Tag Archives: yoruba proverbs

ÌGBÉYÀWÓ ÌBÍLẸ̀ – TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE

Ọwọ́ Ọmọdé Kòtó Pẹpẹ, Tagbalagba Ò Wọ Kèrègbè: The Child’s Hand Cannot Reach The Shelf, The Adult’s Hand Cannot Enter The Calabash

Only a child’s hand can reach into this type of calabash. The image is from Wikipedia.

Ọ̀rọ̀ Yorùbá sọ wípé “ọwọ́ ọmọde ko to pẹpẹ, tagbalagba ko wọ̀ kèrègbè”, èyí tí a lè túmọ̀ sí wípé, ọmọdé kò ga to pẹpẹ láti mú nkan tí wọn gbé si orí pẹpẹ, bẹni ọwọ́ àgbàlagbà ti tóbi jù lati wọ inú akèrègbè lati mu nkan, nitorina àgbà̀ lèlo ìrànlọ́wọ́ ọmọdé.

Ní ayé, oníkálukú ló ní ohun tí wọ́n lè ṣe. Àwọn nkan wa ti àgbàlagbà lè ṣe bẹ̃ni ọpọlọpọ nkan wa ti ọmọdé lè ṣe. Láyé òde òní, ọmọdé le gbójúlé àgbàlagbà, ṣùgbọn ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ àgbàlagbà gbójúlé ọmọdé láti kọ́ lílò ẹ̀rọ ayélujára.

Ò̀we yi fi èrè ifọwọsowọpọ laarin ọmọdé àti àgbà han nítorí kò sẹ́ni tí kò wúlò.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

A Yoruba adage goes that “although the child’s hand cannot reach the shelf, the elder’s hand cannot enter into the calabash”. Literally translated, while the child or the young one is too short to pick up something placed on a high shelf, the adult’s hand is too big to pass through the neck of a calabash and needs the help of the child.

In life everyone has a role to play. There are roles that can be handled by the adult and there are many roles that are better handled by younger or less experienced ones. Nowadays, in as much as the younger ones are dependent on the adult, most adults are dependent on learning effective use of computers and the internet younger ones.

This proverb shows the advantage of cooperation between the young and the old, experienced and inexperienced, as no one is completely useless.

Originally posted 2013-04-23 19:15:31. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Àjùmòbí kò kan tãnu… Same parentage does not compel compassion…

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Same parentage does not compel compassion.

Òwe Yorùbá ní “Àjùmòbí kò kan tãnu, ẹni Olúwa bá rán síni ló nṣeni lõre”. Òwe yi wúlò lati gba àwọn ènìà tí o gbójúlé ẹbí níyànjú. Ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ rò wípé ẹ̀tọ́ ni ki ẹni tí ó bá lówó nínú ẹbí tàbí tí ó ngbe ni Òkè-Òkun bá wọn gbé ẹrù lai ro wípé ẹbí tí o lówó tàbí gbé l’Ókè-Òkun ní ẹrù tiwọn lati gbé.

Yorùbá ní “Òṣìṣẹ́ wa lõrun, abáni náwó wà níbòji”, ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ agbójúlẹ́bí wọnyi, ma mba ẹni tí o nṣiṣẹ ka owó lai rò wípé ẹni tí ó nṣiṣẹ yi, nlãgun lati rí owó. Iṣẹ́ lẹ́ni tí ó wa l’Ókè-Òkun/Ìlú-Òyìnbó nṣe nínú òtútù. Fún àpẹrẹ: níbití olówó tàbí àwọn tí ó ngbe Òkè-òkun tí nṣe àwọn nkan níwọnba bí – ọmọ bíbí, aṣo rírà, ẹ̀rọ ìbánisọ̀rọ̀, àti bẹ̃bẹ lọ, ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ agbójúlẹ́bí á bímọ rẹpẹtẹ, kó owó lé aṣọ, bèrè ẹ̀rọ ìbánisọ̀rọ̀ olówó nla tí ẹni tí ó wà l’Ókè-Òkun ó lè kó owó lé lórí àti gbogbo àṣejù míràn.

Ẹbí olówó tàbí tí ó ngbe Òkè-òkun kò lè dípò Ìjọba. Ọ̀dọ̀ Ìjọba tí ó ngba owó orí lóyẹ kí á ti bèrè ẹ̀tọ́, ki ṣe lọ́wọ́ ẹbí. Ẹbí tóní owó tàbí gbé Òkè-òkun lè fi ojú ãnu ṣe ìrànlọ́wọ́, ṣùgbọ́n ki ṣe iṣẹ́ ẹni bẹ̃ lati gbé ẹrù ẹlẹ́rù. Ẹjẹ́ ká rántí òwe yi wípé “Àjùmọ̀bí kò kan tãnu, ẹni Olúwa bá rán síni ló nṣeni lõre”, nítorí aladugbo, àjòjì, ọ̀rẹ́, àti bẹ̃bẹ lọ, lè ṣeni lãnu bí Olúwa bá rán wọn.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

A Yoruba saying goes that “same parentage does not compel compassion, only those sent by God show compassion”. This proverb can be used to advice those dependent on family member. Many dependents think it is a right for rich or family members living abroad to carry their responsibilities. Continue reading →

Originally posted 2014-11-18 18:00:26. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

“Ã Ò PÉ KÁMÁ JỌ BABA ẸNI…”: It is not enough to have a striking resemblance to one’s Father

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Yorùbá ní “Ã ò pé kámá jọ Baba ẹni timútimú, ìwà lọmọ àlè”. Òwe yi bá ọpọlọpọ Yorùbá tí o nyi orúkọ ìdílé wọn padà nítorí ẹ̀sìn lai yi ìwà padà̀ lati bá orúkọ titun áti ẹ̀sìn mu. Yorùbá ni “ilé lanwo ki a tó sọmọ lórúkọ” nítorí èyí, ọpọlọpọ orúkọ ìdílé ma nbere pẹ̀lú orúkọ òrìṣà ìdílé bi: Ògún, Ṣàngó, Ọya, Èṣù, Ọ̀sun, Ifá, Oṣó àti bẹ̃bẹ lọ. Fún àpẹrẹ: Ògúnlànà, Fálànà, Ṣólànà ti yi padà sí Olúlànà. Ìgbà míràn ti wọn bá lò lára orúkọ àwọn òrìṣa yi wọn a ṣe àyípadà si, fún àpẹrẹ: “Eṣubiyi” di “Èṣúpòfo”.

Esupofo, image is courtesy of Microsoft office images

“Esupofo”? Njẹ Èṣù pòfo bí, nígbàtí ẹni ti o yi orúkọ padà sí “Èṣúpòfo” njale. . .

Njẹ Èṣù pòfo bí, nígbàtí ẹni ti o yi orúkọ padà sí “Èṣúpòfo” njale, ṣiṣẹ́ gbọ́mọgbọ́mọ, purọ́, kówó ìlú jẹ, àti bẹ̃bẹ lọ? Ótì o, Èṣù o pòfo, ìwà lọmọ àlè. Ọmọ àlè ti pọ si nítorí ìwà Èṣu ti pọ si ni ilẹ̀ Yorùbá. Kò sí nkan tí óburú ninú orúkọ yíyí padà, èyí ti o burú ni kí a yí orúkọ padà lai yi ìwà padà. Ẹ fi ìwà rere dípò ìporúkodà.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The Yoruba people have a saying that “It is not enough to have a striking resemblance to one’s father, character distinguishes a bastard”. This proverb refers to Yoruba people that replace their family names without matching change of character to go with the name or religion. Another Yoruba saying goes that: “home is observed before naming a child” as a result of this, and so family names are derived with a prefix of the name of the gods and goddesses worshiped in the family such as Ò̀̀̀̀̀̀gun – god of iron/war, Ṣango – god of thunder, Oya – Sango’s wife, Eṣu – Satan, Osun – river goddess, Ifa – Divination, Oso – Wizard etc. For example names like: Ogunlana, Falana, Solana have mostly been changed to “Olulana”. Sometimes, when part of these gods/goddess names are used it is often changed, for example: “Esubiyi – delivered by Satan” is turned “Esupofo – satan has lost”. Continue reading →

Originally posted 2015-01-23 10:15:54. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

“A sọ̀rọ̀ ẹran ti o ni ìwo, igbin yọjú”: “Talking of animals with horns, the snail appeared”.

Ọmọ tóda ni ti Bàbá ṣùgbọ́n burúkú ni ti Ìyá”: A Good Child is the Father’s but a Bad One is the Mother’s #Woolwich #Adebolajo

The Yoruba Blog

Ẹ jẹ ki a gbé èdè àti àṣà Yorùbá Lárugẹ: keeping the Yoruba language alive…

Tag Archives: yoruba proverbs

ÌGBÉYÀWÓ ÌBÍLẸ̀ – TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE

Ọwọ́ Ọmọdé Kòtó Pẹpẹ, Tagbalagba Ò Wọ Kèrègbè: The Child’s Hand Cannot Reach The Shelf, The Adult’s Hand Cannot Enter The Calabash

Àjùmòbí kò kan tãnu… Same parentage does not compel compassion…

“Ã Ò PÉ KÁMÁ JỌ BABA ẸNI…”: It is not enough to have a striking resemblance to one’s Father

“A sọ̀rọ̀ ẹran ti o ni ìwo, igbin yọjú”: “Talking of animals with horns, the snail appeared”.

Ọmọ tóda ni ti Bàbá ṣùgbọ́n burúkú ni ti Ìyá”: A Good Child is the Father’s but a Bad One is the Mother’s #Woolwich #Adebolajo

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