Twenty-six Yorùbá proverbs about proverbs themselves and about the wise, understood speech that makes them work, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.
Machine na im translate dis page and no person don check am. The Yorùbá wey dem quote, the proverbs, the meanings and the citations dey exactly as the original. Everything else fit wrong.
The Yorùbá wey dem quote, the proverbs, oríkì, ẹsẹ Ifá, word list headwords, Odù names and citations dey exactly as the corpus record dem, for every language.
òwe na Yorùbá proverb, and dis file dey gather proverbs wey dey look back at di genre itself: wetin proverb dey do inside argument, why person wey sabi proverbs well dey win dispute, and wetin e really mean for speech to make sense to people. Around dat narrow focus, anoda bigger group of sayings dey about ọgbọ́n, wisdom, di kind good judgment wey dey make person fit use proverbs well, sabi when dem direct one give am, and talk in a way wey go touch di right spot. When person read dem together, di collection dey describe culture where fluent, indirect speech wey carry proverbs be serious social skill for competition, and where dem dey measure wisdom no be just by wetin person know inside im secret mind, but by how well e fit make people understand am and understand wetin others dey talk.
Dis topic really narrow. Di 5,235-entry collection wey Oyekan Owomoyela do get only few proverbs wey dey strictly about di proverb genre itself, so dis file also pick from im proverbs about wisdom, understanding, and talk wey bring dispute, where di connection to metalanguage dey, even though e no tight reach dat level. Twenty-six proverbs reach dat standard after verification. Dat one dey well below di 40 to 70 target for dis series, and dem report am straight without adding any extra: plenty oda candidates wey show during search na generic wisdom-and-folly proverbs wey dey talk about how wise or foolish person dey behave instead of speech, proverbs, or understanding by itself, and dem belong more properly to owe-iwa-character; dem drop dem here instead of adding dem put for dis file total.
Dem bring out di proverbs for inside Owomoyela texts and translations except anoda source dey named. Di parenthetical usage notes wey Owomoyela write na im form di foundation for di Used when lines; where di words na im own, dem quote am. Di word-for-word explanations (literal glosses) na di compiler own, wey dem check against Owomoyela translation and against di raw scanned text where e be like say di printed version no complete.
Owomoyela print full standard orthography with tone marks, and dem bring out im texts here as dem print am . Two entries wey relate to dis topic, dem remove dem for reasons wey make sense to explain. Entry 1445, Bí òwe ò bá jọ òwe, a kì í pa á ("if a proverb does not resemble a proverb, one does not utter it"), get translation wey cut off because of page break inside di scanned source wey dem check, di same kind of gap wey dem notice and handle di same way inside owe-speech-silence-tongue: dem drop am instead of using guess take finish am. One cluster of proverbs don already show for sibling files inside dis corpus and dem remove dem here make e no repeat: di "horse of speech" proverb (Òwe l'ẹsin ọ̀rọ̀, Owomoyela 5188) na di foundation example inside yoruba-owe-proverbs; Bí òwe bí òwe nIfá ńsọ̀rọ̀ (870) dey inside owe-ifa-babalawo-divination; and Àwíyé ní ḿmú ọ̀ràn yéni, Àwíyé nIfẹ̀ ńfọ̀, Àsọ̀rọ̀àìlàdí ló pa Elempe, and A-mọ̀ràn-mòwe ní ńlàdí ọ̀rọ̀ (2459, 2460, 2454, 4719) all dey inside owe-speech-silence-tongue.
Literal: Olówe the-owner-of-proverbs laláṣẹ̀ ọ̀rọ̀ is-the-authority of-a-matter.
Idiomatic: "A person who knows proverbs has the last word in a dispute."
Meaning: To sabi use plenty proverbs na form of authority by itself inside argument, separated from who naturally dey right.
Used when: Owomoyela: "There is no authority like proverbial authority"
Notes: Olówe, person-wey-get-proverb, form from di productive oní-/ol- possessive prefix wey dey show everywhere inside dis corpus (oníwà, person wey get character; elénìní, person wey get enmity), wey dey treat to sabi proverbs well as property wey person hold instead of skill wey person just dey display. Di proverb state straight di premise wey yoruba-owe-proverbs argue at length: say proverbial speech na move inside adjudication, no be decoration on top argument wey for stand or fall on im own.
Literal: Bí a bá wí if one speaks a dàbí òwe it resembles a-proverb; bí a ò bá wí if one does-not speak a dàbí ìjà it resembles a-fight.
Idiomatic: "If one speaks, it sounds like speaking in proverbs; if one does not speak, it seems like picking a fight."
Meaning: Inside some tight situations, any direct statement go sound like indirect proverb wey dem aim at person, and silence go look like open hostility; no neutral option dey.
Used when: Owomoyela: "In certain delicate situations no option is safe"
Notes: Di proverb na practical theory about im own genre: e notice say once place don tense reach, people go dey hear ordinary talk di way dem dey hear proverb, as something wey dem direct to one person in particular, wey be di exact interpretation style wey real proverb dey depend on and dey invite even from talk wey person no mean make e be proverb. E make sense well beside entry 3 below, wey dey describe di opposite case, when person hear proverb correctly say dem throw am give am and come get to decide how e go answer.
Literal: Bí olówe-é bá mọ òwe-e rẹ̀ if the-target-of-the-proverb recognizes his proverb, tí kò já a but does-not acknowledge-it, ẹ̀rù ìjà fear of-a-fight ḿbà á ni is-frightening-him.
Idiomatic: "If the butt of a proverb recognizes but does not acknowledge it, he is afraid of a fight."
Meaning: To know say dem throw proverb give you and come choose not to react dey show say na fear, no be dignity.
Used when: Owomoyela: "A person who has reason to take offense but does not is avoiding a fight"
Notes: For here, Olówe get second meaning wey dey distinct from entry 1: no be the person wey sabi proverbs, but the person wey dem use proverb against, one usage wey Owomoyela explain for another place inside hin notes as "the person to whom the proverb is applied." The two meanings of the same word, the person wey use the proverb and the target of the proverb, dey sound almost the same and na only context fit differentiate dem. This proverb dey assume say the listener don already sabi speech well enough to catch the indirect hit and say dem go judge am by how e take take am, wey be the social competence wey this whole file dey talk about.
Literal: Kì í tètè yéni it-does-not quickly become-clear-to-one: òwe ńlá ni it-is a-great proverb.
Idiomatic: "One never learns in good time: that is a profound proverb."
Meaning: The observation say wisdom dey always come too late to prevent the mistake wey e dey explain, na something wey the proverb itself bring out as example of how proverb take deep.
Used when: Owomoyela: "People tend always to learn wisdom too late"
Notes: This na proverb wey call hin own genre for inside hin second clause and grade hinsef, as e call hinsef "great" or "profound" proverb instead of make e just state wetin e mean and stop. That kind self-referential style, wey proverb dey comment on hin own weight as proverb, no too common for the corpus. E make sense to note am as evidence say Yorùbá speakers believe say some proverbs deep pass others, say dem get levels and no be everything dey flat.
Literal: Ẹni tó mọ the-one who knows èyí tí yó gbẹ̀hìn ọ̀rọ̀ that-which will end-the matter là ńpè lágbà is-whom one calls an-elder.
Idiomatic: "Only the person who knows the last word in a matter deserves the title of elder."
Meaning: Person dey earn elder status through the capacity to talk wetin go settle dispute, no be by age alone.
Used when: Owomoyela: "An elder earns his status by his effectiveness in settling disputes"
Notes: Gbẹ̀hìn ọ̀rọ̀, the last word of a matter, na technical phrase for the closing statement wey dey end quarrel, no be just the last thing person talk. This proverb make the mastery of that kind closing statement, wey in practice dey often be proverb, the main condition to get the title àgbà, elder. Na the clearest statement inside this file say elder authority for speech na wetin person dey demonstrate through function, no be wetin dem just dey give person because of seniority. This claim get small tension with other proverbs inside this corpus wey dey treat age by itself as enough ground to talk.
Literal: A-wọ́n-bí-ọgbọ́n scarce-like-wisdom, aṣòroódà bí àgbà difficult-to-become-like an-elder.
Idiomatic: "Scarce as wisdom, difficult to become as an elder."
Meaning: Wisdom no common, and to reach the standing of true elder hard in that same way.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Wisdom is not common; achieving the traits of a sage is not easy"
Notes: The whole proverb na pair of coined compound epithets instead of full sentence, the same style wey dey show for other places inside this corpus for titles wey dem dey apply to particular person during conversation (oníwà, aṣòroófinúhàn inside owe-secrets-gossip-rumour). As e join how wisdom scarce directly to how e hard to become elder, e treat the two things as the same achievement wey dem measure in two ways, wey set up the claim for entry 5 say elderhood na wetin person dey earn through demonstrated speech, no be wetin years alone dey give.
Literal: Ọlọgbọ́n the-wise-one ló lè mọ is-who can know àdììtú èdè the-riddle of-language.
Idiomatic: "Only a wise person can decipher the meaning of speech."
Meaning: To fully understand wetin person actually talk under the surface of the words na specialized competence, no be wetin every listener fit do.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The deep meanings and nuances of an utterance are for only the wise to understand"
Notes: Àdììtú, riddle or puzzle, no be loose figure of speech for here: e make language itself, for normal everyday use and no be only for formal riddle-game genre, something wey person must solve instead of just to hear am. This na the most direct statement inside the corpus about the working theory of Yorùbá indirect speech: say ordinary speech, especially proverb speech, dem build am to require interpretive work, and say that work na sign of wisdom for anybody wey fit do am well.
Literal: Bí o kò gbọ́ Ègùn if you do-not understand Ègùn, o kò gbọ́ wọ̀yọ̀-wọ̀yọ̀ do-you-not hear the-sound-of-speaking.
Idiomatic: "If you do not understand Ègùn, do you not recognize signs that someone is speaking?"
Meaning: If person no understand language, that one no mean say e no know say speech dey happen; to recognize say person dey talk and to understand wetin the person dey talk na two separate acts.
Used when: Owomoyela: "One may not understand what a person says, but one will be able to tell that the person is speaking"
Notes: Ègùn (Gùn, or Fon) na real neighboring language wey dem dey speak for west of the Yorùbá-speaking area, so the proverb no be just general assumption about foreign speech, but e name specific language wey dey unintelligible wey a Yorùbá speaker fit realistically encounter. Wọ̀yọ̀-wọ̀yọ̀ na ideophone for the sound-texture of speech, wey distinct from wetin the talk mean, and the proverb argument depend on that difference: person fit recognize the ideophone say speech dey happen even when comprehension no dey. E be precise observation about how listening get layers, and e follow entry 7 as this file's clearest pair on the mechanics of understanding.
Literal: Ọ̀yọ́ ò gbọ́ the-Ọ̀yọ́-person does-not understand "Wòde," Ìjèṣà ò gbọ́ the-Ìjèṣà-person does-not understand "Wọdà" [i.e. Ìwọ dà?, "where are you?"]; Ọ̀yọ́ gbọ́ "Wọdà" the-Ọ̀yọ́-person understands "Wọdà" bí ẹní gbọ́ Ifá as-well-as one understands Ifá.
Idiomatic: "Ọ̀yọ́ people do not understand 'Wòde,' Ìjèṣà people do not understand 'Wọdà'; Ọ̀yọ́ people understand 'Wọdà' as well as they understand Ifá."
Meaning: As dialect dey different, di same greeting fit dey clear immediately to one Yorùbá subgroup and dark well-well to anoda one, so no single group speech dey serve as general standard.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Wetin one person know, anoda person no know; if dem join body dem fit solve all dia problems"
Notes: Ọ̀yọ́ and Ìjèṣà na historical Yorùbá subgroups wey get dialects wey distinctly different, and di way di proverb take compare am to understanding Ifá, di divination corpus wey di verse dem need trained interpretation, na deliberate escalation: e dey talk say regional greeting from fellow Yorùbá speaker fit hard outsider to understand just like specialist oracle text. When pesin read am together with entry 8 proverb about Ègùn, wey be real foreign language, dis proverb make di harder point say pesin no even need enter totally different language before e no go understand wetin dem dey talk, na just different dialect region, wey be more uncomfortable truth about di limits of language wey people share together.
Literal: Ẹgbẹ̀tàlá six-hundred-and-thirteen: bí a ò bá là á if one does-not clarify-it, kì í yéni it-does-not become-clear-to-one.
Idiomatic: "Ẹgbẹ̀tàlá: if one does not explain it, no one understands what it means."
Meaning: Specialized number or word, no mata how exact e be, no dey pass any message until pesin explain am; precision and clarity no be di same thing.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Word wey no clear dey cause confusion"
Notes: Ẹgbẹ̀tàlá na specific number inside di Yorùbá base-twenty counting system, system wey dey produce compound numbers wey no go clear to anybody wey never learn di logic, so di proverb pick real example of term wey exact and at di same time useless without explanation, instead of to use vague or careless word. E connect well-well with di point wey owe-speech-silence-tongue make with di cowrie-string proverb wey dem exclude from dis file (Owomoyela 2459): di two proverbs dey argue say clarity na wetin pesin dey work to produce and e no dey just appear on im own, but dis particular one use single hard word take show di point instead of long illustration.
Literal: Ẹni tí ó gbọ́n tó ńpurọ́ the-one who is-wise yet lies; ẹni tó mọ̀ràn tó ńṣèké the-one who knows-counsel yet dissembles; ẹni tó mọ̀ pé nǹkan ò sí tó ńtọrọ the-one who knows a-thing is-not-there yet asks-for-it; èwo ló sàn which-one is-better nínú àwọn mẹ́tẹ̀ẹ̀ta among the-three?
Idiomatic: "The person who is wise and yet lies, the person who knows the truth and yet dissembles, the person who knows one has nothing and yet asks for something: which is any good among the three?"
Meaning: Wisdom, knowledge, and awareness no get any value, and dem fit even worse pass useless, when pesin use dem take deceive people instead of to speak di truth.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Di liar, di hypocrite, and di pesin wey wan put you for shame, all of dem bad equally"
Notes: Di proverb dey built like formal rhetorical question with three matching clause dem, wey each of dem pair one form of knowing with how pesin take misuse am dishonestly, and di question for di end refuse to rank di three, wey na di main argument on im own: to get wisdom or discernment no dey give any defense once pesin turn am to lie, so di comparison just collapse instead of make e settle. E serve as correction to many proverbs for anoda place inside dis file wey dey treat wisdom as something wey pure and good totally; for here, di value of wisdom depend on how pesin take speak am.
Literal: Ọ̀mọ̀ràn the-knowledgeable-one ní ḿmọ is-who knows oyún ìgbín the-pregnancy of-a-snail.
Idiomatic: "Only a sage knows the pregnancy of a snail."
Meaning: Some facts hide deep well-well say na only pesin wey get sharp discernment pass fit notice dem at all.
Used when: Owomoyela no give any usage note for dis entry inside di material wey dem consult; di proverb clear on im own say na statement about di limits of ordinary perception .
Notes: Snail soft body almost no dey show any sign for outside of wetin dey happen inside am, so di image point to fact wey hide well-well as fact fit hide, and to credit di ọ̀mọ̀ràn, di sage or discerning knower, say e fit still notice am dey set extreme upper limit on wetin people claim say wisdom fit achieve. Alongside entry 7 riddle of language, dis proverb expand di file running argument say di advantage wey wise pesin get dey on perception just as e dey on speech: dem dey see wetin dem no show, no be only wetin dem talk.
Literal: Bí ọgbọ́n bá tán nínú if wisdom becomes exhausted inside, a tún òmíràn dá one creates another-one anew.
Idiomatic: "When an elder has exhausted all his wisdom, he turns to another's wisdom."
Meaning: When pesin own store of wisdom finish, di sharp and resourceful thing to do na to borrow from anoda pesin own instead of make pesin just hang.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Elder no dey ever lack wetin to do"
Notes: Di verb dá, to create or start somtin, wen dem apply am to "anoda wisdom," dey frame di borrowing of advice from anoda pesin no be like admission say pesin lack somtin, but as act of invention on im own, one change of framing wey dey keep di elder position intact even wen di elder own resources fail. E pair naturally with entry 14, wey make di same point say to draw from anoda pesin wisdom na normal practice, no be somtin wey pesin dey do as last resort.
Literal: Ọgbọ́n ọlọgbọ́n the-wisdom of-a-wise-person la fi ńṣọgbọ́n is-what-we-use to-be-wise; ìmọ̀ràn ẹnìkan the-counsel of-one-person ò tọ́ bọ̀rọ̀ does-not amount-to a-matter.
Idiomatic: "One learns wisdom from other people's wisdom; one person's knowledge does not amount to anything."
Meaning: Wisdom na somtin wey dem dey build from other people wisdom, and single pesin private knowledge, wey dem keep to demselves, no get much value.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Wisdom and knowledge are best shared"
Notes: Di double ọgbọ́n ọlọgbọ́n, wisdom-of-a-wise-person, dey repeat di root word just as plenty proverbs for owe-iwa-character repeat ìwà for emphasis, and di effect na to insist say wisdom na somtin wey connect people and dey add up as e dey pass from pesin to pesin, no be somtin wey one pesin hold alone wey dem generate in isolation. Wen dem compare am to wetin entry 6 claim say wisdom scarce, dis proverb dey show say di scarcity na problem of how dem distribute am, no be say e no dey at all: wisdom dey inside di speech wey community gather togeda, and people must actively draw from am.
Literal: Ọgbọ́n ọlọgbọ́n the-wisdom of-a-wise-person ò jẹ́ ká pe àgbà ní wèrè does-not allow that-we call an-elder a-lunatic.
Idiomatic: "Other people's wisdom saves the elder from being called a lunatic."
Meaning: Elder wey dey willing make others correct or advise am dey get protection, through dat willingness, from di embarrassment wey stubbornness for bring.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The person who can learn from others will avoid a lot of embarrassment"
Notes: Di proverb use di exact same opening phrase like entry 14, ọgbọ́n ọlọgbọ́n, other people wisdom, but e draw different conclusion from am, which na protection of reputation instead of intellectual sufficiency, wey show clearly how dem dey reuse di same compact Yorùbá phrase across different proverbs to make points wey relate but still different. E also dey create small tension with wetin entry 5 claim say pesin dey earn elder status by giving di final decisive word by demselves: for here, di standing of di elder depend on knowing wen to accept anoda pesin word instead.
Literal: Ọ̀ràn ọlọ́ràn the-problem of-another-person la fi ńkọ́gbọ́n is-what-we-use to-learn wisdom.
Idiomatic: "From other people's problems one learns wisdom."
Meaning: Pesin dey get wisdom wen dem observe wetin dey happen to other people, no be only wen pesin pass through im own troubles.
Used when: Owomoyela: "One should learn from other people's vicissitudes"
Notes: Kọ́gbọ́n, to learn wisdom, na single verb-plus-object compound, di same construction wey dey entry 33 of owe-iwa-character (à-bí-ì-kọ́ ... ni ó ti ńkọ́gbọ́n wálé, learning wisdom from outside di home), and dis proverb extend dat idea from household specifically go other people misfortune generally as somtin to learn from. E supply di practical way behind di abstract claims of entries 13 and 14: pesin dey draw wisdom from others no be only by asking dem advice directly, but by watching wetin dey happen to dem.
Literal: Ẹnìkan one-person kì í gbọ́n tán is-never wise completely.
Idiomatic: "Nobody is all wise."
Meaning: No single pesin get complete wisdom; part go always dey wey anoda pesin hold.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Everybody can learn something from others"
Notes: Four words, and di way dem short match di claim: dem mention total wisdom and immediately deny say any single pesin fit get am, in a form wey short so tey no space dey for exception. Dis na di clearest single-sentence justification inside di file for why wisdom in Yorùbá thought dey treated as somtin wey spread across community instead of somtin wey dey inside only one wise pesin, di premise wey entries 13, 14, and 16 all build on without saying am straight.
Literal: Pípé là ńpé gbọ́n assembling is-how-we assemble to-be-wise, a kì í pé gọ one does-not assemble to-be-foolish.
Idiomatic: "People assemble to seek wisdom collectively; people do not assemble in order to become stupid."
Meaning: Di reason to gather people togeda to discuss na to reach wisdom; consultation wey produce foolishness don fail for wetin dem gather for.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Consultation should lead to wisdom, not folly"
Notes: Pípé, to gather or call meeting, na di name for di actual practice of gathering elders or people wey di mata concern to deliberate on top di issue, one real procedural step for Yorùbá dispute resolution no be just figure of speech, so e best make dem read di proverb as standard wey direct to dat specific institution: council wey produce foolish outcome don misuse di purpose wey make dem meet. E join naturally with entry 1 claim about proverbial authority for dispute settlement, since pípé na exactly di kind setting where pesin go use proverb fluency.
Literal: Ọmọdé gbọ́n a-child is-wise, Ààrẹ́ gbọ́n the-chief is-wise, la fi ńtẹ ilẹ̀ Ifẹ̀ is-how-we conduct-affairs in-the-land of-Ifẹ̀.
Idiomatic: "A youth is wise, and the chief is wise: that is the principle by which people go about at Ifẹ̀."
Meaning: For Ifẹ̀, dem dey take young person advice serious just as dem dey take chief own; dem no dey rank wisdom by how old the speaker be.
Used when: Owomoyela: "A youth's counsel is as worth entertaining as a chief's"
Notes: Inside all Yorùbá tradition, dem dey take Ilé-Ifẹ̀ as the origin town of Yorùbá people, and just like entry 28 for owe-speech-silence-tongue (Àwíyé nIfẹ̀ ńfọ̀, wey dem comot from this file because na duplicate), e dey often serve inside proverbs as place wey their practice dey set standard wey dem dey use measure others. To mention Ifẹ̀ specifically as the place wey pikin wisdom and chief wisdom get the same weight na strong point, because e dey go directly against the normal thing for this whole collection say na age dey give person right to talk (compare entries 5 and 6 above), and person suppose look am as different opinion inside the tradition instead of to see am as the tradition main position.
Literal: Àkùkọ gàgàrà a-mature, full-grown rooster ní ńdájọ́ fúnni is-what settles-a-case for-one láàrin ọ̀gànjọ in-the-middle of-the-night.
Idiomatic: "It is a mature rooster that settles disputes for people in the dead of night."
Meaning: Matter wey clear on top itself, like when fowl crow say day don break, dey end argument well well pass wetin any speaker fit talk.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Incontrovertible evidence settles all disagreement"
Notes: For real life, fowl crow na the normal way dem dey know time before day break, so the proverb picture come from real daily fact, no be wetin dem just invent: nobody fit drag argument with fowl on whether morning don near. Dem put am here as the clearest statement for this file say the best way to settle dispute no be by clever proverb argument at all, but na proof wey no need any argument, a useful balance to entries 1 and 18, wey put authority on person wey sabi talk well instead of the fact wey settle the matter by itself.
Literal: Igúnnugún the-vulture gbọ́n sínú is-wise inside.
Idiomatic: "The vulture conceals a lot of wisdom in itself."
Meaning: Animal or person wey no fine or wey look like mumu for outside fit get real wisdom wey no show.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Even a person who appears foolish may be quite astute"
Notes: Vulture na animal wey dey chop dirty things wey no get good name for public generally inside Yorùbá proverb imagery, and that na wetin make am special choice for this claim: the proverb clearly deny say person fit look face or social position take know wisdom, as e extend the same warning wey the collection give about character for owe-iwa-character give intelligence too (entry 47, gentle man with strong character for underneath). Na warning against that same idea wey many proverbs for this file dey bring out, say the way mumu person dey talk na so im mind be (see entry 11 above).
Literal: Kò sí ẹni there-is-no one tí kò mọ ọgbọ́n-ọn who does-not know the-trick ká fẹran sẹ́nu of-putting-meat in-the-mouth ká wá a tì and then hiding-it.
Idiomatic: "There is nobody who does not know the trick of putting meat in the mouth and making it disappear."
Meaning: Every person get at least small sense or trick wey dem need take look after their own immediate interest.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Nobody is a complete fool"
Notes: Ọgbọ́n, wisdom, dem use am here inside narrower way, almost like trick or clever way to do something instead of the deeper moral and understanding meaning wey e carry for most of other entries for this file, wey be reminder say that single word cover range from clever self-interest to ability to understand deep speech (entry 7) or see wetin hide (entry 12). As e join with entry 17 "nobody is all wise," this proverb give the bottom level wey match that top level: nobody get full wisdom, and nobody dey wey no get at all.
Literal: Ọgbọ́n wisdom ju agbára exceeds strength.
Idiomatic: "Wisdom is greater than strength."
Meaning: Wisdom pass physical power or force as useful resource.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Always prefer wisdom to strength"
Notes: Three words, wey use the comparative ju structure wey dey everywhere inside this collection to rank one value pass another (compare Orúkọ rere sàn ju wúrà àti fàdákà lọ, good name pass gold and silver, for yoruba-owe-proverbs). E dey work as plain direct statement instead of picture, and e good make person read am alongside entries 24 go reach 26 below, wey repeat the same ranking from small small different angles, together making small group of very short wisdom sayings wey look like say dem move around together as one set.
Literal: Ọgbọ́n wisdom kì í tán is-never used-up.
Idiomatic: "Wisdom is never used up."
Meaning: Wisdom no dey finish as person dey use am; more go always dey available and work go dey for am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "There will always be a place and some use for wisdom"
Notes: Tán, to finish or exhaust, na the same verb wey dem dey use for things wey person fit consume wey dey finish, so to say e no fit finish for wisdom dey treat wisdom as totally different thing from money, food, or any other property wey proverbs for this collection describe elsewhere say e fit finish (see the many entries on wealth and poverty for owe-iwa-character). E dey prepare ground for entry 13 related but different claim, say even one elder own wisdom, even though e fit reduce for one particular moment, e no dey ever finish permanently because another person wisdom go always dey available.
Literal: Ọgbọ́n wisdom la fi ńgbé ayé is-what-we-use to-live in-the-world.
Idiomatic: "One needs wisdom to live in this world."
Meaning: Sense no be somtin wey person fit choose whether make im get am or not, na wetin person must get to fit pass through life.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Wisdom is indispensable"
Notes: Gbé ayé, to dey live inside or carry body for dis world, na di standard Yorùbá phrase for practical everyday behavior, no be for abstract existence, so wetin di proverb dey claim no dey try shine eye: dem dey value sense here as tool for everyday survival, no be as sign say person deep for philosophy. When dem compare am with entry 23 comparison to pawa, dis proverb make stronger and total claim, no be just say sense pass pawa, but say without sense, person no even fit live life well.
Literal: Ọgbọ́n wisdom dùn-ún gbọ́n is-sweet to-be-wise; ìmọ̀ knowledge dùn-ún mọ̀ is-sweet to-know.
Idiomatic: "Wisdom is a good thing to have; knowledge is a good thing to have."
Meaning: Both sense and knowledge na, straight up, beta things to get.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Always seek wisdom and knowledge"
Notes: Dùn, sweet, na di same adjective wey dem use for oda place for inside dis corpus for talk wey sweet or wey person agree with (Bí ọ̀rọ̀ bá dùn, if matter sweet, inside yoruba-owe-proverbs), and to use am here for sense and knowledge dey treat dem as somtin wey dey give di same kind enjoyment wey normal beta things dey give, instead of to separate dem put for another higher level. As e dey close dis file batch of short aphorisms ontop wisdom, di proverb join ọgbọ́n and ìmọ̀ together, sense and knowledge, as things wey relate but still dey different from each oda, a distinction wey oda entries for di file confirm: ìmọ̀ near information more (wetin di wise man for entry 12 see), while ọgbọ́n near di skill to use am, especially when person dey talk.
Two things stand out across dis twenty-six proverbs, and one clear limitation dey wey need plain talk.
Sense for inside dis set na ability to talk well before e be any oda thing. Sense dey make person understand wetin dem really talk (entry 7), recognize proverb wey dem target give dem (entry 3), bring di last word wey dey settle quarrel (entry 5), and talk clear well-well reach to make people understand across dialect boundary (entry 9) or after plenty explanation (entry 10). Where di corpus proverbs about ìwà, character, dey treat good person like one kind human being, dis smaller set dey treat wise person like one kind person wey sabi communicate: somebody wey dey talk and receive talk more clearly pass oda people. Dat one na narrower, more functional picture of sense pass "moral goodness," and e good make dem keep di two separate instead of to mix wisdom-proverbs join character-proverbs, wey be di exact reason why proverbs wey just dey talk generally about wise or foolish person behavior, without real connection to speech, understanding, or proverb genre, no dey inside dis file even when keyword search bring dem out.
Di set no agree on where authority of sense dey come from. Entry 5 put elder status ontop di skill wey person show to end quarrel; entry 19 insist say child sense matter reach chief own, wey directly go against seniority as di measure. Entry 17 talk say nobody dey wise complete; entries 13 and 14 answer dat gap by making sense somtin wey community share and wey person fit borrow instead of to see di limit as problem. Entry 20 locate di best way to settle argument inside evidence wey no need clever speaker at all, somtin wey no really agree with entry 1 claim say na di person wey sabi talk pass dey simply win. Dis ones no be contradiction wey dem need to resolve join into one theory of Yorùbá wisdom; each proverb dey match different situation, and any collection wey smooth dem put into one single position go dey invent consistency wey no dey inside di record.
Di honest limitation na proportion. Dis file get twenty-six entries compared to dis series target of 40 to 70, and dat shortage dey show di real size of di topic for inside documented record, no be just stopping point wey dem pick for convenience. Di proverb genre wey dey comment directly ontop itself, in di strict sense of wetin òwe be or wetin e dey do, na small, specific category for inside Owomoyela collection, wey no reach twelve entries wey clearly dey on-topic once dem remove di four wey dem don already use for sibling files. To extend di file enter di wider area of wisdom, eloquence, and understanding na deliberate and open choice to give di topic size wey make sense without bringing inside di general character-and-folly proverbs wey belong to owe-iwa-character, or proverbs about tongue, silence, and gossip wey belong to owe-speech-silence-tongue and owe-secrets-gossip-rumour. Any oda search of secondary scholarship ontop Yorùbá rhetorical theory no bring out additional verified, translatable proverb texts wey different from wetin Owomoyela already provide; where dat kind scholarship dey, e dey usually discuss di genre analytically instead of to bring new proverb texts with full diacritics, wey dis corpus strong rule against creating or reconstructing text no allow make person borrow secondhand.
Fifty-eight Yorùbá proverbs on character, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each is spoken in.
Forty-eight Yorùbá proverbs on speech, silence, and the tongue, 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.
A short pointer file explaining why this corpus's full treatment of proverbs-about-proverbs lives at file 32, with one cross-reference and an honest record of an empty search for material distinct from that file.
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.