ti emi ba si wa
ireti si n be
when there is life , there is hope

eyin kunle
lo ta wa,
inu ile
ni ase ni ngbe

adiya iran na
ki n se oun aje gbe

agba ki n wa loja
ki ori omo tuntun wo

igi gogoro
ma gun mi loju
ati okere la n ti n wo

kokoro ti n je efo
a be efo lo wa

Agba kin wa loja, Kori omo tuntun wo.

Ile latin ko esoo rode.

Charity begins at home.

B’ópé títí, akólòlò yó pe "baba" ------- No matter how long, a stammerer will eventually call papa.


Bí abá so òkò lójà ará ilé eni ní bá ------ He who throws a stone in the market will hit his relative

Kàkà k'ó sàn lára iya àjé, ó fi gbogbo omo rè bí obìnrin; eye wá subú lu eye ------ Rather than an abatement of her viciousness, a witch gives birth
to only female children and witchcraft multiplies

Teni ni teni; b'àpón sun'su, a bù f'ágùntàn rè ------ One takes care of one's own: when a bachelor roasts yam, he shares it with his sheep

Owe : A fijo gba Awa; a fija gba Awa; bi a ba jo, bi a ba ja, bi a ba ti gba Awa, ko wa tan bi?


Translation : By dancing we take possession of Awa; through fighting we take possession of Awa; if we neither dance nor fight, but take
possession of Awa anyway, is the result not the same?

Useage : (Why make a huge production of a matter that is easily taken care of?)

Ipako onipako laari, eni eleni nii ri teni (You can see another person's back of head, while someone else will be seeing yours)

1
Proverb - Bi Ēēgun nla ba ni ohùn o ri gontò, gontò na a ni ohùn o ri Ēēgun nla

Translation - If a big masquerade claims it doesn`t see the smaller masquerade, the small masquerade will also claim it doesn`t see the big
masquerade.


Anonymous - If an important man does not respect those less important than himself, less important men will in turn refuse to give him his
due.


2
Proverb - Kò sí ęni tí ó ma gùn ęşin tí kò ní ju ìpàkó. Bí kò fę ju ìpàkó, ęşin tí ó ngùn á ję kojū.

Translation - No one rides a horse without moving his head, voluntarily or involuntarily.

Anonymous - Your status in life dictates your attitude towards your peers



3
Proverb - Eewu bę loko Longę, Longę fun ara rę eewu ni


Translation - There is danger at Longę`s farm (Longę is a name of a Yoruba Legend), Longę himself is danger


Anonymous - You should be extremely careful of situations that have a past history of danger

1
Proverb - Gbogbo alangba lo d'anu dele, a ko mo eyi t'inu nrun

Translation - All lizards lie flat on their stomach and it is difficult to determine which has a stomach ache


Anonymous - Everyone looks the same on the outside but everyone has problems that are invisible to outsiders


2
Proverb - Ile oba t'o jo, ewa lo busi


Translation - When a king's palace burns down, the re-built palace is more beautiful (every cloud has a silver lining)


Anonymous- Necessity is mother of invention, creativity is often achive after over coming many difficulties

Bi a ba fi inu wenu; iwo la je.
If we compare notes with others, we wind up eating bile.
(Comparing fortunes with others is liable to leave a bitter taste in one's mouth.)

Ba a ba mba omode jeun loko, ganmuganmu imu eni ni nwo.
If one eats with a youth on the farm he stares at the protrusion of one's nose.
(Too much familiarity with youth breeds contempt.)

Bi a ba ngunyan, komese a yo.
If one prepares pounded yams, the uninvited should depart.
(The well-bred visitor should make his/her exit when the hosts turn to intimate affairs.)

1
A-bee re ki i sina.

He who asks the way does not lose his way.

(One should admit one's weaknesses.)

2
A bi iko; A ko igba; o de lo ti nkogbon wale.

A-child-that-was-never-taught-how-to-behave; a-child-that-was-taught-but-that-refused-to-heed-instruction; it is from outside the home that he will learn wisdom.

(Look well to your child's upbringing.)

3
A binu fufu ni nwa ounje fun a binu were were.

A volatile-tempered person secures food for a mild-tempered person.

(Whatever good fortune might have been meant for the volatile person will wind up in the lot of the mild-mannered person.)

Aigbofa la nwo oke, ifa kan o si ni para        (only the fake diviners looks into the sky, for there is no answer written on ceiling)

Oju oloju, ko la da oju eni                             (other person's eyes cannot see like mine / for me)

Malu ti ko niru, Oluwa ni ba le esisin (It is The lord that help drives away flies from a tailless cow - The lord help the helpless)


Bami na omo mi, ko de inu olomo. (A parent is not truly happy with the request to have his/her child disciplined)

Aja ti o sonu, ki gbo feere olode (A dog that will stray never hears the whistle of the hunter)


Agutan to ba ba aja rin, a je igbe (A sheep that will associate with a dog will end up eating poo / evil communications corrupt good manners)

A ki i fini e joye awo di ko ma le gbade.
One cannot be given the title eagle and yet be incapable of snatching chickens.
(One should be able to live up to expectations.)

A ki i gbe saraa koja a mosalasi.
One does not carry alms beyond the mosque.
(Excess brings disgrace.)

A ki i gbo "Lu u" lenu agba.
One never hears Beat him/her up in the mouth of an elder.
(Elders resolve disputes; they do not goad disputants on.)

Airi Eeyan ni a n pe Aja ni awe - Only in the absence of human, dogs are addressed as Mr.
Aja  kii roro titi ki o so oju'le meji - A dog can't be vigillant enough to secure two houses
Agba'atan ni a n gba ole, bi a ba da aso fun Ole a pa l'aro - Help a lazy fellow in full, when you buy him/her a cloth you dye it (also)
N o wo e k'agbo, eyin e ni o fi lana - I'll drag you through the bush will clear the with his backside

Ile oba to jo, e wa lo bu si 8

Alfa n jona,o n bere irungbon (cleric is burning and you are asking of his beard)-used when chips are down.

Iwakuwa ni obinrin wa nkan obe (one way or the other,a woman find ingredients for soup)-used when lookin for something.

Ohun to de,lo je kin aba lemomu nidi oti (it is condition that makes an imam to drink beer)-used when chips are down

malu ti o niru,oluwa ni nba leshin (a cow without tail only gets help against flies from God)-look up to God in terms of need.

Inu ikoko dudu,leko fun tin jade (from a black pot,comes white pap)-ie even among evil,there is good

ibi pelebe la tin mu ole je (you eat moin moin from the flat side)-solve lesser issues before bigger ones

iru eleyi o sele ri,a fin deruba oloro ni (this kind of thing has never happened before,you are only scaring the victim)-when trying to console a victim of misfortune

a kin ba sekeseke lese esinsin,a kin ba ida lorun esinsin (you will never see leg cuff on a housefly leg;you will never see a sword on a fly neck)-used against an oppressor

agbado inu igo,o di awo mo fun adie (maize in a bottle is forever forbidden to a fowl)-used against an oppressor.

Kira kita o dola(massive hustling doesn't translate to wealth)-to warn an over ambitious person.

Aro to ba gbon,ogun aso tele kin pa (a pre -planned war doesnt kill an intelligent handicapp)-to bèfore warned is to before armed

olooto ilu,nika ilu (a truthful citizen is seen as the enemy of the state)-when trying to prove the truth to people that ignore you.

Bi owo eku se mo,lo se fin boju(the hand of a rat is enough for it to cover its face)-use to advise on self-sufficience.

Owo laso oge,laisi owo fari osi(money is the cloth for fashion.Without money,there is no effizzy)-used to qualify importance of wealth

bi omode ba to dako,a dako(when a child is due for circumcision,then he should be circumcised)-used when advising a person that is due for something mostly marriage but is proving stubborn.

Abati alapa igi modede- a very pretty lady

brb

Ti idi ba baje tan,ti onidi lo mada(if yansh spoil finish,the owner suffers the consequence)-everyone is responsible for their misfortunes.

A ki i siwaju ele eede.
One does not conclude for the person who says d . . .
(Never presume to know what someone else intends to say.) [3]

A ki i yago fun "Mo gun esin ri o!"
One does not get out of the way for I used to ride a horse!
(People should not expect to live on past glory.)
The following entry is a variant.

A ki i yago fun elesin ana.
One does not get out of the way for a person who rode a horse yesterday.
(Past glory avails little in the present.)

A mbani mu adie a nforunkun bo; bowo ba ba okoko, a o ni fun aladie?
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.)

A mberu alaja, aja sebi oun la mberu.
One shows deference to the dog's owner, and the dog thinks the deference is to it. [4]
(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.)

A nge e lowo, o mbo oruka.
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.)

Bí abá so òkò lójà ará ilé eni ní bá ------ whatever goes around comes around

Enikan ko ni kodi sita ko to sile --------- you cannot because you want to be good outside and destroy your family

Taba ni kafi were sile ko se oku iya re botife, yoo sole loruko ---- It will be a disgrace to the family if a mad man is left alone to carry out his mother's burial

Sigidi ti yoo bebo rorun, yoo muje yo ----- when the going gets tough only the tough gets going

A o mo ohun ti elewe-e gbegbe nta ko to so pe oja o ta.
One does not know what the seller of gbgb leaves was selling before she started complaining about the slow market.
(The seller of goods nobody wants blames her fortune on the slow market.) [8]
This is a variant of K ni elw-e-gbgb . . .


A o mo ohun ti Daro-o ni ko to wipe ole-e ko oun.
One does not know what Dr owned before he claimed to have been robbed.
(The poor person conveniently blames his poverty on thieves.)
This is a variant of K ni Dr n . . .


A pe o lomo erin-magbon nyo; iwo paapaa lo mi i?
You are described as the child of the elephant that swallows coconuts, and you rejoice; are you the one who swallows coconuts?
(The description honors the father, not the person being addressed.)

s4 you are deep man. those are deep owe, not the common ones. keep it up.


Ehin ikunle lota wa, inu ile laseni ngbe.

Your enemies are among those who are very close to you

eni t'o d'obo ijo kan to d'ese lu, oko 'e a tun le!

@S4 u too much

mine is Agba ti o ri ejo ti ko sa ara iku lonya

An old man that sees a snake and fail to took to his heels that means he already prepares to die.

ebi npa ejo, awun nyan
ati awun, ati ejo
eran jije

Afopina to ni oun pa fitla, ara e ni yo pa.
The moth that attempts to kill (put out) the oil lamp will kill itself.
(It is unwise to take on an adversary one knows can destroy one.)


Afoju to diju, to ni oun sun,igbati ko sun ta lo ri?
The blind person who shuts his eyes and says he is asleep, when he was not asleep whom did he see?
(The deceiver deceives him/herself.)


A fonu fora ni nfi osi jo bata.
It is a person who is both incapable of thought and shameless that dances to bt music while in poverty.
(Know your place and live according to your circumstances.)

Agbab ki n wa loja kori omo titun wo.
An elder is not present at a market and permit a child's head to rest askew.
(Elders must not permit untowards happenings in their presence.)

Agba ofifo ni pariwo; apo to kun fowo ki n dun.
It is an empty barrel that is noisy; a sack full of money makes no sound.
(Empty barrels make the most noise.)

Agba ti ko lese n ile a logbon ninu.
An elder that has no substance should have cunning.
(One should know one's limitations and how to compensate for them.)

Agba ti k mo iwon araa re lo do ngbe lo.
It is an elder who does not know his limitations that is washed away by a river.
(Elders who cannot swim will be cautious near rivers.)


Agba ti ko nitiju, oju kan ni o ba n; oju kan naa awa lo gangan iwaju ori e.
An elder without self-respect might as well have only one eye, that one eye being in the center of his forehead.
(Shamelessness does not become an elder.)


Agba ti yo tee, bo fari tan, a ni o ku jara enu.
An elder courting disgrace, after his head has been shaved he says, Now, how about shaving the beard (as a gratuity)?
(One should know how far one may go before one suffers disgrace.)

Agba to tori ogoji wo iyewu; igbawo o to ohun a-mu-seye.
The elder who escapes into his inner chamber because of forty cowries: two hundred cowries are not enough for casual spending.
(One must act as one's station demands.)
Compare s ow l tlkn . . .


A gbabo o sokoto, bi ko funni lese a soni; remuremu ni ohun eni mbani mu.
Borrowed trousers: if they are not too tight around the legs, they will be too loose; one's own things fit one exactly.
(Borrowed articles are never like one's own.)


Agbagba ilu o le pejo ki won o je ifun okete, afi iyan ana.
The elders of the town will not assemble and eat the intestines of a bush-rat, only stale pounded yams.
(People should behave in ways that befit their station.)