Owé Yorùbá

Ati gòkè odò káfárá tó já

We’ve gotten to the other side of the river before the bridge collapsed

Ìyà méjì kìí jẹ òkóbó tí ò ba l’oko a l’ókó

An impotent shouldn’t lack two things

Àjẹsílẹ̀ gbèsè tí ò jẹ́ ẹgbẹ̀fà tóó ná

Existing debt consumes new fortune

À ń gba òromọ adìyẹ l ọwọ ikú

Óní wọn ò jẹ́ kí òhub re àkìtàn lọ jẹ̀

We are trying to prevent a chick from dying

But the chick complains that they didn’t allow it to go to the dump sure to play

Ìwoǹ ni eni ti ọ́ gun ẹlẹ́dẹ̀ ń yọ̀ mọ

Ẹni tí ó gun ẹṣin oàápàá ilẹ̀ ló ǹ bọ̀

The measure of someone who climbs a pig shouldn’t be much because even

He who climbs a horse is still coming back to the ground

Bí èbù ò rà a le rí ègbodó

If a yam doesn’t decay we can’t get ègbodó (freshly harvested yam)

Bẹnilówẹ̀ kóọrí ọ̀kọ̀ṣé sagbe kóori ahun

Send people on errand to know who will refuse

Be a bigger to know who is stingy

Sàn-án làńrìn, ajé ní múni pẹ́ kọ̀rọ̀

We walk straight, it is money that makes us go through corners

Àkùrọ̀ ti lómi nínú tẹ́ lẹ̀ kí òjò to rọ̀

The swamp has water in it before it rains

Ẹni tó tori òtútù fi ọmọrí odó yáná kò gbọdọ̀ retí àti jẹyán

He who makes fire with the pestle because of cold shouldn’t expect pounded yam

Ẹni ti kò kini kí ilé - o padanu ẹkaabọ

He who doesn’t greet the people he meet at home - has lost the change of getting a welcome

Àjà kìí jìn mọ́lógbò l ẹ́ṣẹ̀

The curling doesn’t break while the cat is climbing

Ẹ̀kọ́ ẹlẹ́kẹ́kọ̀ ní ẹ̀gbà ẹlẹ́gbà

One man’s food is another man’s poison