Fourteen Yorùbá proverbs on what a wrongdoer is owed once guilt is settled, on forgiveness as a practical act rather than a sentiment, and on consequence as something that arrives on its own, 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.
Ìyà na punishment or suffering wey dem put on top person, and ìdáríjì na forgiveness, wey literally mean to loose person from the offense wey dem put for im head. owe-justice-judgement-court, wey be companion file inside this collection, don already gather forty proverbs about how dem dey hear and decide Yorùbá case: fair hearing, judge wey collect bribe, how dem dey use behavior know person wey do bad, and who dey escape court hand. This file start from where that one stop, after dem don confirm who do wrong, and e dey ask wetin dey happen next. Fourteen proverbs dey here, inside three groups: punishment wey match the person wey commit the offense instead of people around am, forgiveness wey dem treat like transaction wey dey close case instead of feeling wey dey pardon person, and consequence as force wey no need court before e work.
Na Owomoyela text and translation dem use for the proverbs except dem name another source. The usage notes wey Owomoyela put inside bracket na im form the base of the Used when lines; where the words na im own, dem quote am directly.
Literal: Ààbà stakes ò ṣéé kàn are-not to-be-driven mọ́ ẹni lẹ́sẹ̀ onto a-person's legs, àfi ẹni tí ńṣe búburú except one who does evil.
Idiomatic: "Stakes are not meant for people's legs, only for the legs of evildoers."
Meaning: To tie person down na punishment wey dem keep for only people wey deserve am, no be general condition wey dem fit just put anybody inside.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person wey no commit offense no deserve punishment"
Notes: Ààbà na the name of wooden stock wey dem dey take lock prisoner leg make e no fit move, na real physical instrument and no be figure of speech, wey make the proverb talk about how dem dey punish person just as e dey talk about fairness. The restriction word àfi, wey mean 'except', dey do the whole moral work: the wooden stock dey exist, and the only argument wey the proverb dey make na who dem suppose put inside.
Literal: "Ìka tí ó ṣẹ̀ the-finger that offended ni ọba ń gé" is-what the-king cuts.
Idiomatic: "The finger that offends is the one the king cuts."
Meaning: Punishment suppose fall on top the specific part or person wey do wrong, no be on top the whole hand or the whole household.
Used when: Aborisade cite am as the proverb wey dey show the principle say dem expect Yorùbá ọba make e direct the consequence of offense go meet only the person wey do wrong .
Notes: The source wey Aborisade use, wey be Adewoye 1987 study on proverbs as legal thought, explain this one as one operating principle for precolonial Yorùbá punishment: king wey give order make dem punish person must aim the punishment well on top the right person, no be anyhow, and ruler wey punish people anyhow fit make im own chiefs reject am . If you read am beside entry 1, wey state the same restriction from the side of who dem fit punish, this proverb state am from the side of the discipline wey the person wey dey punish suppose get when e dey give the punishment.
Literal: Pamí-nkú obìnrín a-kill-me-and-see woman ṣorí bẹmbẹ́ hardens-her-head sọ́kọ against-her-husband.
Idiomatic: "A masochistic woman hardens her head against her husband."
Meaning: Person wey deliberately dey repeat trouble dey attract heavier punishment pass person wey do wrong only once.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Stubbornness dey only bring heavy punishment"
Notes: Pamí-nkú, wey mean 'kill-me-make-I-see', na short name for person wey dey challenge consequence instead make e avoid am, and the proverb dey only observe the matter, e no dey praise am: when one side raise trouble, the other side go raise the response. E no really blend well with entry 1 and 2, because na the only proverb inside this file wey no require say make punishment balance with the offense, and the corpus no try reconcile the two position.
Literal: Alákataḿpò-ó the-owner-of-a-crossbow bojú wòkè looks-with-his-face upward.
Idiomatic: "The person with a crossbow looks skyward." Owomoyela's own gloss: "An offender furnishes the means of his or her own punishment."
Meaning: The tool wey person carry go do bad work na im often dey convict am or destroy am.
Used when: The usage note wey Owomoyela give as dem quote am for up .
Notes: The imagery hide small even by the standard of this collection: person wey hold crossbow dey look sky na hunter wey dey watch target, and the explanation wey Owomoyela give see the weapon itself as wetin go destroy the owner at the end, na reading wey depend on context wey don lost from this single line wey dem quote here. Compare am with owe-weapons-defence-vulnerability, wey treat weapon as something wey fit turn against the owner in a more literal way.
Literal: Ìtà a ta olè the-terms with-which-we-sell the-thief là ńta adóhunmọ́ is-how-we-sell the-false-accuser.
Idiomatic: "The terms with which one sells the thief are the same as those one applies to the false accuser."
Meaning: Dem dey punish false accusation exactly like theft, because e dey steal the same thing: another person im good name and standing.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person wey steal and person wey lie against another person deserve the same judgment"
Notes: Ta, wey mean 'to sell', dem use am here for the old meaning wey be to sell person wey do wrong enter servitude as court punishment, so the proverb dey mention real historical punishment and e extend am through equivalence instead of metaphor. To join theft and false accusation together dey treat them as the exact same crime under two different names.
Literal: Imú the-nose kì í tóbi is-never so-large kó gba ọ̀rọ̀ ẹnu sọ that-it takes the-word of-the-mouth to-speak.
Idiomatic: "The nose cannot get so big that it takes the speech out of the mouth."
Meaning: No matter how much power person get, e no fit seize the right wey belong to another person proper role.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Nobody, no matter how e powerful reach, fit seize the right of other people"
Notes: Di way di body no fit work like dat, say nose dey talk, na im be di main argument of di proverb: some work dey tied to dia own organ no matter how oda organ big or important reach, and di proverb take dat same arrangement apply to authority generally, including di authority to punish pesin, wey belong to di position wey dey in charge of am, no be to whoever strong pass.
Literal: Ìṣẹ́ ibi the-suffering of-evil, èrè ibi the-profit of-evil á tán lẹ́ will end together.
Idiomatic: "The suffering that results from doing evil, the rewards for doing evil, will last until [they run out together]."
Meaning: Anything wey bad tin bring give pesin wey do am and anything wey e cost am dey come at di same time and dey end together.
Used when: Wetin Owomoyela write on how to use am no clear well well for di source wey dem check; di compiler understand am as statement say wetin pesin gain from bad tin and di punishment wey follow am dey tied together, so di profit of bad tin no fit last pass di cost. Confidence on dis reading: medium.
Notes: As di proverb join ìṣẹ́, suffering, and èrè, profit, put for one single clause with one shared verb, e treat dem as pair instead of say one cause di oda one, wey be stronger claim pass "crime no dey pay": e dey talk say di enjoyment and di price dey tied together for di whole time, no be only when time to settle account reach.
Literal: Ẹní dáríjiní one-who forgives ṣẹ̀tẹ́ ẹjọ́ deflates the-case.
Idiomatic: "The one who forgives takes the wind out of the case's sails."
Meaning: Forgiveness no dey settle dispute on moral level like dat, but wetin e dey do na say e dey remove di tin wey di dispute need to continue.
Used when: Owomoyela: "To forgive na to show big heart"
Notes: Ṣẹ̀tẹ́ dey carry di meaning say make tin wey swell deflated, so di picture na mechanical tin: case na tin wey get pressure inside am, and forgiveness na di tin wey puncture am. Owomoyela print one close variant for entry 3293 with di same wording and link am direct to dis entry , and one longer form for entries 3298 to 3299 expand di same point (see entries 9 and 10 below).
Literal: Àfi ohun wé ohun comparing thing to thing, àfọ̀rràn wé ọ̀ràn comparing matter to matter; fi ọ̀ràn jì forgive the-matter ká lè yinni so-that we-can be-praised.
Idiomatic: "Recalling-similar-matters-of-the-past, recalling-similar-problems-of-the-past, forgive an offense and earn praise."
Meaning: To dey always compare new dispute with every past grievance na di habit wey forgiveness suppose break, and to break am na tin wey deserve praise.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Pesin suppose forgive and no dey always remember past offenses" See also entry 1554 for Owomoyela collection, wey dem print as variant.
Notes: Di double compressed opening, to-compare-tin-with-tin and to-compare-matter-with-matter, call di exact habit wey di proverb come forbid: to dey list past cases instead of to allow matter close. Owomoyela link dis entry, wey dey printed for im collection at 3298, directly to di shorter form for 1554 (fi ohun wé ohun, fi ọ̀ràn wé ọ̀ràn; fi ọ̀ràn jì ká yìn ọ́), wey get di same claim with fewer words .
Literal: À-fi-ọ̀rọ̀-wé-ọ̀rọ̀ the-habit-of-comparing-matter-to-matter ò jẹ́ does-not let kí ọ̀rọ̀ tán bọ̀rọ̀ a-matter end easily.
Idiomatic: "Allowing a current matter to remind one of similar matters in the past prevents a quarrel from ending easily."
Meaning: Di habit of listing past matters wey dey entry 9 come appear here as im own proverb, separate from di praise-and-forgiveness framework.
Used when: Owomoyela explain dis one as repeat of di entry wey come before am .
Notes: Owomoyela print entries 9 and 10 as pair wey follow each oda immediately, di first one end with praise for di pesin wey reject di habit, while di second one only mention di habit without di reward, wey show say di shorter form fit be di older or more basic proverb while di praise clause na wetin dem add later. Confidence on dat relationship: contested, since Owomoyela no state which one come first.
Literal: Ojú àánú the-eyes of-mercy ti fọ́ have gone-blind, tìkà ló kù only-the-wicked-one's remain.
Idiomatic: "Merciful eyes have gone blind; only wicked ones remain."
Meaning: Time don reach where mercy no dey again and na only hard heart remain to answer with.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Time for mercy don pass; now na time for hard heart"
Notes: Di proverb treat mercy and cruelty as two sets of eyes and describe say one blind while di oda one still dey see, wey make di change from mercy to hard punishment depend on who remain wey fit see di situation instead of change of policy. Na dis proverb alone inside dis file dey argue against continuous patience, and e stand as di strong boundary against which entries 8 reach 10 dey operate.
Literal: Má sọ ọ́ lófin do-not declare it as-law, òfin ní ń sọ ara ẹ̀ the-law is-what declares itself.
Idiomatic: "Do not lay down the law; the law will lay itself down."
Meaning: Pesin wey do bad no need make anybody formally sentence am before di consequence of wetin e do go reach am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Pesin no need to be vigilante before pesin wey do bad go face trouble"
Notes: Òfin, dat na law, get power to act for here wey e no get for owe-justice-judgement-court, where na people wey hold post dey run law; for here e dey act on im own as force, without any onídàájọ́ to call am out. If person read di two file together, e go show say di corpus hold both formal and informal theory of consequence at di same time.
Literal: Láḿbè yàgbàdo lóko because-a-monkey cut-corn on-the-farm ká wá gbá ìbejì should-one slap a-twin lójú nílé in-the-face at-home?
Idiomatic: "Because a monkey cut some corn on the farm, can one slap a twin in the house?"
Meaning: Consequence must reach di exact person wey do di wrong thing; to carry am put for person body wey just close to di offender, no matter how dem close reach, na mistake of category.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person no fit punish somebody for anoda person crime, no matter how di two of dem close reach"
Notes: Owomoyela footnote explain say Yorùbá tradition biliv say connection dey between twins, ibejì, and colobus monkey, so di two figure inside di proverb connect through belief, no be by chance. Dis one make di error of substitution clear pass: na twin close pass to monkey inside wetin di tradition recognise, yet di proverb still forbid make person punish one for wetin di oda do . Dis one dey explain from household side di same principle wey entry 1 and 2 state from di punisher side.
Literal: Ọ̀nà ọ̀fun the-pathway of-the-throat, ọ̀nà ọ̀run the-pathway to-heaven: méjèèjì bákannáà ni wọ́n rí the-two-of-them are-alike as-they-are-found.
Idiomatic: "The pathway of the throat, the pathway to heaven: the two are very much alike."
Meaning: Wetin person chop through appetite and wetin dey lead to death dey follow di same road, so belly-face and death waka together for proverb.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person throat fit lead to person death"
Notes: Wetin dey here broad pass punishment for legal way; e treat body appetite like something wey carry im own built-in consequence, di way owe-stomach-appetite-inner-person treat ikùn as force wey dey demand things on im own. E dey inside here because Owomoyela arrangement put am near proverbs about correction wey person refuse to hear, and because e expand di argument for dis file say consequence fit work even without court, punisher, or anybody to forgive.
Punishment inside dis file follow correct target, dem no reduce am because of mercy. Entries 1, 2, 5, 6 and 13 all argue say consequence must land on di specific person wey work for am and nowhere else; none of dem argue say make di consequence soft. Dis point dey strict and specific pass ordinary mercy, and e make sense make person separate am from di second group of proverbs, wey dey talk about real mercy.
Forgiveness dey appear as action wey dey settle dispute directly like tool, no be say na feelings inside person heart. Entries 8, 9 and 10 all describe forgiveness by wetin e dey do to di case, say e dey cool am down and end am, instead of wetin e dey do to di mind of di person wey forgive. Entry 11 come show di hard limit: time dey wey if e pass, di corpus agree say mercy no dey again. When person join di four proverbs together, dem show forgiveness as practical action wey get time limit instead of permanent good character, and dis one match how di corpus dey treat proverbs generally as tools for particular situation, no be as fixed moral law.
Two proverbs describe consequence wey dey work without any institution behind am at all. Entries 12 and 14 comot judge, punisher, and even di person wey dey forgive from di matter, yet each of dem still maintain say wrong action or too much enjoyment dey bring im own result. If person compare am with owe-justice-judgement-court, where di same corpus talk clearly about how human court dey fail often, entry 12 look like di position wey di tradition dey fall back on when person no fit trust formal system to deliver consequence.
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