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