Part 6: On consideration, kindness, and thoughtfulness

B

Bámijókòó làbíkú ńjẹ́; ẹni tí ò bímọ rí ò gbọdọ̀ sọ Ọmọ́láriwo.
Bámijókòó (Sit-with-me) is the name one gives an àbíkú; a person who has never had a child does not name a child Ọmọ́láriwo.
(A reference to the crying that accompanies the death of an àbíkú.) [4]

Bí a bá gé igi nígbó, ká fi ọ̀ràn ro ara ẹni wò.
When one fells a tree in the forest, one should apply the matter to oneself.
(Whenever one does something to another, one should put oneself in that person's shoes.)

Bí a bá rí òkú ìkà nílẹ̀, tí a fi ẹsẹ̀ tá; ìkà-á di méji.
If one sees the corpse of a wicked person on the ground and one kicks it, there are then two wicked people.
(If one returns evil for evil, one joins the ranks of the evil.)

Bí o ṣe rere yó yọ sí ọ lára; bí o kò ṣe rere yó yọ sílẹ̀.
If your deeds are good the benefits return to you; if your deeds are not good they will be apparent to all.
(Neither good nor evil goes for nought.)

Bí ó ti ńdun ọmọ ẹyẹ, bẹ́ẹ̀ ló ńdun ọmọ èèyàn
As the young of birds hurt, so the young of humans hurt.
(Others feel hurt, just as one does.)

4. The name given to children believed to plague certain women by entering into them to be born only to die prematurely, and repeating the process several times.  [Back to text]