Contents | Display Settings | Font Settings | About

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

E

Ebi ńpa mí ọlọ́ṣẹ ńkiri; ìgbà tí ng ò wẹnú ng ó ṣe wẹ̀de?
I am hungry and the soap seller hawks her wares; when I have not washed my inside, how can I wash my outside?
(One must order one's priorities sensibly.)

Ebi ò pàJèṣà ó lóun ò jẹ̀kọ Ọ̀yọ́; ebí pa ọmọ Obòkun ó jẹ ori.
The Ijeṣa person is not hungry and he rejects corn-loaf prepared by an Ọ̀yọ́ person; when hunger gripped the son of Obokun (an apellation for Ijeṣa people) he ate ori(the Ọ̀yọ́ name for corn-loaf.)
(It is when one is not desperate that one is choosy.)

Ebi ò pàmọ̀le ó ní òun ò jẹ àáyá; ebí pa Súlè ó jọ̀bọ.
The muslim is not hungry and he vows he will not eat a red Colobus monkey; hunger gripped Suleiman and he ate a monkey.
(A desperate person is seldom finicky.)

Eégún Ẹ̀gbá, Ẹ̀gbá ní ńfọ̀.
The Ẹ̀gbá masquerader must needs speak Ẹ̀gbá. [55]
(One should speak to others in a manner that befits one, and that will facilitate one's business with them.)

Eégún tí yó gbeni là ńdáṣọ fún; òrìṣà tí yó gbeni là ńsìn; bi igí bá gbè mí mà kó obì mà bọ igi.
It is the masquerader that succors one that one makes shrouds for; it is the god that succors one that one worships; if a tree succors me, I will take kolanuts and worship the tree.
(One should confine one's efforts to profitable ventures, and one's service to appreciative people.)

Eégún tí yó ṣe bíi Lébé, Lébé ni yó dà; èyí tí yó tàkìtì bí Olúfolé, òfurugbàdà ni yó ta á.
The masquerader that will perform like Lébé must become like Lébé; the one that will sumersault like Olúfolé (meaning “Great-One-Jumps-A-House”) must perform his feat in the open spaces.
(One must prepare oneself and gather one's resources before one attempts momentous tasks.) [56]

Ejò-ó rí ihò tó há ó kó wọ̀ ọ́; ìyá-a rẹ̀-ẹ́ lọ́wọ́ àti fà á yọ?
A snake sees a tight hole and crawls into it; has its mother hands to pull it out?
(One had better be certain that one would be able to extricate oneself before one ventures into tight spots.)

Elékuru kì í kiri lóko.
The seller of steamed ground beans does not hawk her wares on a farm.
(One wastes one's time attempting to sell things to those who produce them.)

Èló là ńra adìẹ òkókó, tí à ńgba ọmọ-ọ rẹ̀ sìn?
How much does a hen cost that one would contract to raise chicks for the owner?
(Certain obligations are not worth the trouble.) [57]

Èmi-ò-níí-fẹ́-obìnrin-tẹ́nìkan-ńfẹ́, olúwarẹ̀ ò níí fẹ́ obìnrin ni.
I-will-court-no-woman-being-courted-by-another-man will court no woman at all.
(A person who wants exclusive rights to a woman (or anything) will look for a long time and in vain.)

Èmi-ò-níí-ṣu-imí-le-imí, olúwarẹ̀ ó rìn jìnnà ààtàn.
I-will-not-defecate-on-existing-excrement will walk a good distance into the bush.
(People who are too finicky will pay in effort and delay for their habits.)

Èpè la fi ńwo èpè sàn.
Curses are the antidote for curses.
(One matches the remedy to the affliction.)

Epo ló ṣeé jẹṣu; àkàsọ̀ ló ṣeé gun àká; obìnrín dùn-ún bá sùn ju ọkùnrin lọ.
It is palm oil that goes best with yams; it is a ladder that is best for climbing granaries; a woman is more pleasant to make love to than a man. [58]
(Certain things are fit for certain purposes; not anything will do anytime.)

Epo lojú ọbẹ̀.
Palm-oil is the countenance of stew.
(One should be particularly attentive to that one ingredient or thing whose absence mars the entire project.) [59]

Eré là ńfọmọ ayò ṣe.
All one does with ayò seeds is play.
(One should take time for pleasure when one may.)

Èrò kì í mọ ibùsọ̀ kọ́rùn ó wọ̀ ọ́.
A wayfarer does not know the location of the rest stop and yet have his neck crushed from the weight of a heavy load.
(One measures one's exertions to suit one's capacity.)

Ète lẹ̀gbọ́n; ìmọ̀ràn làbúrò; bí-a-ó-ti-ṣe lẹ̀kẹta wọn.
Intention is the eldest, contemplation is the next, and plan of action is the third.
(First there is the goal, next a contemplation of it, and finally a plan for attaining it.)

Ètò lòfin kìn-ín-ní lóde ọ̀run.
Order is the first law in heaven.
(Whatever one does, one must be orderly.)

Ewúrẹ́ ò ṣe-e fiṣu ṣọ́.
A goat is not a wise choice as the guard over yams.
(Do not entrust your affairs to your enemy.)

Èyí tó yẹ ará iwájú, èrò ẹ̀hìn fiyè sílẹ̀.
(To) what turned out favorably for those going ahead, you coming behind, pay close attention.
(Learn from the examples of others.)

 

55. This is another designation for the people of Abẹ́òkúta and their language.  [Back to text]

 

56. An alárìnjó (itinerant dancer) type.  [Back to text]

 

57. People sometimes would agree to raise domestic animals for other people in the hope of sharing in their litter.  [Back to text]

 

58. The proverb obviously speaks from a man's point of view.  [Back to text]

 

59. The Yoruba believe that the more palm-oil goes into a stew the better the stew.  [Back to text]

.
PreviousContentsNext