1. Lizard that ruined his mother’s funeral, what did he except others to do? – If you disorganize any activity that concerns you, you do not expect others to act otherwise. (In African culture, mother’s burial is a personal affair. Nobody cares the way you plan it.) Use the proverb when you want to caution someone about his attitude towards planning.
2. He who sees an old hag squatting should leave her alone, who knows how she breathes? – Do not interfere in someone affair especially when you know little about them.
3. Anger against a brother is felt on the flesh, not in the bone – You must forgive and forget whatever your brother/relative did to you.
4. Maize bears fruits once and dies because it is not rooted into the ground – Without a good foundation, you cannot succeed and remain successful.
5. White anti chews ‘igbegulu’ (palm stem) because it is lying on the ground, let him climb the palm tree and chew it – People will insult you when failed to realize who you are and find yourself in everybody’s mist.
6. He who will swallow ‘udala’ (apple) seed must consider the size of his anus – To every action, you must consider the consequence. (An apple seed does not digest in the stomach.)
7. The fly that has no one to advise him, follows a corpse into the grave – When you lack a good counsel or fail to take one, you will fall into a trap.
8. When a handshake passes the elbow, it becomes another thing – Be careful when a stranger gets too acquainted or mind when you are been mocked.
9. He likes funeral ram’s meat, but recovers when sickness visits him – Somebody who like others to spend for him but is unwilling to spend.
10. When a mighty tree falls, the birds are scattered into the bush – When a good leader dies people lack direction if they fail to get a successor. It is a lamentation.
11. A common snake which a man sees all alone may become a python in his eyes – One man’s account is not enough to judge a case.
12. The very thing that killed a mother rat is always there to make sure that its young ones never open their eyes – The wicked ones are at work all the time.
13. A boy who persists in asking what killed his father before he has enough strength to avenge, may be asking for his father’s fate – Do not fight a battle you are not prepared or old enough to win.
14. The man who belittled the sickness a monkey suffered, should ask to see the eyes which his nurse got from blowing his sick fire – Before you disregard others predicaments, think of the effects it has on them and their relatives.
15. When death wants to take a little dog, it prevents him from perceiving even the smell of excrement – When you are destined for a misfortune you will never listen to a wise counsel.
culled from http://hubpages.com
No comments:
Post a Comment