Part 3: On cageyness, caution, moderation, patience, and prudence

F

Fr ej, oko olw n m m l.
Intemperate dandyism lands a youth in a creditor's farm as a pawn.
(Squandered resources bring destitution.)

Fhnt k o r e k; farapam k; o gb b aeni- ti s.
Sit back and you will see how a devious person operates; conceal yourself and you will hear how those who seek others' destruction speak.
(One must be cagey in order to learn the truth about unreliable people.)

Fi j sn, tu it funfun jde.
Keep your red blood inside and spit out clear saliva.
(Never show your hand to your enemy; let not your words or action reveal your intentions to your enemy.) [44]

Fi ohun w ohun, fi rn w rn;fi rn j k yn .
Liken one thing to another, liken one matter to another; forgive and forget and earn people's praise.
(Rather than permit an offence to recall earlier ones, one should forgive and forget.)
This is a variant of fiohunw-ohun...

Fi rn sn pte rn;fi ebi sn sunkn ayo.
Keep your troubles inside and laugh heartily; keep your hunger hidden and pretend to weep from satiation.
(One should keep one's woes to oneself and show a happy face to the world.)

F shnn f shnn lkr fi ntan.
Jump this way, jump that way is the way a frog breaks its thigh.
(Restlessness lands people is trouble.)

44. This proverb is sometimes used as a criticism of deceitful people who appear to be friends but are full of ill will: m ary fj sn tut funfun jde (Human beings keep their blood inside and spit out clear saliva).  [Back to text]