KiKongo Proverbs-gctid26468

[Mani Kongo]

MWANA UNA MU VUMU KYA NGUDI, MWAN'A SE YE NGUDI, KANSI
AVO WUTUKIDI, SE MWAN'A WANTU AWONSO.

When a baby is still in the mother's wombs, it is the baby of its father and mother;
but when it is born, it becomes the child of the whole community.
"It takes a whole village to raise a child" (Kmtyw proverb).

[Mani Kongo]

NZUNDU ISIDI KW'ALEKE SE YE TETELA NKANDI.

If the hammer of the family is passed to youth, it becomes as a pair of nut-crackers.
For lack of experience, youth use precious goods inherited from the ancestors for trivial matters.

[Mani Kongo]

MAWULU MA MBANZA TIMA ZIKILA.

The holes of the village or of the city are constantly dug and stopped up.
The problems of the village or the city are constantly set and solved.

[Mani Kongo]

NTI MYA SOLA, KUNA MYABWA, KUNA DYAKA MYABWA.

The contributions of the family are as the trees of the field, they must fall from all parts.
In a society, help must come from all its members.
"Union is strength, disunity is weakness".

[Mani Kongo]

KU TUTUKIDI KU LÀ, KU TUKWENDA KU KUFI.

It is far where we came from, and near where we go to. Where we came from is far and where we go to is near.
When we measure our way from the beginning, we find that we are closer to the end than to the starting point. However, it happens that it is almost closer to the end that the burden gets heavier and the success seems uncertain.
This saying invites us to resist to the despondency and to make the last efforts to earn the golden crown. "So stick to the fight and don't quit !"

[Mani Kongo]

NKISI WA NENE MFUMU ANDI WADYANGA (WAVONDANGA).

A great fetish can kill its master.
An artist is greater than his art. But if he has not a control over it, it becomes more powerful than the artist and can engulf him. That is the well known case of the fetish turned on the fetishist. From any knowledge which is not well domesticated can derive the death of the artist or the chaos of his art.

[Mani Kongo]

MIONGO YE MIONGO KAMIKUTANANGA KO, KANSI WANTU AKUTANANGA.

Mountains do not meet mountains, but men meet men.
This saying shows that "a mountain does not need another mountain". But a "man needs another man".

[Mani Kongo]

MBANGAL'A NENE MU NSWEKI A NZINGU.

A big stick prevents contending ones from fighting.
"A powerful arm is a dissuasive means against the threats of war".
"Might makes right".

Un grand bâton est une arme de dissuasion qui empêche une lutte d'avoir lieu ou de continuer.
"Une arme puissante est un moyen dissuasif contre les menaces de guerre ou de lutte de petite ou moyenne dimension".

Um grande bastão é uma arma dissuasiva, que inibe uma luta de ter lugar ou de continuar.
"Uma arma poderosa é um meio dissuasório contra as ameaças de guerra ou de luta de pequena ou média dimensão".

SASALA KA BWA KO.

To stagger is not to fall.
"All staggering is not a fall".

Chanceler n'est pas tomber.
"Toute glissade n'est pas une chute".

Escorregar não é cair.
"Nem toda escorregadela é uma caída".

SOL'ENKASA WASISA FWANGA.

Choose the beans and leave the pods.
"To separate the tares from the wheat". "To separate the good from the evil".

Choisis l'haricot et laisses les gousses.
"Séparer le bon grain de l'ivraie". "Séparer le bien du mal".

Escolhe o feijão e deixa as cascas.
"Separar o trigo do joio". "Separar o bom do mal".

From the Dictionary of KIKONGO Proverbs

[Mani Kongo]

VATA DYA KOND'AMBUTA, VATA DYAKOND' ENSIKU.

A village without elderly men is a village without laws.
"A village without old men is an unhappy one" (Luo proverb).

Un village sans vieux est un village sans lois.
"Un village sans vieux est un village malheureux" (proverbe Luo).

Uma aldeia semn velhos é uma aldeia sem leis.
"Uma aldeia sem velhos é uma aldeia infeliz" (provérbio Luo).

From the Dictionary of KIKONGO Proverbs

[Mani Kongo]

TUNDA (KUMBU) DYA MFUMU NKANGU.

The fame of a chief is his people.
"A chief without a people is but a figurative chief".

La renommée d'un chef lui vient de son peuple.
"Un chef sans peuple n'est qu'un chef figuratif".

A fama de um chefe é seu povo.
"Um chefe sem povo é um chefe apenas figurativo".

From the Dictionary of KIKONGO Proverbs

[Mani Kongo]

KIMBEVO KOTA MU NITU NGOLO-NGOLO KANSI VAIKA MALEMBE MALEMBE.

Sickness comes with might but goes away slowly.
"Sickness comes on horseback and goes away on foot".

La maladie entre dans le corps à toute force, mais en sort lentement.
"La maladie vient au galop mais s'en retourne à pied" ou
"Le mal vient à cheval mais s'en retourne boiteux et contrefait".

From the Dictionary of KIKONGO Proverbs

[Mani Kongo]

KIMFYETETE (KINONYA) KAZIKI MVUMBI KO NANGA VO KA NKAZ'ANDI KO.

 Uma formiga não enterra um morto, se não for a sua mulher.
 O provérbio mostra que no reino animal, há animais incluindo o homem que nunca deixam a vida e a honra da fêmea à mercê dos caprichos da natureza sem lhe darem um forte amparo ou um devido enterro.

 La fourmi n'enterre pas de morts, à moins que ce soit sa femme.
 Le proverbe montre que, dans le règne animal, il y a des animaux, y compris l'homme, qui ne laissent jamais la vie et l'honneur de la femelle à la merci des caprices de la nature, sans lui donner forte protection ou un enterrement digne d'animal.

 An ant does not bury dead, unless it is its wife.
 This proverb shows that, in the animal realm, there are animals, including man, which never leave the life and honor of the female to the freak of nature without protecting or giving her an honored burial.

[Kindomba]

Kânda diakuta Nzûndu, nkio diawunuka, ukitèle Zûndu. Nga zêyi diswasâni diena va kati kwa Nzûndu ye Zûndu e?

The community named you Nzûndu, you thought it was mistaken itself; you call yourself Zûndu. Can you tell the existing difference between Nzûndu and Zûndu?

[Mani Kongo]

NKASA MUVYA, E MOKO IBOSI KIMANISA.

Only when the beans are cooked that the discussion will come to the end.
This proverb shows an inflexible determination to end the discussion only after solving the problem.

C'est seulement quand les haricots seront cuits que se terminera la discussion.
Ce proverbe marque une ferme décision de ne terminer la discussion d'un problème que seulement lorsque sa solution interviendra.

Só quando a feijoda estiver cozida é que a conversa acabará.
É uma inflexível determinação só quando o problema for resolvido.

[Mani Kongo]

NKONDOLOKA KADYNGA MWENDO.

Um desvio do caminho não impede a continuação da marcha.
Um caminho tortuoso mas seguro é melhor do que um caminho recto mas perigoso ou cheio de obstáculos. " Siga a pista, mesmo sinuosa, se for ela que leva ao destino".

Un chemin tortueux n'empêche pas la continuation de la marche.
Un chemin tortueux mais sûr vaut mieux qu'un chemin droit mais périlleux ou plein d'obstacles.
"Suis la piste, même sinueuse, si c'est elle qui mène à la destination".

A roundabout way does not impede the walking to procede.
It is safer to go a long and secure way than a dangerous straight way full of obstacles.
"Follow the track, even tortuous, if it leads to the destination".