Part 5: On consistency; honesty, openness, plain speaking, reliability

Odot

Ọbẹ̀-ẹ́ dùn, ọbẹ̀ ò dùn, iyán tán nígbá.
The stew is delicious, the stew is not delicious; the pounded yams meal is completely gone from the dish.
(Said of people who complain about something yet will not let go of it.)

Ọ̀kánkán là ńṣe ìbí; ìkọ̀kọ̀ là ńṣe ìmùlẹ̀; bí a tọ́jú ìmùlẹ̀ tán, ká tọ́jú ìbí pẹ̀lú; bí a bá kú ará ẹni ní ńsinni.
One conducts affairs with one's kin with forthrightness; one enters into covenants (with non-relatives) in secret; as one attends to one's secret compacts, one should also attend to affairs with one's kin; on the day one dies it is one's kin who attend to one's funeral.
(Never neglect your kin in favor of others.)

Ọ̀nà irọ́ kì í pẹ́ẹ́ pin.
The path of deceit soon ends.
(Deceit is soon exposed.)

Ọ̀mọ̀rán bèèrè ọ̀ràn wò; Àjàpá ní, “Ẹni tí wọ́n pa lánàá, kàà kú tán?”
The sage asks for information; Àjàpá the trickster asks, “About the person who was killed yesterday, is he already dead?”
(If you know the answer to a question already, don't ask it.)

“Ọ̀ràn yí ò dùn mí”: ẹ̀ẹ̀kanṣoṣo là ńwí i.
“This matter does not hurt me”: stating it only once suffices.
(If one is indifferent to something, it should not dominate one's conversations.)

Ọ̀rọ̀ ìkọ̀kọ̀, ní gba-n-gba ní ḿbọ̀.
Secret matters have open exposure as their ultimate destination.
(Whatever is done in secret will eventually be exposed.)

Ọ̀rọ̀ ò pariwo.
The matter in question does not make a noise.
(The matter under discussion poses little problem.)

Ọ̀tá ẹni kì í pòdù ọ̀yà.
One's enemy never kills a huge cane-rat.
(One is always tempted to minimize the accomplishments of one's enemies.)