Part 2: On perspicaciousness (good judgment, perceptiveness), reasonableness, sagacity, savoir-faire, wisdom, and worldly wisdom

T

Ta lèèyàn nínú ẹrú Ààrẹ? A ní Ìdaganna la wá wá, ẹ ní Ìdakolo?
Which of the Ààrẹ́'s slaves is a person of any account? We said we came looking for Ìdaganna, and you ask, “Ìdakolo?”
(Said to indicate that one's auditor is making nonsense out of the sense one is making. Also, there is nothing to choose between two worthless things.)

Ta ní jẹ́ jẹ ọṣẹ kó fògìrì fọṣọ?
Who would eat soap and wash clothes with fermented beans?
(Who would seek unease when ease is available?)

Ta ní mọ̀dí òjò, bí kò ṣe Ṣàngó?
Who can know the secret of the rain if not Ṣàngo?
(Only those privy to mysteries can explain mysterious events.)

Tábà tí ò dùn, ẹnu ò tà á.
Snuff that is not pleasant, the mouth cannot not sell.
(No amount of talk will make something unpleasant become pleasant.)

“Tèmi ò ṣòro,” tí kì í jẹ kọ́mọ alágbẹ̀dẹ ní idà.
“Mine is not urgent.” which prevents the son of the blacksmith from owning a sword.
(The person who always yields to others will never get anywhere.)

Tẹni ní ńjọni lójú; eèrà-á bímọ-ọ ẹ̀ ó sọ ọ́ ní òyírìgbí.
One's own thing is what impresses one; the ant has a child and names it The-one-who-rolls-mightily-around.
(One always tends to overestimate the worth of one's possession.)

Tẹni ntẹni; bí àpọ́n bá sun iṣu a bù fọ́mọ-ọ ẹ̀.
One's own is one's own; when a man without a wife roasts yams he cuts a piece for his child.
(One makes do with what one has.)

Tẹ̀tẹ́ ní ńṣíwájú eré sísa.
A child's learning to walk comes before running.
(One should observe some order in what one does.)

Tìẹ́ sàn, tèmí sàn, lolókùnrùn méjì-í fi ńdìmú.
“Your condition is better; My condition is better,” is what gets two invalids into a fight.
(Fools will fight over the most stupid things.)

Tinú ọ̀lẹ lọ̀lẹ ńjẹ; aṣiwèrè èèyàn ni ò mọ èrú tí yó gbà.
The lazy person eats the products of his native wisdom; only a fool does not know what devious way will be fruitful.
(If one lacks industry, one had better be resourceful.)