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

E

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.)

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.)

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.)

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.)

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.)

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]

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.)

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.)

How much does a hen cost that one would contract to raise chicks for the owner?
(Certain obligations are not worth the trouble.) [57]

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.)

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.)

Curses are the antidote for curses.
(One matches the remedy to the affliction.)

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.)

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]

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

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.)

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.)

Order is the first law in heaven.
(Whatever one does, one must be orderly.)

A goat is not a wise choice as the guard over yams.
(Do not entrust your affairs to your enemy.)

(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]