Owe Yoruba - Yoruba Proverbs

[Obadele Kambon]

O l'ôgbôn, o ò jìyà? Ta ní olùkô r÷?

You have wisdom, (but) you haven't suffered? (Then) who is your teacher???

[Obadele Kambon]

A kì í fá orí lêhìn olórí.

One does not shave a head in the absence of the owner of the head.
(One does not settle a matter in the absence of the person most concerned.)

[Obadele Kambon]

Bí æmædé bá «ubú á wo ìwájú, bí àgbà bá «ubú á wo ëhìn.

When a child falls down he/she will look forward, when an elder falls down he/she will look back.

[Obadele Kambon]

Bí æmædé bá ní a«æ ju àgbàlagbà læ, kò lè ní àkísà tó o.

When a child has more clothes than an elder, he/she can not have as many rags.

[Obadele Kambon]

A kìí mæ önà ægbà ju ælôgbà læ.

We don't know the garden path better than the gardener.

[Obadele Kambon]

Ælôkö l'ó mæ ibí t'ó ñ kêrù sí.

The owner of the vehicle knows where he/she is carrying his or her load to.

[Obadele Kambon]

Bí onígbá bá fi igbá rë «e àìkàràgbá, æmæ aráyé á bá a fi kó ilë.

If the owner of the calabash makes his or her calabash into a broken one, the residents of the world will help him or her to use it to gather filth.
(If you don't value your possessions, no one else will.)

[Obadele Kambon]

Bí o bá «í ìdí r÷ sókè, æmæ aráyé á ræ omi gbígbôná sí i fún æ.

If you expose your buttocks up in the air to moon people, the residents of the world with pour hot water into it for you.
(If you disrespect people, people will be disrespectful to you)

[Obadele Kambon]

Ìwà l'ësìn.

Character is religion

[Obadele Kambon]

Ìwà rere l'ë«ô ènìyàn.

Good character is the guardian of the human being.