Yoruba Proverb Treasury-gctid23042

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

A kì í yàgò fún [ch7865]lé[ch61481][ch803][ch7779]in àná.

One does not get out of the way for a person who rode a horse yesterday.
(Past glory avails little in the present.)

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

A lé[ch7779]u sílè[ch61481] pá[ch324]dò[ch61481]rò[ch61481]-ó[ch61481][ch803] já lù ú; èlé mbénì?

We group yams in lots and the fruit of the saunited snakesge tree drops among them; does it count as complement to a lot, or as gratuity?
(The fruit might look somewhat like a yam, but it does not belong with yams.)

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

À [ch324] báni mú adì[ch7865] à [ch324] forúnkún bó; bó[ch61481]wó[ch61481] bá ba òkókó, a ò ní fún aládì[ch7865]?

One helps to catch a chicken and scrapes one's knees; having laid one's hands on the chick will one not hand it over to the owner?
(One should not be overzealous in helping others, especially when no benefit will accrue to one from the effort.)

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

À [ch324] bè[ch61481]rù alájá, ajá [ch7779]ebí òun là [ch324] bè[ch61481]rù.

One shows deference to the dog's owner, and the dog thinks the deference is to it.
(A person who has a powerful patron mistakenly believes that the respect he enjoys from others is due to his or her own qualities, whereas it is reflected from the patron.)

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

À [ch324] gé e ló[ch61481]wó[ch61481] ó [ch324] b[ch7885] òrùka.

His hand is being severed, yet he is slipping on a ring.
(The person has been judged undeserving of a hand; it is an affront, therefore, for him or her to adorn his or her fingers-an indication of heedlessness.)

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

A ní ká wá [ch7865]ni tó lé[ch61481]hìn ká f[ch7885]m[ch7885] fún, abúké ní òun rèé; ti gànnàkù è[ch61481]hìn-in rè[ch61481] là [ch324] wí?

One seeks a person with a prominent back as suitor for one's daughter, and the humpback presents himself; who spoke of protruding back?
(The expression that translates as "prominent back" is an idiom meaning a proud pedigree. The humpback makes a rather embarrassing mistake.)

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

A ní Tanlúkú ò mò[ch61481]-ó[ch61481][ch803] jó, Tà[ch768]nlukú wá gbè é lé[ch61481]sè[ch61481].

People say that Tanlúkú is a poor dancer, and Tanlùkù comes to his aid.
(A person who is as helpless as the person in trouble should not offer to rescue him/her.)
As the names suggest, the one is a virtual clone of the other; the aid the one offers will not make the other any better as a dancer.

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

À [ch324] já ìbà[ch324]té[ch61481] è[ch61481] lé[ch61481]hìn, ó [ch324] já tará iwájú.

His loincloth is being stripped from behind, yet he is stripping those of the people ahead of him.
(Attacks on him do not stop him from belaboring his enemies.)

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

À [ch324] sò[ch61481]rò[ch61481] olè, aboyún [ch324] dáhù[ch324]; odiidi èèyàn ló gbé pamó[ch61481].

We speak of stealing and a pregnant woman intervenes; she herself is concealing a whole person.
(Her condition makes her guilty of concealment.)

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

À [ch324] sunkún Awúgbó, Awúgbó ò sunkún ara-a è[ch61481].

We lament Awúgbó's plight; Awúgbó does not lament his own plight.
(The person the proverb is aimed at is too stupid to realize his/her sorry plight.)

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

À [ch324] wá [ch7865]ni tí a ó f[ch7885]m[ch7885] fún, olò[ch7779]ì [ch324] y[ch7885]jú.

We seek a person to give a child to (in marriage) and a worthless person presents himself.
(People should know their place and not over-rate themselves.)
This is a variant of A ní ká wá [ch7865]ni tó lé[ch61481]hìn ká f[ch7885]m[ch7885] fún . . .

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

À [ch324] wó[ch61481]nà àti fi a[ch7779]iwèrè sílè[ch61481], ó ní bí a bá dé òkè odò ká dúró de òun.

People are scheming to shake an imbecile from their company, and he asks that they wait for him on reaching the bank of the river.
(If people are seeking ways of getting rid of a person, that person should not lay down his conditions for remaining with them.)

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

A ò lóbìnrin à [ch324]dá oóyó[ch61481] sí; bí a bá dá oóyó[ch61481] sí ewúré[ch61481] ni yóò j[ch7865] é[ch61481].

Without having a wife a person spares oóyó[ch61481] [7] to grow; if it flourishes it is destined to be food for goats.
(The vegetable is used in stews, and stews are for wives to cook.)

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

A ò m[ch7885] ohun tí eléwé-e gbégbé [ch324] tà kó tó s[ch7885] pé [ch7885]jà ò tà.

One does not know what the seller of gbégbé leaves was selling before she started complaining about the slow market.
(The seller of goods that nobody wants blames her fortune on the slow market.)
This is a variant of Kí ni eléwé-e-gbégbé . . .

Gbégbé leaves are used for making charms that enable the user to transport himself instantly over long distances.

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

[ch7884]gbó[ch61481]n l'a fi [ch324] gbé ayé.

One needs wisdom to live in this world.