Ojugbele Modupeoluwa November 29, 2022 3 min read
Dr. Habeeb Tunde Ali enjoys and embrace the Yoruba culture even still in this modernized era and encourages parents, teenagers and youths to learn their native language this is how our culture doesn’t fade out.
Proverb: Gbobgo alangba lo d’anu dele, a ko mo eyi t’inu nrun.
Translation: All lizards lie flat on their stomach; hence, it is difficult to decide which has a stomachache.
Meaning: Everybody looks the same on the outside but all have different issues they are dealing with that you simply don’t know about.
Proverb: Bi a ba ro didun ifon a o o’ra deegun
Translation: if a person thinks of the pleasure gotten while having an itch on the body, he or she is likely to keep scratching out the skin till it gets to the bone.
Meaning: There are limits and boundaries to everything in life and it is vital one bears this in mind so as to avoid calamities.
Proverb: Adie funfun ko mo ara e lagba
Translation: the white cock does not realize its age
Meaning: an older one is supposed to respect his/her self.
Proverb: Pansa o fu ra pansa ja! Aja o fura, aja jin! Onile ti o ba fura ole ni o ko
Translation: the dried calabash was careless hence it was caved in! The attic/rafters was careless hence it caved in! The head of the household that is not careful will be cleaned out by thieves.
Meaning: You need to be careful/attentive not to fall into ruin.
Proverb: Asoro iyanro ni o pa elenpe isaju ti o ni igba wuwo ju awo lo.
Translation: Making an unqualified statement is what killed the elenpe(a nupe king) when he said a calabash is heavier than a (bone).
Meaning: Choose your words carefully so as not to be misunderstood/misrepresented.
Proverb: Bi egungun nla ba so wi pe oun ko ri ejonto, ejonto na ko ri egugun la.
Translation: if a big masquerade would not recognize statue, the statue would not recognize bi masquerade either.
Meaning: Respect beget respect. If highly placed personality looks down on lowly ones, they will stop to pay homage.
Proverb: t’owo omo re bo aso
Translation: (of child carried on the back), keep your child’s hands under the wrapper clothes (usually done so that the child does not play with things without the bearer’s knowledge.
Meaning: Curb your excesses or restrain your subordinate
Proverb: fi ori ejo/oka ho imu
Translation: Using the head of snake/cobra/mamba to scratch/pick the nose
Meaning: Playing/trivializing something very dangerous/serious/deadly.
Proverb: ikoko o ni gba omi ko tun eyin
Translation: pot will not take water and palmkernel
Meaning: Two masters cannot ride one boat or two incompatible people cannot live or work together.
Proverb: Oku o mo iye aa ra ago
Translation: the dead does not know how much casket is bought
Meaning: The proverb is used when a person lost good things without care mostly because he/she is not the one who paid the price for it.
