Thirty-four Yorùbá proverbs on bearing witness, swearing an oath, the difference between what you saw and what you were told, and what happens to the person who swears falsely, 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.
Yorùbá get different-different words for the many things wey English language join together as "swear". Ìbúra na the oath, from búra, to swear, and na curse wey person put for im own head if im lie: the person wey dey swear dey call consequence come im own body if im lie. Ìmùlẹ̀ na the covenant, wey the real meaning na to drink sand (earth), an agreement wey tie people together wey make dem owe each other something wey go last forever. Ẹ̀rí na testimony or evidence, and ẹlẹ́rìí na the witness, the person wey carry the evidence. To jẹ́rìí na to bear witness. All these na different-different institutions and the proverbs treat dem separately.
Wetin dey make the oath work for this material no be say to lie bad, but say the thing wey dem take swear go act. Earth dey hear the oath wey dem swear for im presence and e go enforce am. Dem dey touch Ògún iron for head. The officer wey dey lead the oil-ordeal dey wear ritual cloth, and after that im no fit find innocent person guilty. The proverbs no dey sentimental about all these things: wetin concern dem pass na when dem fit check claim and when dem no fit check am, and the sharpest observations wey dem get na about talk wey person no fit verify, the man wey take coincidence do like say na proof, and the fact say nobody fit testify about wetin im do for sleep.
Thirty-four proverbs dey here inside four groups: wetin dem fit take swear and wetin dem no fit take swear, the witness and wetin testimony fit reach, the earth and the gods as guarantors, and false swearing plus claim wey person no fit verify. Dem present the proverbs inside Owomoyela texts and translations . Owomoyela bracket usage notes na the foundation for the Used when lines; anywhere wey the words na im own, dem put am inside quotation mark. Anything wey dem mark as the compiler own na this corpus own, and im level of confidence lower.
Owomoyela print full standard orthography with tone marks and subdots, and im texts dey reproduced here as dem print am . Im no attach any informant to any proverb, as im hold say proverbs na communal property , so the texts get evidence say dem dey use am but dem no tie am to one specific place.
This file dey narrow on purpose. Truth and lying as character traits, the way lie dey scatter, and the constant praise for honest person na the topic of owe-truthfulness-lying-integrity, and im texts no dey repeated here. Wetin follow na truth under the particular pressure of dispute: wetin you fit swear to, who fit give testimony, and who dey guarantee the words. The court wey dey receive all these things dey described for owe-justice-judgement-court.
Literal: A kì í fi ohun sọ́wọ́ one does-not with a-thing in-the-hand búra swear.
Idiomatic: "One does not hide something in one's hand and yet swear [that one knows nothing about it]."
Meaning: You no dey take oath while you hold the object wey prove say you dey lie.
Used when: Owomoyela: "E dey foolish to tempt fate; person wey no dey honest dey expose imself to chance say dem go discover am"
Notes: Búra na the verb to swear oath, and the proverb no be warning against lie but against bad swearing: the fault na say the person wey dey swear expose imself, since hand wey close open. The bracketed words wey Owomoyela add to complete wetin dem dey swear to na im own, and the Yorùbá no talk wetin dey inside the oath, wey come make the proverb fit apply to any claim wey something wey the person hold dey contradict.
Literal: Ìgbà ara the-appropriate time là ḿbúra is-when we swear.
Idiomatic: "One swears when it is time to swear."
Meaning: Oath get im own proper time and dem no suppose bring am out outside that time.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Everything get im proper time"
Notes: The way Owomoyela explain am make the proverb look like general saying about doing things on time, but the Yorùbá mention búra specifically, and the more exact meaning na say to swear na formal act wey get im own time, no be just to put emphasis when person dey talk. The proverb na evidence say Yorùbá oath na something dem reserve, no be something dem just dey use anyhow, wey be the assumption wey entry 3 depend on.
Literal: Bí ògbó ẹni ò bá dáni lójú if one's cudgel does-not make-one certain, a kì í fi gbárí wò one does-not use-it to-strike the-head to-test.
Idiomatic: "If one does not trust one's cudgel, one does not try it on one's own head."
Meaning: You no dey bet your life on top instrument wey you no sure of.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person no suppose swear by something wey im no sure of" Owomoyela cross-reference 2020 .
Notes: Owomoyela usage note na the key to the proverb: to hit person own head with object na one way to take swear oath, an act wey dey call the object make e act against you if you dey lie. Gbárí na to hit head. Na this be the corpus clearest description of how Yorùbá swearing dey work physically, and e explain why entry 4 na brag instead of ordinary stunt.
Literal: Bí Ògún ẹní bá dáni lójú if one's Ògún makes-one certain, àfi gbárí one goes-ahead and-strikes-the-head.
Idiomatic: "If one is sure of one's Ògún cult object, one taps one's head with it."
Meaning: To get confidence for the guarantor na wetin dey give permission to swear the oath.
Used when: Owomoyela: "If person sure of im position, im fit boldly swear with anything" Owomoyela cross-reference 1436 .
Notes: The Ògún here na the iron object of the cult, and to swear on top iron na the best-attested Yorùbá oath, wey dem still dey use for modern Nigerian courts where person wey go court fit choose to swear on top iron instead of book. Owomoyela print entries 3 and 4 as pair wey join together and dem suppose read dem together: 3 na the caution and 4 na the permission. Compare owe-orisa-tradition-speech and owe-blacksmith-forge-iron.
Literal: Bí a kò bá ṣe fún ilẹ̀ if we have-not done for the-earth, a kì í fi ọwọ́ sọ ọ́ we do-not throw the-hand at-it.
Idiomatic: "If one has done nothing for Earth, one does not swear by it."
Meaning: Person no fit call power wey e never give anything make e stand as guarantor.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person no fit expect wetin e go chop from where e no plant anything"
Notes: Ilẹ̀, wey be the Earth, na im be the main Yorùbá guarantor for oath, and the gesture for swearing na fi ọwọ́ sọ, to throw or put hand for ground, sometimes to touch the ground and taste the soil. The explanation wey Owomoyela give look the proverb from farming side, say na about planting, wey be real second meaning of ṣe fún ilẹ̀ and maybe the older one, but na the swearing meaning im own translation show clearly. Where im translation and im explanation get difference, we print the two here. See entry 17.
Literal: Bí a bá ṣe ohun ńlá if we have-done a-great thing, àfi èpè gba ara ẹni là only a-curse saves oneself.
Idiomatic: "If one has committed a great offense, one frees oneself by swearing [innocence]."
Meaning: The last move wey remain for person wey do serious bad thing na oath.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person biggest duty na to save imsef"
Notes: Èpè na curse, and how dem use am here dey accurate: the Yorùbá oath na curse wey the person wey dey swear put ontop im own body under condition, so to swear say you dey innocent and to curse yoursef na the same thing. Owomoyela translation use "swearing" for èpè, and the "innocence" wey dey inside bracket na im own addition. The proverb just dey describe wetin dey happen plainly instead of to praise am, and na how the collection take agree say the exact person wey dem make the oath for fit still misuse am. Entry 27 talk the consequence. See owe-prayer-blessing-curse.
Literal: Ìmùlẹ̀ ò gbọdọ̀ tan ara wọn jẹ covenant-partners must-not deceive one-another; ìmọ̀ ẹnìkan ò yàn one-person's knowledge is-not sufficient.
Idiomatic: "Those who enter into a covenant must not betray one another; one person's counsel is not enough by itself."
Meaning: Covenant dey bring duty to dey honest wey ordinary relationship no dey carry.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person must not break covenant"
Notes: Ìmùlẹ̀ direct meaning na to drink ground, mu ilẹ̀, wey be the name of the ritual: the people wey dey inside go drink wetin dem mix with soil so that the earth go dey inside the two of dem and e go deal with anybody wey betray the deal. The second part na different observation about why person need second mind, and Owomoyela print the two without to join dem, wey normal for two-part proverbs wey get this kind shape. Compare entry 9 and owe-friendship-trust-betrayal.
Literal: Ọ̀rẹ́ ò fẹ́ irọ́ friendship does-not want lying; awo ò fẹ́ ìtànjẹ the-secret does-not want deception.
Idiomatic: "Friendship does not brook lying; secret covenants do not brook deceit."
Meaning: The two relationships dey fail for the same mistake, and none of dem dey survive am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Always dey truthful and honest for your matter with people wey close to you"
Notes: Awo na the secret mystery, wetin people wey dey inside group keep as secret, and Owomoyela translation wey talk "secret covenants" take am say na tight relationship instead of just knowledge, wey make sense since awo dey mean the two things. How dem arrange the two parts make friendship and covenant look like two levels of the same thing, wey be how Yorùbá thought dey arrange dem normally. See owe-secrets-gossip-rumour.
Literal: Odídẹrẹ́ ẹyẹ òkun the-parrot is a-bird of-the-sea, àlùkò ẹyẹ ọ̀sà the-àlùkò a-bird of-the-lagoon; bí a bá jẹun gbé though we ate and-forgot, ká má jẹ̀ẹ́ ùngbé let-us not forget what-was-covenanted.
Idiomatic: "The parrot is a bird of the sea, and the kingfisher a bird of the lagoon; even though we may forget that we once partook of the food, let us never forget what we covenanted."
Meaning: Distance and time fit free you from the meal, but e no fit free you from the agreement.
Used when: Owomoyela: "No matter how far we waka go, and no matter how long, we must never forget promises wey we make"
Notes: Dem put the two birds for different waters make e show separation, wey be the condition wey the second half come reject. The proverb depend on the Yorùbá difference between to chop together, wey dey create connection for just small time, and covenant, wey no dey expire. E be one of the few proverbs inside the collection wey be appeal instead of just observation.
Literal: A kì í sùn one does-not sleep jẹ́rìí ìdí and-bear-witness-for the-backside.
Idiomatic: "One cannot be asleep and also be able to vouch for one's anus."
Meaning: You no fit testify to wetin happen when you no conscious of am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Talk only wetin you dey sure of"
Notes: Owomoyela footnote straight and e dey necessary: person wey dey sleep no fit dey sure whether e mess or e no mess . Jẹ́rìí, to bear witness, na the formal courtroom verb, so the proverb take law standard of knowledge apply am to small matter wey no even matter at all, and na the joke be the main point. Na this one be the sharpest statement for the collection about the difference between to believe something and to fit bear witness ontop am, and the epistemology joke sweet pass wetin plenty other traditions dey produce.
Literal: Bí ojú ọmọdé ò tó ìtàn if a-youth's eyes did-not reach the-story, a báà wí gbọ́ let-him at-least hear-it-told.
Idiomatic: "If a youth's eyes do not witness a story, they should be good for hearsay."
Meaning: For where you no see, take the story of people wey see am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "If person no see something with im eye, e dey learn from people wey see am"
Notes: Di proverb divide wetin person know into wetin eye see direct and wetin person hear, without to look down on wetin person hear, and na so oral culture and di court wey dey run on top am dey operate. Ojú tó, wey mean make eye reach dere, na di standard idiom to say person dey present, and na di same construction di corpus dey use for eyewitness throughout owe-eyes-seeing-blindness. When dem compare am with entry 10, wey tighten testimony well well, dis proverb na di corpus accommodation.
Literal: A kì í gbélé mọ one does-not stay-at-home and-know ogun tí ò níí dùn the-war that will-not be-pleasant.
Idiomatic: "One does not stay at home and know which battle will be unpleasant."
Meaning: Na only person wey dey dere know how di matter really happen.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Only an eyewitness knows the truth of an affair"
Notes: Dem talk dis proverb specifically about war, where di gap between wetin dem report and wetin happen wide pass, and na standing rebuke to person wey dey report battle wey e no attend. Compare entry 14, wey di whole point be say dem no fit verify di war story, and owe-war-warrior-battlefield.
Literal: Ojú ẹni in-people's presence là ḿbi aṣeni lóhun is-where we question the-one-who-wronged-us.
Idiomatic: "It is in the presence of witnesses that one challenges the person who caused one injury."
Meaning: Accusation wey dem make for secret no dey produce anything, so make am where witness dey.
Used when: Owomoyela: "One should make a point of exposing one's detractor or injurer to the public"
Notes: Ojú ẹni, di face of people, na di Yorùbá phrase for public eye, and di proverb make am procedural requirement instead of just preference: dem arrange di confrontation make dem fit witness am. Dis one na di practical companion of entry 22, where dem dey identify lie by how e want hide for corner, and e belong beside owe-shame-reputation-being-seen.
Literal: Ẹni tí ó pa mẹ́fà lógun Ọ̀la the-man who killed six in the-Ọ̀la war: wọ́n ní "Háà, hà, háà!" they said "Ha, ha, ha!"; ó ní kí wọ́n gbé ọpọ́n ayò wá he said let-them bring an ayò board, ó tún pa mẹ́fà he again took six; ó ní bí ojú kò tó tẹ̀gi he said if eyes did-not reach the-forest, ojú kò tó tilé do eyes not reach the-house?
Idiomatic: "The man who [claimed to have] killed six people during the Ọla war: people exclaimed in disbelief, 'Ha, ha, ha!' He asked them to bring an ayò board, and he won six games. He said, if there were no witnesses for what happened in the secluded forest, aren't there witnesses for what happens in the house?"
Meaning: Where dem no fit witness di original claim, dem dey present demonstration wey people fit witness to take replace am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "One may not believe what one was not witness to, but what one sees, one must believe; seeing is believing"
Notes: Owomoyela footnote record say di wit of di proverb dey inside di wordplay on top pa, wey mean to win inside ayò game but mean to kill inside war, so di man settle di argument whether e fit don kill six people by taking six . English fit carry di meaning or di pun but no fit carry both, and Owomoyela translation preserve di meaning by using two different verbs. Di proverb na di corpus fullest treatment of di problem of claim wey no get witness, and di solution, wey be substitute demonstration, na real forensic move. Ayò na di seed-and-board game wey dem treat inside owe-numbers-counting.
Literal: Ẹni tó bá mọ ìdí ọ̀ràn tẹ́lẹ̀ the-person who knows the-bottom of-the-matter beforehand ní ḿbu àbùjá èké is-who cuts-off the-devious-one's shortcut.
Idiomatic: "It is a person who has prior knowledge of the facts of a matter that can foil a devious person's attempts to skirt them."
Meaning: Na only person wey already know di facts fit stop liar wey dey try dodge am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Prior knowledge is the surest weapon against lies"
Notes: Àbùjá na shortcut path, and di figure treat di liar dodge as route through area wey di hearer wey get information know pass am, wey be why e fit block am. Di proverb dey talk about di person wey dey examine witness instead of di witness, and na di corpus nearest thing to doctrine of cross-examination.
Literal: Ẹni tí Ṣàngó bá ti ojú-u rẹ̀ wọlẹ̀ the-person before whose eyes Ṣàngó entered the-ground ò níí bú Ọya lékèé mọ́ will-not call Ọya a-liar again.
Idiomatic: "Whoever witnesses Ṣango enter the ground [i.e., sees lightning strike] will never again say that Ọya lies."
Meaning: As e don see am, di sceptic stop to argue di testimony of di person wey first reach dere.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Once one has seen the feat a person can perform, one stops being a skeptic"
Notes: Di footnote wey Owomoyela write give di legend wey di proverb stand on: Ṣàngó, king of Ọ̀yọ́, hang imself wen im people turn against am, and na only Ọya, im wife, witness am; as di people dey cry dey mourn, lightning strike and dem hear im voice dey talk say im don go up go control lightning, and make dem spread am say Ọba kò so, di king no hang, and anybody wey talk contrary, lightning go strike di person . So di proverb dey talk about single witness wey no get backup, but di event itself come vindicate am, wey be di exact evidence matter wey entries 10 and 14 dey worry about. Owomoyela add say after dat time, im followers make sure say if anybody talk say Ṣàngó hang, dem go secretly burn di person house , wey show say human plan dey behind wetin dem call divine action. See owe-orisa-tradition-speech.
Literal: Ojú ilẹ̀ la ṣe dáa in-the-presence of-Earth we consulted-the-oracle tí a ṣe rúu and-made the-offering; bí ẹbọ́ bá máa jẹ́ if the-sacrifice will be-accepted kí ilẹ̀ ó jẹ́rìí let Earth bear-witness.
Idiomatic: "It is in the presence of Earth that one consulted the oracle and offered the prescribed sacrifice; if the sacrifice will yield the promised result, let Earth bear witness."
Meaning: Earth dey present wen di agreement happen and dem fit call am make e witness am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Di Earth go monitor and enforce oath wey dem swear for im presence"
Notes: Na dis place for di corpus wey dem clearly state Earth role as guarantor pass, and di verb na jẹ́rìí, di same courtroom verb wey dem use for human witness for entry 10, wey make Earth real witness instead of just ordinary vague punishment. Ojú ilẹ̀, di face of di earth, mean two tins: "for open place" and also di presence of di deity, and di proverb use di two meaning. Compare owe-sacrifice-offering-exchange and owe-ifa-babalawo-divination.
Literal: Èké kú the-devious-one dies, agbẹ́lẹ̀ ó kan òkúta the-grave-digger struck rock.
Idiomatic: "The devious person dies, and while digging his or her grave one strikes a rock."
Meaning: Di ground refuse to accept am, and dat refusal na judgement.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Even di earth dey bear witness against wicked people"
Notes: Di explanation wey Owomoyela give call di mechanism witness-bearing, wey join dis proverb to entry 17: di same Earth wey witness honest transaction come refuse make dem bury dishonest person, as rock block di grave. To see rock for grave as judgement na one particular belief wey worth noting as e be. See owe-death-ancestors-beyond for di normal way dem dey expect burial to be wey dis one spoil.
Literal: Làmílóye Explain-to-me, aláje Ìmọ̀bà the-ordeal-officer of-Ìmọ̀bà; ó ní ilé ló jó ni he asked did the-house burn, tàbí olè ló jà or did a-thief break-in?
Idiomatic: "Làmílóye, the trial-by-ordeal officer of Ìmọ̀bà town, asked, did the house burn down or was it burgled?"
Meaning: Di official wey get duty to find out wetin happen ask question wey show say e no understand anytin at all.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Trust person wey no get sense to ask stupid question"
Notes: Owomoyela footnote record say di name Làmílóye mean "Explain give me" or "Make me understand", say aláje na di official wey dey lead trial by boiling oil, and say di two event wey e mention far from each other so tey dem no fit qualify as alternative explanation for crime; e add join say di way di tone change from ilé ló jó to olè ló jà na part of wetin make am work . Dat tone play na di whole beauty of di proverb wey English no fit carry; see owe-tonal-wordplay. Dis entry na also direct evidence for di corpus say boiling-oil trial na working Yorùbá institution wey get official post wit name, wey entry 20 confirm from di oda side.
Literal: A kì í ró aṣọ ajé sídìí one does-not tie the-ritual cloth about-the-waist ká dájọ́ òdodo lẹ́bi and-judge the-righteous guilty.
Idiomatic: "One does not wear the ritual loincloth for presiding over a trial-by-ordeal and judge the righteous guilty."
Meaning: To wear di cloth of di office dey bind you to follow di standard of dat office.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person no suppose break di oath wey dem swear to keep"
Notes: Wetin Owomoyela write about how dem dey use am na wetin make dis one be oath proverb instead of court proverb: di officer imself dey under oath, and im cloth na di sign for am. Òdodo na di righteous or di true, wey stand here for person wey dey right, and ẹ̀bi na guilt, so di tin wey dem forbid na to call truth guilt wen person wear di cloth wey promise say e no go do am. Di power wey di cloth get to bind person follow join wit owe-taboo-pollution-forbidden and owe-clothing-nakedness.
Literal: Ààfáà-á sọ̀rọ̀ the-Muslim-priest speaks, òjò-ó kù the-rain rumbles; ó ní Ọlọ́runún jẹ́rìí òun he says God bears-witness-for him.
Idiomatic: "The Muslim priest makes a statement, and thunder rumbles; he says God is bearing him witness."
Meaning: Person wey coincidence favour dey claim say na proof to support im matter.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Opportunist go turn everytin to im own advantage"
Notes: Jẹ́rìí again, and the joke na category error about evidence: the priest dey treat natural event wey no link to the matter as proof, wey be exactly wetin entry 17 allow for the case of Earth and sacrifice. The corpus dey draw line between guarantor wey dem call before time and natural event wey dem just bring enter the matter after e don happen. Ààfáà na the Muslim cleric, and as this person and ìmàlé dey appear for other parts of the collection, e dey show how Islam don tey for Yorùbá land before colonial time. Owomoyela write almost the same proverb for 2532 with ìmàlé for Muslim person, wey dem treat for entry 24 of owe-truthfulness-lying-integrity; the two na variant.
Literal: Irọ́ ni it-is a-lie "Má jẹ̀ẹ́ nìkan ó gbọ́" "Let no-one hear it"; òótọ́ ni it-is truth "Ẹni orí obi" "Anyone at-all you-please."
Idiomatic: "'Breathe not a word of it to anyone' denotes a lie; 'Ask anyone you please' indicates the truth."
Meaning: How claim dey react when dem wan check am go show you wetin e really be.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Na only lie person no dey want make witness dey; person go dey happy to announce the truth"
Notes: The proverb na test wey dem dey use work instead of moral lesson, and na e be the sharpest rule about evidence for inside this file: whether dem fit check am, no be whether e sound true, na wetin dey separate the two. The usage note wey Owomoyela write use the word witness, wey put the proverb inside this file instead of make e dey among sayings about general truth. E stand direct against entry 13, where the person wey dem hurt dey make im accusation for public for the same reason.
Literal: Ìtà ata olè the-selling terms of-the-thief là ńta adóhun mọ́ is-what we apply-also to-the-one-who-fabricates-a-charge.
Idiomatic: "The terms with which one sells the thief are the same as those one applies to the false accuser."
Meaning: To invent fake accusation na the same offence as to thief, and dem get the same punishment.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The thief and the person wey swear fake oath deserve the same thing"
Notes: Ìtà, to sell, na euphemism wey im directness dey important: person wey dem convict for theft, dem dey dispose of am, sell am, and the proverb talk say the person wey make fake accusation go go the same way. Na this one be the only place wey the corpus clearly mention punishment for fake oath and the punishment heavy, wey follow how system wey depend on wetin mouth talk without written record to check am dey work. The "false accuser" wey Owomoyela talk na translation of adóhun, person wey invent something.
Literal: Ẹni tí ó gbọ́n tó ńpurọ́ the-one who is-wise and lies; ẹni tó mọ̀ràn tó ńṣèké the-one who knows-the-matter and dissembles; ẹni tó mọ̀ pé nǹkan ò sí tó ńtọrọ the-one who knows there-is-nothing and still asks; èwo ló sàn nínú àwọn mẹ́tẹ̀ẹ̀ta which is-better 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: To know the right thing na wetin make each of these things be offence instead of mistake.
Used when: Owomoyela: "The liar, person wey dey hide im mind, and person wey wan disgrace you, all of dem bad the same way"
Notes: All the three clauses dey follow the same structure, tó mọ̀ against tó ń, to know against to do, wey make the proverb be statement about intention instead of the action itself. Na that difference court need, and the corpus put am here instead of the entries wey talk about lying as habit. The question wey end am na the standard Yorùbá style for rebuke wey the person wey dey hear am go answer by imself.
Literal: Elékèé lèké ńyé it-is the-deceiver that the-deceiver understands; oun a bá ṣe ní ńyé ni what one has-done is-what one understands.
Idiomatic: "Only a devious person knows what he or she is about; each person alone is privy to what he or she has done."
Meaning: Nobody outside person own head fit know wetin the person really do.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person no fit ever dey sure about person wey dey cunny" Owomoyela link am to 4516 .
Notes: The second clause na general claim about how person take know things, and the first clause apply am to the liar, wey be the way the corpus dey usually move from rule to example. If you read am with entry 10, the two dey set the boundary for testimony: I no fit give testimony about wetin I do when I dey sleep, and you no fit give testimony about wetin I do at all. Everything wey the court dey do dey happen inside those limits.
Literal: A kì í rójú ẹni one does-not see a-person's face purọ́ mọ́ ni and-lie against him.
Idiomatic: "One does not look into the eyes of a person and still tell a lie against that person."
Meaning: Fake accusation dey require make the person wey dem accuse no dey there.
Used when: Owomoyela: "E dey always dey easier to do bad thing to people wey no dey there"
Notes: The proverb na the negative form of entry 13: for that place, dem tell the person wey dem hurt make e confront the person for public, but for here, dem describe the liar as person wey need corner where the person wey e dey lie against no go dey. Rójú, to see face, na the Yorùbá measure of confrontation, and the proverb assume say e get real power to hold person back, wey be claim about shame instead of conscience. See owe-shame-reputation-being-seen.
Literal: Bí a kò bá ṣèké if we have-not been-false, a kì í fi ẹ̀tẹ́ kú we do-not die in-disgrace.
Idiomatic: "If one has not been false, one does not die in disgrace."
Meaning: Death wey bring shame na the result wey dey identify the person wey swear fake oath after everything don happen.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Person honesty na wetin dey clear im name"
Notes: Ẹ̀tẹ́ na public disgrace, and for practice people dey read di proverb backward: dem dey take bad end as evidence say lie happen before, na so dem take understand say di punishment of di oath dey work as time dey go. Na di answer to entry 6, where big offender escape because im swear oath, and di proverb talk say di escape na temporary thing. Compare entry 18, where di earth dey register di same judgement during burial.
Literal: Bí a kò bá lọ sóko irọ́ if we do-not go to the-farm of-lies, a kì í pa á mọ́ ni lies are-not told against-us.
Idiomatic: "If one does not go to the farm of lies, lies are not told against one."
Meaning: Na person own character dey make am open to false accusation.
Used when: Owomoyela: "If one does not lay oneself open to lies, one is not lied about"
Notes: Oko irọ́, di farm of lies, dey treat lie-lie like place wey person dey visit, wey be say na rare metaphor for inside di corpus wey dey mostly treat am like road or thread. Di thing wey di proverb claim na something wey person fit argue against and di corpus know am, because entry 31 talk say stranger wey no even behave like dat no get any defence anyway. Compare di deeper explanation of lie as habit inside owe-truthfulness-lying-integrity.
Literal: Pípẹ́ ni yó pẹ̀ẹ́ however-long it takes, èké ò múrá the-deceitful-one is-not prepared.
Idiomatic: "It may take a while, but the deceitful person will not be undiscovered."
Meaning: Person wey dey lie no fit dey ready to cover di lie forever.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Truth will unfailingly triumph in the end"
Notes: Di Yorùbá talk say ò múra, im no prepare or stand well, wey clear pass wetin Owomoyela talk say "will not be undiscovered": wetin di proverb dey claim na say di liar go eventually loose guard, no be say truth get im own special power. Di difference between im text and im translation make sense to show, since di Yorùbá show how di thing dey happen while di English translation give moral lesson. Pípẹ́ ni yó pẹ̀ẹ́ na standard opening wey di corpus dey use for consequences wey dey take time show, wey dem also see for entries 40 and 41 of owe-patience-restraint-temper.
Literal: Bí olówó sọ̀rọ̀ if a-rich-person speaks, tó ṣèké and-is-false, ajé a ní kò purọ́ money will-say he did-not lie.
Idiomatic: "If a rich person speaks and lies, money will say he or she has not lied."
Meaning: Money dey act like witness wey dey back up whatever thing wey di owner talk.
Used when: Owomoyela: "A rich person can get away with any lie"
Notes: Di proverb treat ajé, money, like person wey dey talk di backing word, wey put am for di same grammatical position like di witnesses for entries 17 and 21, and na di sharpest thing wey di corpus talk about who people dey believe. If you read am together with entry 31, di way di corpus explain who dem dey take im testimony na totally about social standing no be about whether di talk na true. Compare owe-wealth-poverty-money.
Literal: Àjòjì the-stranger ò rẹ́ni jẹ́rìí-i rẹ̀ finds-no-one to-bear-witness-for him.
Idiomatic: "The stranger has no one to bear witness for him or her."
Meaning: System wey dey depend on witness from neighbours no get anything to offer person wey no get neighbours.
Used when: Owomoyela: "A stranger cannot hope for vindication against an indigene"
Notes: As dem put am for owe-justice-judgement-court as court proverb, e still belong here because im topic na jẹ́rìí, to stand as witness, and e show di exact place where di system of entries 3 reach 22 stop to work. Di oath no fit help am too, because im never do anything for di local Earth wey dey entry 5. Compare owe-stranger-guest-hospitality.
Literal: Fẹ̀hìntì kí o rí ìṣe èké sit back so-that you see the-deceitful-one's doing; fara pamọ́ kí o gbọ́ hide yourself so-that you hear bí aṣeni-í ti ńsọ how the-one-who-harms speaks.
Idiomatic: "Sit back and you will see how a devious person operates; conceal yourself and you will hear how those who seek others' destruction speak."
Meaning: Dem dey gather evidence against liar when dem no show face while im dey do wetin im dey do.
Used when: Owomoyela: "One must be cagey in order to learn the truth about unreliable people"
Notes: Di proverb na advice about procedure on how to get testimony, and e recommend di opposite of di public confrontation for entry 13, wey no be contradiction: 13 na wetin you dey do once you get di evidence, while this one na how you take get am. Owomoyela print one variant wey close well well for 2601 wey start with Pẹ̀hìndà, turn your back, and di two only different for di opening verb.
Literal: Wọ́n purọ́ fún ọ they lied to you, o ò gbà you did-not accept-it; o lè dé ìdí òótọ́ can you reach the-bottom of-truth?
Idiomatic: "People lie to you and you do not accept the lie; can you ever know what the truth is?"
Meaning: To reject lie tori no mean say you don get di true one.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Since one can seldom be sure what the truth is, one would save oneself a great deal of grief by not always insisting on it"
Notes: Na this proverb doubt things pass for inside di whole file, and e dey direct am to person wey dey feel big say im fit catch lie: to catch lie no mean say you dey closer to di real fact. Ìdí òótọ́, di bottom of truth, na di same ìdí structure like entry 15 own ìdí ọ̀ràn, di bottom of di matter, and di proverb talk say ordinary person wey dey hear tori no dey reach there. Owomoyela gloss draw one resigned practical conclusion wey di question for Yorùbá leave open.
Literal: Ẹni tó sọ pé òkúta a máa dàgbà the-person who said that rocks do grow-old ò purọ́ did-not lie; ẹni tó sọ pé òkúta kì í dàgbà the-person who said that rocks do-not grow-old ò purọ́ did-not lie.
Idiomatic: "The person who says that rocks age does not lie; the person who says that rocks do not age does not lie."
Meaning: Two story wey dey contradict each other about di same thing fit be honest testimony from both sides.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Two people fit see di same situation for different ways wey valid equally"
Notes: Di proverb use di language of lie under oath (perjury), ò purọ́, no lie, instead of di language of mere opinion, wey make am be claim about witness testimony specifically: person no fit disqualify any of di witnesses. When you put am side by side with entry 1 of owe-justice-judgement-court, wey require make dem hear from di two sides, dis one dey give di reason: e dey necessary to hear both sides because di two fit dey true. Na im be di proverb wey get philosophy pass for di two file, and di corpus talk am plainly without extra explanation. See owe-disputed-meanings.
Three observation across dis thirty-four proverbs.
Di oath for inside dese proverbs na physical transaction with specific party wey dey involved, no be appeal to conscience. Entry 3 describe person wey use heavy stick hit im own head, entry 4 with Ògún object, entry 5 putting hand on top ground, entry 7 di drinking of sand wey give ìmùlẹ̀ im name, entry 20 di ritual cloth wey bind di ordeal officer, and entry 17 Earth wey stand present for sacrifice and dey available to confirm am. For every case, physical thing dey involved and dem dey expect something to act. Entry 6 na di corpus admission say guilty person fit cheat dis system, and entries 18 and 27 na di reply: di punishment dey come late, for di grave and di way di person take die. Nothing here dey appeal to di swearer inner sense of obligation, wey be real difference from how English language dey usually describe di same institution.
Di corpus dey very interested in claim wey person no fit verify, and e look di problem from different sides. Entry 10 talk say you no fit testify to wetin you do when you dey sleep. Entry 25 talk say nobody apart from di actor know wetin e do. Entry 14 arrange big substitute demonstration because nobody witness di original claim. Entry 21 dey mock man wey bring thunder as witness to back im talk. Entry 22 bring di practical test, wey be whether di speaker want make dem check di claim. Entry 33 come talk say even when you successfully catch lie, you still never get di real truth. Dis na deep and unusually careful stand on top matter of evidence, and e dey do epistemology for inside genre wey people no dey usually give credit for such.
Social standing dey determine whose testimony matter, and di corpus talk am without pretending otherwise. Entry 30 show how money dey speak up to support rich person lie. Entry 31 leave stranger without anybody to speak for am. Entry 23 give heavy punishment for false accusation, wey be wetin system wey depend on oral testimony must do, and entry 34 agree say two honest witnesses fit contradict each other completely. When you put am side by side with owe-justice-judgement-court, where who back you dey decide case and na only small thieves dem dey make kneel down, di two files give one consistent picture: dem explain di rules of evidence carefully, but na who you be dey decide di outcome. Di corpus record di two facts and leave di tension where e find am.
Forty Yorùbá proverbs on the lawsuit, the hearing, the judge and the verdict, on what makes a judgement fair and what corrupts it, and on the guilt that arrives before anyone rules on it, 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.
Twelve Yorùbá proverbs built on èèwọ̀ (taboo) and related concepts of the forbidden, showing how proverb-speech treats prohibition as binding, socially variable, and in at least one case, lethal to violate.
Eighteen Yorùbá proverbs on establishing what happened when accounts conflict, on the oath and the curse as instruments of proof, and on the tells that mark out the guilty party, presented with the original, a literal gloss, a named translation, and the situation each 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.
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.