yoruba
stringlengths 10
249
| english
stringlengths 1
405
|
---|---|
Àgbà kì í fàárọ̀ họ ìdí kó má kan funfun. | A grown person does not scratch his buttocks in the early morning without showing some whiteness. |
Àgbà kì í ṣerée kí-ló-bá-yìí-wá? | An elderly person does not engage in the type of play that provokes the comment, “What brought all this about?” |
Àgbà kì í ṣorò bí èwe. | An elderly person does not perform rituals like a youth. |
Àgbà kì í wà lọ́jà kórí ọmọ titun wọ́. | An elder is not present at a market and permit a child's head to rest askew. |
Àgbá òfìfo ní ńpariwo; àpò tó kún fówó kì í dún. | It is an empty barrel that is noisy; a sack full of money makes no sound. |
Àgbà tí kò lẹ́sẹ̀ nílẹ̀ a lọ́gbọ́n nínú. | An elder that has no substance should have cunning. |
Àgbà tí kò mọ ìwọ̀n ara-a rẹ̀ lodò ńgbé lọ́. | It is an elder who does not know his limitations that is washed away by a river. |
Àgbà tí kò nítìjú, ojú kan ni ìbá ní; ojú kan náà a wà lọ́gangan iwájú-u rẹ̀. | An elder without self-respect might as well have only one eye, that one eye being in the center of his forehead. |
Àgbà tí yó tẹ̀ẹ́, bó fárí tán, a ní ó ku járá ẹnu. | An elder courting disgrace, after his head has been shaved he says, “Now, how about shaving the beard (as a gratuity)?” |
Àgbà tó bú ọmọdé fi èébú-u rẹ̀ tọrọ. | An elder who insults a youth makes a present of his own insult. |
Àgbà tó fi ara-a rẹ̀ féwe lèwe ḿbú. | It is an elder who delivers himself unto youths that the youth will insult. |
Àgbà tó mọ ìtìjú kì í folè ṣeré. | An elder who is wary of disgrace will not play at stealing. |
Àgbà tó torí ogójì wọ ìyẹ̀wù; igbawó ò tó ohun à-mú-ṣèyẹ. | The elder who escapes into his inner chamber because of forty cowries: two hundred cowries are not enough for casual spending. |
À-gbàbọ̀-ọ ṣòkòtò, bí kò fúnni lẹ́sẹ̀ a ṣoni; rẹ́múrẹ́mú ni ohun ẹni ḿbani mu. | Borrowed trousers: if they are not too tight around the legs, they will be too loose; one's own things fit one exactly. |
Àgbààgbà ìlú ò lè péjọ kí wọn ó jẹ ìfun òkété, àfi iyán àná. | The elders of the town will not assemble and eat the intestines of a bush-rat, only stale pounded yams. |
Àgbà-ìyà tí ńmùkọ ọ̀níní, ó ní nítorí omi gbígbóná orí-i rẹ̀ ni. | Worthless elderly person who is eating corn gruel worth one tenth of a penny, he says he only wants the hot water on top of it. |
Àgbàlagbà akàn tó kó sí garawa yègèdè, ojú tì í. | The elderly crab that enters into a bucket; it is thoroughly disgraced. |
Àgbàlagbà kì í ṣe lágbalàgba. | An elder should not behave in an unbecoming manner. |
Àgbàlagbà kì í wẹwọ́ tán kó ní òun ó jẹ si. | An elder does not wash his hand and then decide to eat more. |
Àgbàlagbà kì í yọ ayọ̀-ọ kí-ló-báyìí-wá? | An elder does not rejoice in a manner that would provoke, “What brought all this about?” |
Àgbàlagbà tí ò kí Ààrẹ ńfi okùn sin ara-a rẹ̀. | An elder who does not greet the Ààrẹ tries a “hanging” rope for size. |
Àgbàlagbà tó ńgun ọ̀pẹ, bó bá já lulẹ̀ ó dọ̀run. | An elder who climbs palm-trees: if he crashes from the tree he will find himself in heaven. |
Àgbàlagbà tó wẹ̀wù àṣejù, ẹ̀tẹ́ ni yó fi rí. | An elder who wears the garment of immoderation will find disgrace because of it. |
Àgbàrá ba ọ̀nà jẹ́, ó rò pé òún tún ọ̀nà ṣe. | The rain flood ruins the path believing that it is repairing it. |
Agbára wo ló wà lọ́wọ́ igbá tó fẹ́ fi gbọ́n omi òkun? | What strength does the calabash have at its disposal that makes it attempt to scoop up all the water in the ocean? |
Àgbéré àwòdì ní ńní òun ó jẹ ìgbín. | It is an overreaching kite that proposes to eat snails. |
Àgbéré laáyán gbé tó ní òun ó jòó láàárín adìẹ. | The cockroach overreaches itself when it says it will dance in the company of chickens. |
Àgbéré lẹyẹ ńgbé; kò lè mu omi inú àgbọn | The bird only attempts the impossible; it cannot drink the milk in a coconut. |
Àgbéré-e ṣìgìdì tó ní ká gbé òun sójò; bí apá ti ńya nitan ńya; kidiri orí ò lè dá dúró. | The overreaching mud idol that asked to be put in the rain; as the arms fell off, so did the thighs; the rounded head could not support itself. |
Ahọ́n ni ìpínnlẹ̀ ẹnu. | The tongue is the border of the mouth. |
Àì-jọnilójú lọ́sàn-án ní ḿmúni jarunpá luni lóru. | Lack of regard for a person during the day makes one kick the person during the night as one tosses restlessly in sleep. |
Àì-kúkú-joye, ó sàn ju, “Ẹnuù mi ò ká ìlú” lọ. | Not-assuming-the-position-of-ruler-at-all is far better than, “My word is not heeded by the people.” |
Àì-lápá làdá ò mú; bí a bá lápá, ọmọ owú to-o gégi. | It is a deficiency of biceps that blunts the machete; if one has strong biceps one can cut trees with a cudgel. |
Àì-lè-jà ni à ńsọ pé “Ojúde baba-à mi ò dé ìhín.” | It is inability to fight that prompts one to say, “My father's front yard does not extend this far.” |
Àì-mọ̀-kan, àì-mọ̀-kàn ní ḿmú èkúté-ilé pe ológbò níjà. | It is severe ignorance that prompts a mouse to challenge a cat to a fight. |
Àìsí èèyàn lóko là ḿbá ajá sọ̀rọ̀. | It is the absence of people on the farm that brings one to conversing with a dog. |
Àìsí-ńlé ẹkùn, ajá ńgbó. | The leopard being away from home, the dog barks. |
Àìsí-ńlé ológbò, ilé dilé èkúté. | The cat being away from home, the house becomes a domain for mice. |
Àìso àbà ló mẹ́yẹ wá jẹ̀gbá; ẹyẹ kì í jẹ̀gbá. | The failure of the àbà tree to fruit brought the bird to eating garden egg; ordinarily birds would not eat bitter tomato. |
Ajá kì í gbó níbojì ẹkùn. | A dog does not bark in the leopard's lair. |
Ajá kì í lọ ságinjù lọ ṣọdẹ ẹkùn. | A dog does not go into the wild to hunt a leopard. |
Ajá kì í rorò kó ṣọ́ ojúlé méjì. | A dog is never so fierce that it can guard two doorways. |
Ajá mọ ìgbẹ́; ẹlẹ́dẹ̀-ẹ́ mọ àfọ̀; tòlótòló mọ ẹni tí yó yìnbọn ìdí sí. | A dog knows excrement; a pig knows a mud pit; a turkey knows to whom to direct its fart. |
Ajá ò gbọdọ̀ dé mọ́ṣáláṣí ìkókò ṣàlùwàlá. | A dog dares not go to a wolf's mosque to make ablutions. |
Ajá rí epo kò lá; ìyá-a rẹ̀ẹ́ ṣu ihá bí.? | The dog sees palm-oil but does not lick it; did its mother excrete palm-nut pericarp? |
Ajá tó ńlépa ẹkùn, ìyọnu ló ńwá. | A dog that chases a leopard is seeking trouble. |
Ajá tún padà sí èébì-i rẹ̀. | The dog returns to its vomit. |
Àjàjà ṣoge àparò, abàyà kelú. | The uncharacteristically spruced up partridge swells its chest. |
Àjànàkú ò tu lójú alájá; o-nígba-ajá ò gbọdọ̀ tọ́pa erin. | The elephant does not break and run at the sight of dogs; a person with two hundred dogs dares not stalk an elephant. |
Àjàpá ní kò sí oun tó dà bí oun tí a mọ̀ ọ́ṣe; ó ní bí òún bá ju ẹyìn sẹ́nu, òun a tu èkùrọ́ sílẹ̀. | Tortoise says there is nothing quite like expertise in one's calling; it says if it puts a palm-fruit into its mouth, it spits out a palm-nut. |
Àjàpá ní òun tí ìbá só ló sùn yí, bẹ́ẹ̀ni ẹní bá sùn kì í só. | Tortoise argues that it that might have farted is sound asleep, and, surely, those that sleep do not fart! |
Àjàpá ńlọ sájò, wọ́n ní ìgbà wo ni yó dèé, ó ní ó dìgbàtí òún bá tẹ́. | Tortoise set out on a journey and it was asked when it would return; it replied that it would be after it had earned disgrace. |
Àjátì àwọ̀n ní ńkọ́ òrofó lọ́gbọ́n. | It is a loosely hung net that teaches the fruit pigeon a lesson. |
À-jẹ-ì-kúrò ní ńpa ẹmọ́n; à-jẹ-ì-kúrò ní ńpa àfè; à-jẹ-ì-kúrò ní ńpa máláàjú. | Feeding-without-leaving kills the Tullberg's rat; feeding-without-departing kills the spotted grass mouse; feeding-without-departing kills the máláàjú rat. |
À-jẹ-pọ̀ ni tàdán. | Eating-until-vomiting is the trait of the bat. |
À-jẹ-tán, à-jẹ-ì-mọra, ká fi ọwọ́ mẹ́wẹ̀ẹ̀wá jẹun ò yẹ ọmọ èèyàn. | Eating-absolutely-everything, eating-with-abandon, eating with all ten fingers is unworthy of human beings. |
À-jókòó-àì-dìde, à-sọ̀rọ̀-àì-gbèsì, ká sinni títí ká má padà sílé, àì-sunwọ̀n ní ńgbẹ̀hìn-in rẹ̀. | Sitting-without-getting-up, speaking-without-waiting-for-responses, walking people on their way and not turning back, unpleasantness is what they breed. |
Aaka ò gbé ọ̀dàn; igbó ní ńgbé. | The hedgehog does not live in the grassland, only in the forest. |
Àkàtàm̀pò ò tó ìjà-á jà; ta ní tó mú igi wá kò ó lójú? | The bow cannot fight, but who dares confront it with a stick? |
Àkíìjẹ́ mú òrìṣà níyì. | Refusal-to-acknowledge-salutations enhances the god's dignity. |
Àkísà-á mọ ìwọ̀n ara-a rẹ̀, ó gbé párá jẹ́. | The rag knows its place; it remains quietly on the rafters. |
Àkókó inú igbó ní àwọ́n lè gbẹ́ odó; ọ̀pọ̀lọ́ lódòó ní àwọ́n lè lọ́ ìlẹ̀kẹ̀; awúrebé ní àwọ́n lè hun aṣọ. | Woodpeckers in the forest say they can carve mortars, frogs in the stream say they can string beads, and awúrebe say they can weave cloth. |
Akórira ò ní ǹkan; ọ̀dùn ò sunwọ̀ fún ṣòkòtò. | An overly squeamish person owns nothing; raffia cloth is no good for trousers. |
Akú, nkò ní omitooro-o rẹ̀ ẹ́ lá; àìkú, nkò níí pè é rán níṣẹ́. | Dead, I will not eat its broth; alive, I will not send it on an errand. |
Àkùkọ̀ adìẹ́ fi dídájí ṣàgbà; ó fi ṣíṣu-sílẹ̀ ṣèwe. | The rooster shows its maturity by its early rising; it shows its lack of maturity by defecating on the floor. |
Aládàá lo làṣẹ àro. | It is the owner of the machete who exercises authority over mutual laborers. |
Aláìnítìjú lọ kú sílé àna-a rẹ̀. | A shameless person goes to die in his relative-in-laws' house. |
Alákòró kì í sá fógun. | A wearer of a battle-helmet does not flee from war. |
Aláǹgbá kì í lérí àti pa ejò. | A lizard does not boast that it will kill a snake. |
Aláàńtètè: ó jí ní kùtùkùtù ó ní òun ó dàá yànpọ̀n-yànpọ̀n sílẹ̀. | The cricket arises in the morning and vows to perform wonders. |
Aláṣejù ajá ní ńlépa ẹkùn. | It is an overreaching dog that chases leopards. |
Aláṣejù, baba ojo. | The immoderate person, greatest of cowards. |
Aláṣejù ní ńgbẹ́bọ kọjá ìdí èṣù; a-gbé-sàráà-kọjá-a-mọ́ṣáláṣí. | It is an immoderate person who carries his offering past Èṣù's shrine; one-who-carries-his-alms-past-the-mosque. |
Aláṣejù, pẹ̀rẹ̀ ní ńtẹ́; àṣéjù, baba àṣetẹ́. | The immoderate person easily finds disgrace; immoderation is the father of disgrace. |
Aláṣejù tí ńpọkọ ní baba. | Overzealous wife that calls her husband “father.” |
Aláṣọ àlà kì í jókòó sísọ̀ elépo. | A person dressed in white does not sit at the stall of a palm-oil seller. |
Aláṣọ-kan kì í ná ànárẹ. | A person who has only one set of clothing does not bargain until he is wet. |
Aláṣọ-kan kì í ṣeré òjò. | A person who has only one set of clothing does not play in the rain. |
Alátiṣe ní ḿmọ àtiṣe ara-a rẹ̀. | The person who must settle his/her affair knows best how he/she plans to go about doing so. |
Àlejò kì í lọ kó mú onílé dání. | The visitor does not take his/her leave and take the host along. |
Àlejò kì í pìtàn ìlú fónílé. | The visitor does not recount the history of the town for the host. |
Àlémú ò yẹ àgbà; àgbà kì í ṣe ohun àlémú. | To be pursued does not become an elder; an elder does not cause himself to be pursued. |
A-lu-dùndún kì í dárin. | The dùndún player does not lead a song. |
Àmọ̀tẹ́kùn-ún fara jọ ẹkùn, kò lè ṣe bí ẹkùn. | The àmọ̀tẹ́kùn looks like a leopard, but it cannot do what a leopard can do. |
Amùrín ò sunwọ̀n, ó yí sáró. | The lizard is not good-looking to start with, and it slips into indigo dye. |
Ànán-mánàán ẹtú jìnfìn; oní-mónìí ẹtú jìnfìn; ẹran mìíràn ò sí nígbó lẹ́hìn ẹtu? | Yesterday the antelope was caught in a pit-trap; today the antelope is caught in a pit-trap; is there no other animal in the forest besides the antelope? |
Apá èkúté-ilé ò ká awùsá; kìkìi yíyíkiri ló mọ. | The mouse cannot get a grip on the awùsá nut; all it can do is roll it around. |
Àpárá ńlá, ìjà ní ńdà. | Excessive ribbing unfailingly leads to a fight. |
Àpárá ńlá ni iná ńdá; iná ò lè rí omi gbéṣe. | The fire is being most overbearing; there is nothing fire can do to water. |
Àpárá ńlá nikán ńdá; ikán ò lè mu òkúta. | The termite is being most overbearing; a termite cannot eat a rock. |
Àpọ́nlé ni “İyá-a Káà”; ìyá kan ò sí ní káà tí kò lórúkọ. | Calling a person “Mother of the Compound” is only a mark of respect; there is no mother in the compound who does not have a name. |
Àpọ́nlé ni “Fọ́maàn”; ẹnìkan ò lè ṣe èèyàn mẹ́rin. | Calling a person a foreman is only a mark of respect; nobody can be four men. |
Ara okó ní òún gbọ́ fínrín fínrín; ta ló sọ fun bí kò ṣe ará ile? | The bush dweller says he heard a rumour; who told him, if it was not a town dweller? |
Ara-àìbalẹ̀, olórí àrùn. | Restlessness, father of all diseases. |
À-rí-ì-gbọdọ̀-wí, baálé ilé ṣu sápẹ. | Something-seen-but-unmentionable, the man of the house shits in the sauce-pan. |
Àrí-ì-gbọdọ̀-wí, baálé ilé yọkun lémú. | Something-seen-but-unmentionable, the man of the house walks around with mucus dripping from his nose. |
Àrífín ilé ò jẹ́ ká jẹ òròmọ adìẹ. | Fear of losing face within one's home dissuades one from eating day-old chicks. |
Arọ̀lẹ̀kẹ̀ ò rọ bàtà; gbẹ́dó-gbẹ́dó ò rọ ojúgun. | The bead maker cannot fashion a shoe; the mortar carver cannot manufacture a shinbone. |
Àṣá kì í rà kádìẹ gbé kòkòrò dání. | When a kite hovers, a chicken does not hang on to an insect. |
A-ṣe-bọ̀rọ̀kìnní-má-kìíyè-sábíyá, gbogbo abíyá dọ́ṣẹ. | He-who-lives-in-style-but-pays-no-attention-to-his-armpits, both armpits are taken over with foamy filth. |