As far as the dunce is concerned, the wise person should rather be shiftless."
Meaning: Di useless pesin go prefer make people wey get capacity dey useless like am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Useless pesin always dey wish make other people useless like am"
Notes: Òpè na pesin wey no know book or wey no get skill, and im different from ọ̀gọ̀, di fool for entry 41. Di proverb dey report wetin pesin wish instead of wetin be fact, and dem dey use am explain why people dey get bad belle, wey make am match entries 43 and 44: those ones state di enmity, while this one give di reason behind am.
Literal: Òṣìṣẹ́ the-worker lọ̀tá ọ̀lẹ is-the-enemy of-the-idler.
Idiomatic: "The industrious person is the enemy of the shiftless person."
Meaning: Dem dey hate pesin wey dey work simply because say im dey work.
Used when: Owomoyela: "People wey get fault dey hate those wey fit expose dem"
Notes: Three words. Di direction wey di enmity dey face na something to look well: di proverb call di worker di enemy, meaning di pesin wey di lazy man dey see as enemy, no be di worker dey get bad belle. Entry 44 state di same relationship in two parts wey make di imbalance clear well well.
Literal: Abiyamọ a-nursing-mother ọ̀tá àgàn enemy of-the-barren-woman; ẹní ńṣiṣẹ́ one-who works ọ̀tá ọ̀lẹ enemy of-the-idler.
Idiomatic: "Nursing mother, enemy of the barren woman; working person, enemy of the idler."
Meaning: Dem dey hate people because say dem get wetin others no get, and neither di mother nor di worker do anything to deserve di hatred.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Di mother dey make barren woman get envy; di hard worker dey make lazy pesin get hatred"
Notes: Di way dem arrange di comparison dey do deep analysis pass just ordinary decoration: to join childlessness and laziness together put di two of dem inside one category of lack, even though di first one na misfortune and di second one na choice, and di proverb refuse to separate dem. Àgàn na woman wey never born pikin, condition wey dey bring serious social wahala for family lineage system, and di direct way wey dem take compare am na normal style for di proverb collection.
Literal: Tinú ọ̀lẹ that-which-is-inside the-idler lọ̀lẹ ńjẹ is-what the-idler eats; aṣiwèrè èèyàn a-foolish person ni ò mọ èrú tí yó gbà is-who does-not know the-trick that will work.
Idiomatic: "The lazy person eats the products of his native wisdom; only a fool does not know what devious way will be fruitful."
Meaning: Lazy pesin dey survive on im sense, so di least thing wey im suppose do na to get sense.
Used when: Owomoyela: "If pesin no get hard work, e better make im get sense to find way"
Notes: Na this proverb cynical pass for the whole file, and na only am dey give lazy person practical advice. Èrú na trick or plan wey get clear style of deceit. The collection no get only one position on top laziness, and this entry, if person read am compare to entry 41, dey show the range: one text talk say the world no go accept am, the other one dey tell am how e fit survive inside am.
Literal: Eṣinṣín ńpọntí the-fly is-brewing-beer; ekòló ńṣú ọ̀lẹ̀lẹ̀ the-earthworm is-steaming bean-pudding; kantí-kantí ní the-sugar-fly says ká wá ǹkan dí agbè lẹ́nu let-us find something to-stop the-gourd at-the-mouth kí ǹkankan má kòó sí i so-that nothing may-fall into it.
Idiomatic: "The fly is procuring wine while the worm is cooking bean-meal, and the sugar-fly asks them to find something to cork the gourd so nothing would enter into it."
Meaning: Person wey no dey do anything na im dey supervise.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Lazy person dey try find more work give people wey their hand don already full with useful work"
Notes: Dem give two insects and one worm real work, then dem give the third insect opinion, wey be the whole structure of the joke. Kantí-kantí na the small fly wey dey gather on top sweet things, so the character wey people know pass say e dey land on top people food without invitation na im dey give instruction on hygiene. The proverb na short satire on person wey dey supervise work wey e no deserve, and e translate well without losing meaning.
Literal: Òrìṣà tí ńgbọ̀lẹ ò sí there-is-no òrìṣà that supports an-idler; apá ẹni ní ńgbeni one's-own arms are-what support one.
Idiomatic: "There is no god that comes to the aid of shiftless people; only one's arms aid one."
Meaning: Divine support no fit replace hard work.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person well-being dey inside the power of im hand" Dem dey talk am give person wey im plan for im condition na only prayer or sacrifice.
Notes: This text dey very important for anybody wey dey argue about Yorùbá religion and work, because na from inside the tradition dem talk am, no be say dem dey go against am: dem no deny the òrìṣà, na limit dem put for their power. Gbe mean to support or carry, wey dem dey use for wetin deity dey do for person wey dey worship am, and the proverb use the same verb for hand, so dem put the hand for the grammatical position of the deity. Compare am with entry 22, where dem yab the lazy person move into Ifá practice for this same basic reason.
Literal: Ṣe kóo ní work so-that-you may-have; àbá ò di tẹni an-intention does-not become one's-own; èèyàn ò ṣoògùn ọrọ̀ a-person does-not make medicine for-wealth.
Idiomatic: "Work in order that you might have; intentions do not become possessions; no one makes money by magic."
Meaning: Wealth dey come from work, no be from wish or from preparation.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Na work, no be empty thought, dey bring wealth"
Notes: Oògùn na medicine for the wide Yorùbá meaning wey include juju wey dem prepare, and to deny say oògùn for wealth dey na big claim for culture wey get oògùn for plenty different results. Àbá na intention or plan, and the middle clause na the main joint: e separate the wish from the property. The proverb belong to the same family as iṣẹ́ ni oògùn ìṣẹ́, work na the medicine for poverty, wey dem explain for yoruba-owe-proverbs.
Literal: Owó ò níran money has-no lineage; àfi ẹni tí kò bá ṣiṣẹ́ except the-person who does-not work.
Idiomatic: "Money has no lineage; except for the person who will not work."
Meaning: Wealth dey open to anybody, and na only lazy people dey outside am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Money no dey restrict itself to specific families; na only lazy people money dey run from"
Notes: Ìran na lineage, the family line wey dey control rights to land, title, and plenty other things for Yorùbá society, so to talk say money no get lineage na strong statement say wealth no follow family background. The proverb come bring back one barrier wey look like heredity and turn am to behaviour matter. E match well beside entry 11, where the lazy person try to use lineage specifically explain im condition.
Literal: Ìròjú forcing-oneself-through, baba ọ̀lẹ father of-the-idler.
Idiomatic: "Shirking work 'is the' father of laziness." The quotation marks are Owomoyela's, marking words he has supplied.
Meaning: The habit of doing the minimum na the parent of full laziness.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person wey refuse to work worse pass lazy person"
Notes: Normally, Ìròjú mean to endure or manage, and people often dey take am as good thing, so as e appear here as the origin of laziness no be the obvious meaning of the word. Owomoyela translate am as "to dodge work," wey clear the double meaning wey Yorùbá leave open, and im note on how to use am still point another direction, as e separate person wey refuse to work from person wey lazy. The connection between the note and the translation no too clear. Confidence on the gloss: medium.
Literal: A-lágbára-má-mèrò one-who-has-strength-and-does-not-have-thought, baba ọ̀lẹ́ father of-the-idler.
Idiomatic: "He-who-has-strength-but-lacks-discretion, father of laziness."
Meaning: Power without sense worse pass to do nothing.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person wey get power but no get sense worse pass the laziest person"
Notes: Di epithet follow di same a- ... má- nominal pattern like entry 3. Di proverb na di only place for dis file where dem use idleness take measure sometin wey dem judge say worse pass am, wey dey show where laziness dey for di scale: near di bottom, but space still dey under am. Èrò na thought or deliberation, di ability wey dey make strength get use.
Literal: Igbe the-cry kí-ni-ngó-jẹ-sùn what-shall-I-eat-and-sleep ní ḿpọ̀lẹ is-what kills-the-idler.
Idiomatic: "The cry 'What shall I eat for supper?' is what kills the lazy person."
Meaning: Di idler dey die of di question pass as hunger go kill am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Di lazy person go prefer put hin effort to dey lament hin fate pass to do gainful work"
Notes: Dem pack whole question into hyphenated nominal and use am as subject of di sentence, so grammatically, na di lament dey kill person. Jẹ ... sùn, to chop and sleep, na di normal way dem dey call evening food. Di proverb point out di fatal element clearly: no be di empty pot, but di energy wey dem spend to dey narrate am.
Literal: Ọjọ́ a bá kọ́ ọ̀lẹ the-day one learns idleness là ńkọ́ inú rírọ́ is-when one learns a-shrivelled inside.
Idiomatic: "The day one learns laziness is the day one should learn how to endure a painfully empty stomach."
Meaning: Person dey learn idleness and hunger together, whether di learner know or e no know.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Di lazy person no suppose expect make other people feed am"
Notes: Inú rírọ́ na di belly wey shrink or dry up, wey be physical description instead of di abstract "hunger," and Owomoyela "painfully empty stomach" na good translation of phrase wey English no get single word for. Di verb kọ́, to learn, dey control di two clauses, wey make both idleness and starvation look like skills wey person learn for one lesson.
Literal: Ìṣẹ́ destitution ò gbẹ́kún does-not accept weeping, ebí jàre ọ̀lẹ hunger is-justified-against the-idler.
Idiomatic: "Destitution does not yield to tears; hunger has a claim on the shiftless."
Meaning: Sorrow no dey touch poverty heart, and hunger dey right when e catch di idle person.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person no dey end hin poverty with ordinary crying; anybody wey no work na fair target for hunger"
Notes: Jàre na legal verb: to dey right for dispute, to win case. To say hunger jàre di idler put di two of dem for court and give hunger di verdict, wey strong pass just to say hunger deserve di person. Na dis proverb be di pivot between dis file and owe-hunger-food-plenty, and na di clearest example for di corpus where dem treat starvation as judgment instead of bad luck.
Literal: Bí ebí bá ńpa ọ̀lẹ if hunger is-killing an-idler, à jẹ́ kó kú let-us allow that-he die.
Idiomatic: "If a lazy person is suffering from hunger, he/she should be left to die."
Meaning: Di hunger wey dey catch idle person no put obligation on top anybody head.
Used when: Owomoyela: "People wey no wan work no deserve pity"
Notes: Na dis be di hardest proverb for di file and dem record am without softening. Ebi pa, hunger dey kill, na di normal Yorùbá construction for person wey dey hungry, so di sentence use dead metaphor take make di killing become literal. When you compare am with di plenty Yorùbá proverb literature about hospitality wey dem must do and about feeding stranger, wey dem gather for owe-hunger-food-plenty, dis entry mark di boundary of dat obligation. Any corpus wey print di hospitality proverbs come leave dis one go misrepresent di tradition.
Literal: Òjò-ó pọnmi fún ọ̀lẹ the-rain draws-water for the-idler, kò ṣẹ́gi fún ọ̀lẹ it-does-not split-firewood for the-idler.
Idiomatic: "The rain provides water for the lazy person; but it does not fetch firewood for the lazy person."
Meaning: Chance dey give part, e no dey ever give everything.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Na so much dem fit do for parasite, no be everything"
Notes: Di two chores wey dem mention na complete daily fetching, water and fuel, and di proverb agree say exactly one of dem fit happen. Rain truly dey fill pots, so di agreement na real sometin wey dem observe, wey dey prevent di proverb from just dey severe. Di pair of verbs pọn and ṣẹ́ na standard collocations for dia objects and di symmetry balance well for Yorùbá.
Literal: Ọjọ́ eré the-day of-festivity lọ̀ràn ńdun ọ̀lẹ is-when the-matter pains the-idler.
Idiomatic: "It is on the day of relaxation that the lazy person experiences regret."
Meaning: Na festival time di reckoning dey show, no be during working season.
Used when: Owomoyela: "People wey no save for rainy day go regret when dose wey save dey enjoy di benefit of dia foresight"
Notes: Yorùbá festivals na di occasions wey household dey display wetin dem produce for di year, for cloth, for food and for gift, so di festival na audit. Entry 58 na di expanded version of dis proverb and e supply di picture.
Literal: Ní ọjọ́ eré on the-day of-festivity nìyà ńdun ọ̀lẹ is-when suffering pains the-idler; kàkà kó wọlé kó jáde rather-than that-he go-in and come-out, a fọwọ́ rọ igi he leans his-arms on a-tree, a pòṣé ṣàrà he hisses repeatedly.
Idiomatic: "It is on the day of festivities that the lazy person is miserable; instead of going inside his room and emerging again 'in other words, fetching gifts for the revelers' he leans his arms against a tree and hisses incessantly." The quotation marks and the explanation inside them are Owomoyela's.
Meaning: For di time wey people dey expect pesin to bring sometin come outside, lazy pesin no get anytin wey im go enter house go carry.
Used when: Owomoyela: "People wey no dey do anytin go eventually reap di shame of dia laziness wen dem no fit do wetin society dey expect from dem"
Notes: To dey enter inside and come outside na di normal movement of host for festival, wey dey repeatedly go inside house go fetch wetin im dey share, and pesin need Owomoyela bracket explanation bikos di Yorùbá only mention di movement. Di hiss, pòṣé, come back from entry 15, where e take greet morning: di same gesture dey open and close di year of lazy pesin. To lean for tree na di posture of pesin wey im hand empty.
Literal: Ọlọgbọ́n kì í kú sóko ọ̀lẹ a-wise-person does-not die on the-idler's farm; bí ọlọgbọ́n bá kú sóko ọ̀lẹ if a-wise-person dies on the-idler's farm, ọ̀ràn náà-á nídìí that matter has a-bottom.
Idiomatic: "The wise will not die on a farm for the lazy; if a wise person dies on a farm for the lazy, there must be some explanation."
Meaning: Pesin wey sabi work no dey work kill imself for lazy man land, and if dat kind tin happen, anoda tin dey behind am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Pesin wey get sense go always find way comot for wahala"
Notes: Ọ̀ràn ... nídìí, di mata get bottom or base, na di standard Yorùbá way to say sometin dey behind di mata pass wetin eye dey see, and e dey under di language of how dem dey settle dispute. Di proverb dey assume one specific arrangement, to work for anoda pesin farm, wey dey common under pawnship and clientage; check entry 30 for di same institution.
Literal: Ọ̀-jẹ-wọ̀mù-wọ̀mù-kú-wọ̀mù-wọ̀mù One-who-eats-anyhow-and-dies-anyhow lorúkọ tí àpà ńjẹ́ is-the-name that the-waster is-called.
Idiomatic: "One-who-eats-recklessly-and-dies-recklessly is the name one calls a wasteful person."
Meaning: Di way waster dey chop tin and di way im life dey end na di same, and dem call dem togeder.
Used when: Owomoyela: "People wey dey waste tin no go ever learn di value of tins"
Notes: Wọ̀mù-wọ̀mù na ideophone for careless, anyhow action, and to repeat am for di two verbs na di whole trick: di way im take dey chop na di same way im take dey die. Di compound name na oríkì-style name of di kind wey praise poetry dey use for hero, wey dem apply here for pesin wey dey waste tin, wey be di same ironic use of praise register wey dem note for owe-iwa-character.
Literal: Oókan-án sọni dahuń one-cowrie turns-one into-a-miser, eéjì-í sọni dàpà two turns-one into-a-waster.
Idiomatic: "One cowrie makes a miser of one; two cowries make a spendthrift of one."
Meaning: Na wetin dey pesin hand dey make pesin stingy or lavish money, no be character.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Wen pesin get small money e go look like stingy pesin; wen pesin get plenty money e go dey careless wit money"
Notes: Di mention of cowrie show say di proverb come from di time wey dem dey use cowrie as money, wey reach early colonial period. Dis na di proverb wey get sociological meaning pass for dis group bikos e reject di moral framing wey di rest of di file use: àpà, di waster wey dem condemn for entries 35 and 60, here na condition make am so. Two cowries na very small money, so di proverb also dey talk say di boundary low well well.
Literal: Ara ẹ̀ lara ẹ̀ a-part of-it is-a-part of-it: ṣòkòtò ọlọ́pàá the-policeman's trousers.
Idiomatic: "A little bit of it is a little bit of it: the policeman's short pants."
Meaning: Tin wey dem cut short still remain dat tin and e still dey do im work.
Used when: Owomoyela: "No waste anytin, bikos pesin fit always find use for even di smallest remnant"
Notes: Ọlọ́pàá na colonial police constable and di short nicker na colonial uniform, wey show clearly say di proverb come from colonial period or after, and e make am one of di youngest text for dis file. Di joke na say short knicker na trouser wey material finish, and di proverb use dat one as point for manage tin instead of to criticize di uniform.
Literal: Náwó-náwó spending-money-spending-money kì í ṣàpà is-not being-a-waster.
Idiomatic: "The big spender is not a prodigal."
Meaning: To spend money freely no be di same offence as to waste tin.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Natin dey wrong to spend pesin own money"
Notes: Dis proverb and entry 64 na di correction wey di file need, and dem come from Owomoyela section on consideration and kindness instead of di sections on prudence . Di Yorùbá corpus separate àpà, di waster, from pesin wey just dey spend money, and di difference dey based on weda value destroy or e transfer to anoda pesin. To repeat ná owó dey give di meaning of spending money again and again make eye see am, so even dat strong case dey excused.
Literal: Ọ̀mùtí kì í ṣàpà a-drunkard is-not a-waster; owó ẹ̀ ló ńná it-is-his-own money that he-is-spending.
Idiomatic: "The drunkard is not a prodigal; it is his money that he is spending."
Meaning: Wetin pesin do wit im own money no be waste for di way wey community fit complain about.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Pesin fit spend im money as e like"
Notes: Di proverb dey defend di kind person wey dey spend money wey hard pass to defend, and na so e take set di principle with full power. Di hidden standard na ownership: àpà na accusation wey dem fit only bring when no be di spender get di resources alone, wey fit society where lineage get claim for plenty property. If pesin read am join entry 35, where di wastefulness na strictly to use wetin anoda pesin pay for, di two proverbs dey describe rule wey agree with each oda instead of to dey contradict.
Literal: Fáàárí àṣejù excessive showing-off, oko olówó the-creditor's farm ní ḿmú ọmọ lọ is-where it-takes the-young-man.
Idiomatic: "Intemperate dandyism lands a youth in a creditor's farm as a pawn."
Meaning: Show-off wey pesin buy on credit dey end for bonded labour.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Squandered resources bring destitution"
Notes: Fáàárí na showy self-display, especially for cloth wey pesin wear, and àṣejù na excess, di word wey anchor di Yorùbá proverbs about lack of moderation generally. Di system wey dem mention exact and na historical: debt wey pesin enter because of fine cloth, then pawnship for di creditor farm to take work pay am off. Check entry 30 for di same institution from di pawn side, and owe-family-lineage-compound on households wey dey pawn dia members.
Literal: Ẹni tó fi irun dúdú ṣeré whoever uses black hair to-play, yó fi funfun sin ẹniẹlẹ́ni will use white to-serve other-people.
Idiomatic: "Whoever plays around with his or her black hair will serve others with his or her white hair."
Meaning: Youth wey pesin waste, na old age wey dem spend dey work for oda people go pay for am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "If one wastes one's youth, one spends one's old age struggling for a living"
Notes: Hair colour dey stand for di two ages of life without calling any of dem by name, and di contrast between ṣeré, to play, with sin, to serve, balance di matter. Sin na di verb for serving master or deity, so di old age wey dem describe na one wey depend on oda people instead of say e just get hard work inside. For society where people expect say old age go bring respect and support from younger people, to dey serve person for dat stage na specific and clear failure.
Literal: Kíjìpá laṣọ ọ̀lẹ coarse-cloth is-the-cloth of-the-idler; òfì laṣọ àgbà fine-woven-cloth is-the-cloth of-the-elder; àgbà tí ò ní tòfì an-elder who has-no fine-cloth a rọ́jú ra kíjìpá will make-shift 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: Cloth dey rank people, and elder wey no fit reach di higher grade suppose still go for di lower one instead make e dey without cloth.
Used when: Owomoyela: "If one cannot have the perfect thing, one should strive to have at least something"
Notes: Kíjìpá na thick rough hand-woven cloth and òfì na di finer narrow-loom weave, real material hierarchy wey get known prices, so di proverb na accurate social description before e be moral. Di logic dey run opposite way from most of dis file: e dey face di elder instead of di lazy pesin and di advice na to spend instead of to save.
Literal: Ẹni tí a bá ḿbá ṣiṣẹ́ one whom we are-helping to-work kì í ṣọ̀lẹ does-not act-the-idler; bórí bá túnni ṣe if orí has-remade one, a kì í tẹ́ bọ̀rọ̀ one is-not disgraced easily.
Idiomatic: "The person being lent a hand does not malinger; if Providence favors one, one is not easily disgraced."
Meaning: When help arrive na di time to work pass, no be time to rest.
Used when: Owomoyela: "One should make the most of unexpected good fortune, and not squander the opportunity it presents"
Notes: Orí na di inner head, di destiny wey pesin choose before birth, and Owomoyela translate am as "Providence," wey move technical Yorùbá term enter Christian register; di Yorùbá talk say orí. Tún ni ṣe, to remake pesin, na di standard phrase for when pesin orí dey improve pesin condition. Di proverb assume say na communal work group, where neighbours dey work for one member farm turn by turn, and na di effort wey di beneficiary show dey make am qualify for di next turn.
Literal: Ibi tí a ti mú ọ̀lẹ the-place where an-idler was-seized ò kúnná is-not scuffed; ibi tí a ti mú alágbáraá the-place where a-strong-man was-seized tó oko-ó ro is-enough for-a-farm to-be-tilled.
Idiomatic: "The place where a lazy person was apprehended bears no marks; the place where a powerful man was apprehended is broad enough to plant a farm."
Meaning: Ground dey record how hard a man fight, and when dem capture lazy man, di ground dey remain quiet.
Used when: Owomoyela: "A worthy person, even if eventually vanquished, will leave signs of powerful resistance behind"
Notes: Di measurement na forensic: di size of di ground wey scatter na evidence of di fight. Seizure here na capture for war or slave-raiding, real danger throughout di nineteenth-century Yorùbá wars, so di proverb set for real and recent situation instead of something wey dem just imagine. Dem capture di two men for di end, and di proverb no dispute dat one; wetin e dey grade na di mark wey remain.
Literal: Ìyànjú là ńgbà effort is-what we take; bí a ò gbìyànjú if we do-not make-effort bí ọ̀lẹ là ńrí we appear like an-idler; ojoojúmọ́ ní ńrẹni it-is-daily that one-is-wearied.
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: Tiredness na permanent condition, and na inside am person dey put effort instead of to wait make e comot first.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Even as body tire person, person still must try well well for wetin e dey do"
Notes: Di last clause na di reason to end di file here. E agree to wetin di other sixty-nine proverbs mostly refuse, say di work dey genuinely tire person and say di tiredness dey repeat every day, but e still dey ask for effort. Bí ọ̀lẹ là ńrí, say person dey look like lazy person, dem also arrange di words carefully: wetin dey bother dem na di appearance and di judgement, wey be where this whole collection place di punishment.
Four things dey clear across these seventy proverbs wey no single proverb talk on its own.
Hunger na di punishment, and dem describe am say e fair. Di collection no dey threaten di lazy person with poverty in di abstract. E dey threaten am with empty belle, and for entry 54 e talk say hunger jàre, e win case against am, using di language of legal judgement. Entry 55 even go further and cancel di duty to feed am at all. Since Yorùbá proverbs for other places dey make am almost compulsory to feed stranger, as di companion file owe-hunger-food-plenty show in detail, these texts dey mark di one exception for inside duty wey strong normal normal. Na dat one be di sharpest moral point for inside di file and dem talk am straight without any corner-corner.
Na di lazy person explanation dem use describe am, no be say e no dey do anything. Almost one third of di file na wetin di lazy person dey talk: say e inherit am from e family line (11), say di world hate am (12), say her husband die (28), na farm work make di cloth dirty so (29), say death go even be relief (8). Di proverbs consistently get interest more for di excuse pass di behavior, and di blame wey dey come up every time no be laziness, na false excuse. Entry 12 state di general rule say na person dey cause e own condition pass to say na other people cause am, and di rest of di file na practical examples.
Di collection no get only one position, and di exceptions dey very clear. Entry 45 advise di lazy person on how to use e sense survive. Entries 63 and 64 defend di person wey dey spend money anyhow and even di drunkard against di charge of wastage, on di clear ground say na e own money. Entry 61 talk say stinginess and lavish spending dey come from how much person get for hand, no be from character. Entry 70 agree say di work dey genuinely tire person every day. These ones no be just random things: dem mark di boundary of rule wey di rest of di file talk with power, and any summary wey only report di harshness no go dey accurate. Di main test wey come out from entries 35, 63 and 64 together na ownership, since dem fit only accuse person of wastage if di things wey spoil no belong to di spender alone.
Dem fit date some of di proverbs for some places, and e no balance. Cowrie money for entry 61, Quranic school for entry 23, imported coffin for entry 10, pawnship for entries 30 and 65, capturing person for war for entry 69, and colonial police uniform for entry 62 spread across several centuries. Owomoyela no put dates and e no name any informants , so these inside markers na di only timeline wey dey, and dem show say wetin dey read like one single traditional voice na actually accumulation wey get long tail wey still open.
Sixty-seven Yorùbá proverbs on hunger, eating, restraint at table and the difference between a full house and an empty one, each with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation it is spoken in.
Fifty-eight Yorùbá proverbs on character, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.
Sourced Yorùbá proverbs about the household, the lineage, the father's house and the obligations that follow from being born into a particular family.
Sourced Yorùbá proverbs about labour, the farm and the discipline of effort, 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.