Cameroonian Proverbs (001-050)

❖

A small axe is not sufficient to cut down a large tree.

A wrong step by the leader is a warning for those following.

A warthog eating its fill does not delight a pig.

A greedy man always has his eye on his wife’s pot.

A debt is not a loss once one knows the debtor.

❖

A mother is like a kernel, crushed by problems
but strong enough to overcome them.

A fig tree cannot walk, but its roots go very far.

A long beard doesn ot prevent a house going to bed hungry.

A knife does not recognise its owner.

A hen drinks water while it raises its head upward.

❖

A friend in need is a friend in deed.

A genius is he who is first to be right.

A lazy person talks for so long, a determinant does.

A baby cannot be heard crying in his mother's womb.

A chattering bird builds no nest.

❖

A goat never grazes in the same place.

A fish is the last to acknowledge the existence of water.

A goat does not always graze in the same place.

A puppy must not confront a large animal.

A real family eats the same cornmeal.

❖

A stupid cow leads her calf near the road.

A wife is the wealth.

A rooster does not sing on two roofs.

Beating drums is fun, but also tiring.

Beauty is an empty calabash.

❖

Before killing the chicken carefully observe
the character of your guest.

Between imitation and envy, imitation is better.

Brothers who get along will always defeat the enemy.

Do not put your head in front of your words.

Do not grab your heel until the ant has bitten you.

❖

Do not throw away the oars before the boat reaches the shore.

Don’t ask for Glasgow when you have already reached London.

During a storm you seek shelter under a tree and not the clouds.

Eggs and metal do not go in the same basket.

Even your dog knows the homes of your friends.

❖

Even without drumbeats, banana leaves dance.

Even if thin, the elephant remains the king of the forest.

Even if a baby seems unpleasant to look at,
his mother never refuses him.

Every hill is a burial site.

Every hill has its leopard.

❖

God does not ask to withstand more than is possible.

Happiness can grow from only a little contentment.

I pointed out to you the stars and the moon,
and all you saw was the tip of my finger.

If you do not listen to good advice, you will be embarrassed in public.

If your corn field is far from your home, the birds will eat your corn.

❖

If the needle doesn’t pass, the thread doesn't follow.

If you carry the egg basket do not dance.

If a bird does not recognise a tree, it will not rest on it.

If you don't agree with the majority, you are a wizard.

If familiarity were useful, water wouldn’t cook fish.

❖❖❖

Cameroonian Proverbs (051-100)

❖

If a father does not cultivate, the son does not inherit land.

If you get a fine harvest of maize don’t break
your local brotherhood and sisterhood.

In the great river there are large and small fish.

It is only a male elephant that can save another one from a pit.

It is easier to transport a termite hill than have authority in a village.

❖

Know the price of a Kwanga while dad and mom are still alive.

Leave alone a dance you are unable to perform.

Like ants, eat little and carry the rest back to your home.

Major problems have solution with the old men.

Marriage is a school.

❖

No one knows if a bird in flight has an egg in its stomach.

Nobody kills an ignorant person who begs for wisdom.

One will always return to an axe or hoe
handle that the woman shows them.

One who enters the forest does not listen
to the breaking of the twigs in the brush.

One should not beg with a basket.

❖

One who bathes willingly with cold water doesn't feel the cold.

Only a mother can understand the suffering of a son.

Patience can cook a stone.

People know each other better on a journey.

Pretend you are dead and you will see who really loves you.

❖

Pride only goes the length one can spit.

Roots do not know what a leaf has in mind.

Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable.

Suffering is prior to attaining success or perfection.

Tall stories destroy the family relationship.

❖

The predator lands on an unknown tree.

The chief's son has to collect firewood when destiny destroys him.

The mouth does not eat if the feet do
not walk and the hands work.

The heart is a locket that does not open easily.

The corpse of a bird does not decompose
in flight, but on the ground.

❖

The bird has no nest, but a branch to rest on.

The mouse says: I dig a hole without a hoe;
the snake says: I climb a tree without arms.

The eyes of the wise person see through you.

The heart of an adult is like that of an elephant.

The rain falls on only one roof.

❖

The skin of the leopard is beautiful, but not his heart.

The house that is built well
doesn’t move any longer.

The strength of the elderly is in the ears and on the lips.

The sun shines during the day, not at night.

The person who sees the in-laws to be bad is not the engaged woman.

❖

The tears of the orphan run inside.

The toad that wanted to avoid the rain fell in the water.

The path leads towards loved ones not thorns.

The wind helps those without an axe to cut wood.

The womb is not a boat, it cannot carry as much.

❖

The parent who corrects his or her child with a rod does not sin.

The pants of today are better than the breeches of tomorrow.

The word of a friend makes you cry;
the word of an enemy makes you laugh.

The one who eats has tasted the hardship of labor.

To form a dog is the ruin of education.

❖❖❖

Cameroonian Proverbs (101-123)

❖

To start a fight, one does not bring a knife that cuts but a needle that sews.

To punch with a strong fist, you need to turn over your hand.

What is hanging up, cannot be reached sitting down.

When a leaf falls to the ground, the tree gets the blame.
The shame goes to the tree.

When you need to make an important decision,
never do it alone, choose the right people.

❖

When you eat an egg do not insult the chicken.

When a mother has twins she must sleep on her back.

Where there is no shame, there is no honor.

Where the rooster crows there is a village.

Who eats too much, will then be sick.

❖

Who built the drum knows best what is inside.

Who does not love to dance, does not love to sing.

Who gets lost in the forest takes it out
on who leads him back to the right road.

Wisdom is like fire. People take it from others.

You cannot hear a baby cry in the mother's womb.

❖

You cannot be a mouse and a bat at the same time.

You are invited to join the hunt when your nets are in evidence.

You can see the source of a river, but not that of a clan.

You are beautiful; but learn to work, for you cannot eat your beauty.

You are not born a leader, you become one.

❖

You learn how to cut down trees cutting them down.

You take a bull by the horns and a man by his words.

Your mother is still your mother, though her legs be small.

❖❖❖

Ethiopian Proverbs (33)

❖

A trial between brothers has no winners or losers.

A man with too much ambition cannot sleep in peace.

A village without elderly is unhappy.

As long as fire stays in one’s breast, it does not cool down.

Do not blame God for having created the tiger,
but thank him for not giving it wings.

❖

Eggs should never be beaten with stones.

Eggs and metal should not be put in the same sack.

Equality is not easy, but superiority is painful.

Eyes watch but cannot take.

Great fires erupt from tiny sparks.

❖

If your cornfield is far from your house, the birds will eat your corn.

Intelligence is a fruit picked in the nieghbor's garden.

It is better to be kind to our neighbours than to cross
the world to offer incense to our ancestors.

It is not possible to dodge the arrow before it has been thrown.

One rind is enough to tie a thousand pieces of wood.

❖

Praise and truth are revealed slowly.

Sorrow is like rice in the store; if a basketful is
removed everyday, it will come to an end at last.

The same water never runs into the same river.

The monkey is a thief because it does not work.

The chief's wisdom is a mesh of old stories, good and bad.

❖

The heart is not a knee, it does not bend.

The camel does not see the bend in its neck.

The sore is cured but the scar remains..

The leopard does not eat fish.
A leader does not waste time on minutia.

Those of the mean people are consumed on the celebration day.

❖

Unity is strength, division is weakness.

Wearing a mended dress is better than being naked.

When cutting, look at the age of the machete.

When your neighbour is wrong you point a finger,
but when you are wrong you hide.

Who created thunder does not fear it.

❖

Whoever walks out cannot leave a banana on the fire.

Whoever walks with unworthy people becomes unworthy.

You think of water when the well is empty.

❖❖❖

Ghanaian Proverbs (001-050)

❖

A child can pass through a lion’s hole.

A mother’s womb is technicolor; it gives birth
to any kind and character of children.

A night without roosters will still end.

A chicken that keeps scratching the dung-hill
will soon find the mother’s thigh bones.

A man who rides a crazy horse is crazier still.

❖

A tune is made meaningful by lyrics; a point
is elucidated by analogies and idioms.

A raven's age matters not when there are grasshoppers.

A fowl shuns the poisonous worm.

A rooster prays in his own way.

A secret belongs to one person.

❖

A village pounds their grain at night,
only when they have something to hide.

A rope which is pulled for a long time, breaks.

An aging man gets closer to his land and an
aging husband closer to his wife.

Another person's heart is a wilderness.

As the chimp gets higher and higher climbing
the tree it exposes its unflattering behind.

❖

Because he hardly closes his mouth the fool's teeth suffer from frost.

Being a burglar with a cough and supplicating to God
with a grudge in the heart are not productive.

Better a single decision maker than a thousand advisors.

By coming and going, a bird weaves its nest.

Do not open the mouth of a snake to see its teeth.

❖

Don't blame the darkness if you bump into a pole.

Dreams can be told but not acted.
It is sometimes easy to say a thing,
while you can’t do it.

Even though the sound of the horn is not pleasant,
it is still blown by a man's mouth.

Every thing is good when it is used properly.

Gast differences among people are in
the realm of character, not anatomy.

❖

God’s displeasure is the serious thing; that of others can be endured.

Grumbling causes the slave to be sold.

Half of one’s strength in conflict situations is one’s verbal skills.

Hate has no medicine.

Having little knowledge is like having
your hands tied around your neck.

❖

He is dying of his own bad habits.

He who leaves truth behind, returns to it.

He who feeds you keeps an eye on you.

He who seems to be for you may be working against you.

He who marries a real beauty is seeking trouble.

❖

He who eats alone dies alone – without mourners.

Hoe and slash is your father and mother.

However rich a man is, it is not right to plunder his things with big pans.

If the young palm tree wants to stay alive, it grows next to the odum tree.

If the stone falls on the pot, woe to the pot;
if the pot falls on the stone, woe to the pot.— Ghanaian ❖

If a mouse enters into the hole of a snake, forget about it.

If two proverbs are not similar, one is not used to explain the other.

If an arrow has not entered deeply, then its removal is not hard.

If something doesn't please you,
it makes everything else bitter to you.

If the neighbor is quarrelsome, they will make thier own fence.

❖

If you have some food in your mouth, and you are roasting something, it becomes well roasted.

If you wish to kill a crocodile, quickly rap on its egg.

If you collect peppers one by one,
the plant grows well; but if you break the stem, it dies.

If you don't farm you are not eating.

If you come near the river, you will hear the crab cough.

❖❖❖

Ghanaian Proverbs (051-100)

❖

If you want to lean on a tree, first make sure it can hold you.

It is not only one person who bathes in the witch's water.

It is foolhardy to climb two trees at once
just because one has two feet.

It is not becoming to uncover one's behind to cover the face.

It is not the cook's fault when the cassava
turns out to be hard and tasteless.

❖

It is only one bad palm tree that spoils the whole lot of palm wine.

Kindness with words is as readily
available as goods in the market.

Kinship is like the scales; it keeps one on balance.

Little palm tree, stop crying, you child is the tall palm tree.

Man must always be happy in order to perform well.

❖

Misfortunes do not have set times for coming.

Misfortunes do not come only to slaves.

Money is like the waters of a swelling river, it flows away.

Never ride in a boat made of clay.

No matter who you are you will never
let your cow sink into the mud.

❖

Old woman, if you are quarrelsome, make your own fence!

Once you throw your spear, it is gone.

One man's enemy is another man's friend.

One repeatedly is a big bunch.

One does not forego sleeping
because of the possibility of nightmares.

❖

One palm nut cannot be peeled twice.

One piece of green wood is enough
to stop the others from burning.

One's character is written in stone.

One’s name remains above the grave.

Only a wise person can solve a difficult problem.

❖

Owl, why are you so quiet? I am quiet because of words.

Relatives are a better defense than a fortress.

Remorse never comes first.

Some proverbs bring a quarrel; and others finish a quarrel.

Struggle farming, don't see them eating.

❖

Teeth are all friends among each other.

The old woman looks after her hens
and the hens look after the old woman.

The chief is only as strong as his people.

The child of a snake is snake.

The horse has four legs but still falls sometimes.

❖

The death that passed already, even if
they tell it to you today does not cause sorrow.

The army of the palm tree is its branches.

The horse can take you to the battlefield
but cannot do the fighting for you.

The beast of burden will die, but its workload remains.

The blood soup made of one palm nut is shared in little drops.

❖

The dog does not worry when the
chicken runs over to the bones.

The dead are no longer terrible.

The drum that beats well is the one that breaks.

The grasshopper which is always
near its mother eats the best food.

The orphan does not rejoice after a heavy breakfast.

❖

The pains of the crocodile are known only to the hippopotamus.

The one who visits you is better than
the one who sends you greetings.

The witch is going! The witch is going! but
if you are not a witch you don't turn around to look.

The mouth of an elderly man is without teeth,
but never without words of wisdom.

One man’s curse is another man’s blessing.

❖❖❖

Ghanaian Proverbs (101-141)

❖

The wasp says that several regular trips
to a mud pit enables it to build a house.

The old lady doesn't wear properly the rag that is tied
about one's chest when mourning for a close relative.

The strength of the palm tree is in its branches.

The last quail to fly is the one struck by the hunting sticks.

The sound of a small baby can be heard easily in heaven.

❖

The poor man laid an egg
and the rich man hatched it.

The prickly branches of the palm tree
does not show preference even to friends.

The one who fetches the water is
the one who is likely to break the pot.

The old woman's meat is vegetables.

The Princess has all rights in her home.

❖

The kingdom of the mushroom is the stem.

There is something better somewhere.

There is no medicine against old age.

There is no distinction among the common
baskets made of palm branches.

They do not build in the red ant's village.

❖

Those who farm little, harvest less.

Though the lion and the antelope happen to live in the same forest,
the antelope still has time to grow up.

To eat with speed causes one to spit out continuously.

To fight with everyone can result in shortage of pallbearers at your funeral.

To hunt in the morning is to meet animals.

❖

Two calabashes floating in a basin of water will touch each other,
but not damage each other.

Unity is strength.

Until the lion has his or her own storyteller,
the hunter will always have the best part of the story.

Wealth usually comes in walking but exits running.

What do eyes and friendship have in common?
Minor incidents can damage both.

❖

When the bag tears, the shoulders get a rest.

When your eyes are poked your grip on someone’s throat loosens.

When a wild pig walks in the daytime,
something has caused it to leave its hiding place.

When they gossip about someone listen as if it were about you.

When the palm nuts ripen, you carry half and I carry half.

❖

When you are at home, your troubles can never defeat you.

Where there is wisdom, the well doesn’t run dry.

Wherever a wise man goes, he goes with his wisdom.

Who follows the elephant will have no problems.

Wind is never caught by hand.

❖

Work very hard at what you do;
dine as well as you can afterwards.

You can tell if a house is good if a
lot of children are playing around it.

You must be patient to solve a case or a problem.

You make a new arrow by comparing it to an old one.

Your close friend can be your worst enemy and vice versa.

❖

Your words reveal the kind of person you are.

❖❖❖

Kenyan Proverbs (101-122)

❖

Things are miraculous: reeds produce water,
forests produce firewood and fire produce ashes.

To be praised is to be lost.

Tongue is lightening.

Use of brains begets wealth.

Water can not be forced uphill.

❖

We should talk while we are still alive.

We will water the thorn for the sake of the rose.

We add wisdom to knowledge.

We should put out fire while it is still small.

We can't depend on one brave man.

❖

What the people think cannot be denied.

What is in the stomach carries what is in the head.

When the date crop is over, everyone mocks at the palm tree.

When a person hides sickness, we will hear cries of distress.

When the mouse laughs at the car, there is a hole nearby.

❖

Who has shoes does not fear thorns.

Who walks in the mud, at some point must clean his feet.

You do not run into mountains, but people yes.

You cannot handle fire with your hands.

You must treat the earth well.
It was not given to you by your parents.
It is loaned to you by your children.

❖

You only make a bridge where there is a river.

Your friend’s mother is your mother too.

❖❖❖

Kenyan Proverbs (001-050)

❖

A good name is better than a nice scent.

A stomach is not carried by a fool.

A stick is straightened while still young.

A woman’s stomach does not grow if she is not pregnant.

A well developed bush cannot lack
or miss a useful tree to be felled.

❖

A tractor driver doesn't fear dust.

A thieving dog knows itself.

A bug grows up in dry wood, comes to full maturity.

A fool has many days.

A messenger cannot be beaten.

❖

A fool is like a wanderer lost on a path.

A mother is the cornerstone of the family.

A faithful woman is a crown to her husband.

A funeral offers the opportunity for reconciliation.

A Champion bull starts from birth.

❖

A dog that steals sells its body.

A log in the river will never be a crocodile.

A deaf ear is followed by death and an ear that
listens is followed by blessings.

A person who never travels, believes his mother's
cooking is the best in the world.

A hyena cannot smell its own stench.

❖

A small house will hold a hundred friends.

A rich person does not have to struggle, that is,
share the problems of ordinary people.

A village united in fraternity is prosperous.

All monkeys can not hung on the same branch.

An eye that you treat is the one that turns against you.

❖

An orphaned calf licks its own back.

Any goat can serve as bridewealth unless it has a defect.

Bad dancing does not brake an engagement.

Beer that will spoil ferments unequally.

Big talkers won't be your in-laws long.

❖

Blind belief is dangerous.

Bow-legged person does not hunt antelopes.

By persevering the egg walks on legs.

Competition exhausted the lungs.

Do not follow a person who is running a way.

❖

Do not boast about yourself before
performing an event, but after the event.

Do not fill your basket with useless shells of coconuts.

Don't interrupt a woman fetching water.

Drums are never beat without reason.

Even a friend can not rescue one from old age.

❖

Even an expert swimmer drowns.

Every frog has its poison.

God does not sleep.

God cultivates with a blunt machete.

Happiness is like a field you can harvest every season.

❖

He who has a sister has a brother-in-law.

He who refuses to obey cannot command.

He who does not leave with a stone says
the stone is warm.

He who treats you as himself does you no injustice.

Home is for a husband and a wife.

❖❖❖

Kenyan Proverbs (051-100)

❖

How easy it is to defeat people who
do not kindle fire for themselves.

If a girl sits badly, it is up to her mother to cover her thighs.

If the rhythm of the drum beat changes,
the dance step must adapt.

If you refuse directions from an elder,
you will walk until sunset.

If you have no teeth, do not break the clay cooking pot.

❖

If you educate a woman, you have educated a population.

If you don't eat, you can't give blessing.

If you provoke a rattlesnake,
you must be prepared to be bitten by it .

Ingratitude is sooner or later fatal to its author.

It is not possible to avoid a slippery home compound.

❖

It is obvious when you receive a visitor
and you cook for him or her you will eat too.

Leave bad things, talk peace.

Let dogs sleep, otherwise if anything
done against them is a problem.

Members of the same family are open
to each other and can discuss anything.

Misery loves company.

❖

No matter how early one awakes,
the sun does not rise first.

No child should be babied while another
is offered to the hyena to bite.

No person is an island.

One who relates with a corrupt person
likewise gets corrupted.

One in the woodpile does not laugh
at the one in the fire.

❖

One person is thin porridge;
two people are soup;
three people are a lump.

Only a medicine man gets rich by sleeping.

Only someone else can scratch your back.

Regular work tires a woman but totally wrecks a man.

Rumours generate misunderstandings.

❖

Slowly, slowly, porridge goes into the gourd.

Termites cause death, damage, and great harm to white ants.

The possessor may become dispossessed.

The venomous snake cannot be seen in the Savannah.

The hyena with a cub does not eat
all the available food.

❖

The one who milks the cow is not the same person
as the one who removes ticks from a cow.

The chaser and the one who is chased get tired.

The eye is a coward.

The one with many uncles slept hungry.

The fire burns the fire maker.

❖

The devil turns against its friend.

The bush in which you hide has eyes.

The blame of the antelope is on the hunter.

The greedy one swells the stomach.

The eyes of the in-law belittle what they have seen.

❖

The broken plate cannot be rejoined.

The thorn in your foot is temporarily appeased, but it is still in.

The fool hid what would eat him.

The bull doesn’t bellow when it sleeps.

The lame knows how to fall.

❖

The man may be the head of the home;
the wife is the heart.

The teeth of a man serve as a fence.

The river swells with the contribution of the small streams.

There is no hyena without a friend.

There is no better mirror than a best friend.

❖❖❖

Nigerian Proverbs (57)

❖

“Go in that direction” does not mean that you go.
To go means, “let’s go together!”

A herdsman must yell to enter the fence.

A friend is someone who walks by your side.

A fight between grasshoppers is a joy to the crow.

A basket with its bottom burst is useless.

❖

A boisterous horse needs a boisterous bridle.

A tree on a hill in the savannah is a meeting place for birds.

A tree not taller than an ant cannot shade you.

A village without elderly is like a tree without roots.

A stolen object does not fill one's heart with joy.

❖

A turtle never abandons its carriage.

A hill with trees is the hand or finger of God.

A man's heart is not a sack open to all.

A generous man must eat
if he wants to continue to be one.

A sprouting palm kernel has no choice
but to grow into a palm tree.

❖

An abundance of food at your neighbor's
will not satisfy your hunger.

An undecided man is the worst disaster of the village.

An elephant grows and becomes an adult,
even if people do not like it.

An empty sack cannot stand.

Confiding a secret to an unworthy person is
like carrying grain in a bag with a hole.

❖

Everybody loves a fool, but nobody wants him for a son.

Funeral is for us all.

God is greater for everything.

Goodness gets a seat.

He that forgives gains the victory.

❖

Hold a true friend with both hands.

Hunger makes the big fish come out of hiding in the great river.

Once the manioca is in your stomach it's gone.

One does not love if one does not accept from others.

One speaks badly of the absent but fears the present.

❖

One can’t get beans out of wild melons.

One hand does not catch a buffalo.

Only when a tree has grown can you tie your cow to it.

Remember, after the storm there will be a rainbow.

Struggle to farm, gifts can't satisfy your needs.

❖

The hen with baby chicks doesn't swallow the worm.

The heart is not a knee, it does not bend.

The hand assists the foot, but the foot cannot do the same.

The day a man taste the "sweetness" of a woman,
that day he also taste the bitterness.

The earth is not an inheritance of our fathers,
nor one for our sons.

❖

The wind effects leaves, while violence men..

The pillar of the world is hope.

The one on whose head we would break
a coconut never stands still.

The youth walks faster than the elderly
but the elderly knows the road.

The turtle does not suffer when running.

❖

The frog does not tire in the water..

The hunger that has hope for its satisfaction does not kill.

Those who do not listen to the voice of
the elderly are like trees without roots.

Walk under a fresh tree, the dry one will break.

When the face is washed, you finish at the chin.

❖

Where there is a hippopotamus,
be careful when passing with a pirogue.

Where a river flows, there is abundance.

Where hands are needed , words and letters are useless.

Who takes a hut, also takes the rats and cockroaches.

Who does not know the path should ask.

❖

Words can kill before arms.

You do not beat a drum with one finger.

❖❖❖

Tanzanian Proverbs (39)

❖

A drummer and a singer are the beneficiary not the listener.

A child of the kwale bird learns how to fly.

A soft tree is never broken by wind.

A stubborn person sails in a clay boat.

Authority is in generosity.

❖

Big fish are caught with big fish hooks.

Faster, faster has finished off the people of Bwilo.

God's rain falls even on the wicked.

❖

I have been bitten by a tsetse fly.

If you are injured by a thorn,
you will be healed by a thorn.

If you really love something, your fate is in its hands.

If you want something, you must work for it.

Individuals have different talents.

Milestone cornmeal unites families.

❖

One glass can ruin all the beer.

Sweet words lure the snake out of its cave.

That which is good is never finished.

The dugout canoe does not know the depth of the water.

The cultivator is alone, but those who eat are many.

The day does not return.

❖

The elephant can be tripped by a creeping plant.

The mouth does not forget what it tasted only one time.

The laziness of youths is worse than war.

The water of the sea is only to be contemplated.

The stranger is a white chicken.

❖

The wind does not break a tree that can bend.

The leopard does not sleep on a dry branch.

The thing that will hurt you will always
on coming back even if you try to avoid it.

To stay a long time in the water does not make you clean.

Tomorrow makes known to us what tomorrow will bring.

❖

Two ants do not fail to pull one grasshopper.

Two bulls can't stay in the same corral.

Water follows the slope.

We rest our legs, but never our mouths.

❖

When the crocodile jumps around

he ends up by receiving the spear.

When God cooks, you don't see smoke.

Who owns too much, remains unhappy.

Why do you behave like a woman
whose son has just gotten married?

You overcame the rain, but what about the dew?

❖❖❖

Ugandan Proverbs (001-051)

❖

The chicken is never declared innocent in the court of hawks.

We work on the surface, the depths are a mystery.

A crime eats its own child.

A cow’s horn cannot kill its calf.

A dog cannot bark and bite at the same time.

❖

A dog does not enter a home where they suffer from hunger.

A dog knows the places he is thrown food.

A home without a mother is a desert.

A man who dictates separates himself from others.

A friend works in the light of the sun, an enemy in the dark.

❖

A knife does not fear thorns, a woman fears man.

A friend is like a water source for a long journey.

A friend is someone you share the path with.

A friend is like a source of water during a long voyage.

A father without sons is like a bow without arrows.

❖

A pilgrim, even if a sultan, is poor.

A camel does not joke about the hump of another camel.

A monkey cannot dare what an elephant can.

A mother's tenderness for her children is
as discreet as the dwe that kisses the earth.

A forest cannot be cut with a broken axe.

❖

A guest is a gift, a thief a tragedy.

A united family eats from the same plate.

A water pot cannot stand on its own without a support.

A rich man who does not know himself is
worth less than a poor man who does.

A youth that does not cultivate friendship
with the elderly is like a tree without roots.

❖

A village never lacks a beautiful young woman.

A roaring lion does not catch any prey.

A sorcerer has no distinctive colour.

A sandstorm passes; the stars remain.

A stranger does not skin a sheep
that is paid as a fine at a chief's court.

❖

A village without elderly is like a well without water.

A united family eats from the same plate.

A raindrop does not spare the head of the notable.

Also the black cow produces white milk.

An elder's handbag is never completely empty.

❖

Be on the alert, like the red ant that
moves with its claws wide open.

Between brothers, whether the trial is
won or lost, makes no difference.

Clothes should not be made for an unborn child.

Death is like a dress that, at some point
or another, everyone has to wear.

Disease is like a rainy day.
Good health is like sunshine.
It takes both to grow flowers.

❖

Do not vacillate or you will be left in between doing something
having something and being nothing.

Do they prepare a leather battle shield on the day they fight?

Do not tell the man carrying you that he stinks.

Does a man set up a plantation without a wife?

During a storm you do not take shelter under just one roofing tile.

❖

During the dry season it is better to
befriend the owner of the pirogue.

Elderliness is not a disease, but a richness.

Equality is difficult, but superiority is painful.

Even the small leopard is called leopard.

Every man leaves his footprints.

❖❖❖

Ugandan Proverbs (051-100)

❖

Evil penetrates like a needle and then becomes like an oak tree.

Flies' legs, like the tongue of critics, land on whatever they find.

From the word of an elder is derived a bone.

God provides for the blind vulture.

Good actions are nourishment for youths,
much more than words.

❖

Harsh words hurt more than a poisonous arrow.

He flees from the roaring lion to the crouching lion.

Hunger pushes the hippopotamus out of the water.

I have to learn how to walk on three legs
says the hyena for when I am old.

If one is roasting two potatoes, one of them i
s bound to get charred.

❖

If God breaks your leg, He will teach you how to limp.

If a frog leaves the swamp for the mountains, it means it is in danger.

If the metal is not good, you cannot take it out on the blacksmith.

If the tiger sits, do not think it is out of respect.

If you chase away an ant,
all the ants will come and bite you.

❖

If he is not lost, do not look for him.

If you shake a dog, you shake his owner.

If you don't respect your parents, you were cursed.

If you kill a little hippopotamus, you also kill his mother.

If you have a lot, give some of your possessions;
if you have little; give some of your heart.

❖

Instruction in youth is like engraving in stones.

It is better that trials come to you
in the beginning than in the end.

It is better to have no law than not enforcing it.

It is easier to transport an ant hill
than exercise authority in a village.

It is the youth who rebuilds the ruins.

❖

It is easy to pull a thorn out of someone else's skin.

Let rats shoot arrows at each other.

Little by little the bird builds its nest.

Look for a black goat while it is still daytime.

Love is like a rice plant; transplanted, it can grow elsewhere.

❖

Mother is God number two.

No matter how full the river is, it wants to swell further.

Old and new millet seeds end up in the same mill.

Once the mushroom has sprouted
from the earth, there is no turning back.

One who sees something good must narrate it.

❖

One who is crazy for meat hunts buffalo.

Only the feet of the voyager know the path.

Only the owner can free his home from mice.

Passion and hatred are children of intoxicating beverages.

Stretch your legs the length of your bed.

❖

Sweet and sour walk hand in hand.

The hunter that speaks too much, goes home empty handed.

The good looks of a moron do not stay that way for long.

The bridge is repaired only when someone falls in the water.

The eyes of hunter cries every time he makes a kill.

❖

The bull should be taken by the horns, a man at his word.

The drums of war are the drums of hunger.

The death of an elderly man is like a burning library.

The chicken that digs for food will not sleep hungry.

The heart of an evil person is never pure.

❖❖❖

Ugandan Proverbs (101-150)

❖

The goat eats the grass where it is tied.

The frog does not run in the daytime for nothing.

The elephant dies, but his tusks remain.

The best blessing for a good harvest is
a pumpkin full of sweat.

The haughty blind person picks a fight with his guide.

❖

The dog never forgets its owner.

The day never turns back again.

The best of mankind is a farmer; the best food is fruit.

The elephant never gets tired of carrying its tusks.

The woman finds an empty house,
she doesn’t find riches.

❖

The one who sees the beauty doesn't see the difference.

The new moon cannot come until the other has gone.

The wise are as rare as eagles that fly high in the sky.

The wiseman's promises are like dew on the field.

The wisdom of the elderly is like the sun,
it illuminates the whole village.

❖

The owner of the dog does not obey his dog.

The injured animal is covered with flies.

The tracks of the elephant cancels those of the antelope.

The wind does not break a tree that bends.

The weak warrior wearing sandals overcomes
the brave with a thorn in his foot.

❖

The mouth makes debts, but the arms pay.

The hunter knows his prey.

The river swells from the little streams.

The owner of the house knows where his roof leaks.

The tears running down your face do not blind you.

❖

The water pot presses upon the small circular pad.

The rich is never satisfied.

The hyena sleeps with the sheep.

The leopard's skin is beautiful, but his heart evil.

The nose of a cow feeds among thorn trees
and shows no scars.

❖

The worm that gnaws on the bean is the one inside the bean.

The reddish-brown biting ant that breaks away from
the trail is the one that turns into the big black ant.

The voyager's path is marked by the stars
and not the sand dunes.

The rainmaker who doesn't know what he's doing
will be found out by the lack of clouds.

The moon lightens well but leaves certain areas in the dark.

❖

The paw prints of a leopard are not trodden on by a dog.

The one chased away with a club comes back,
but the one chased for a reason doesn’t.

The patience of a young girl brings joy to the parents;
at the end it brings celebration.

The tail of the cow watches to the right and left.

The jaws have nothing to chew if the feet do not walk.

❖

The thread follows the needle.

The thoughts of the wise
are like stars in the galaxy: never ending.

The people to whom things belong
are the same people who are greedy.

The thorn will come out from where it went in.

The person who has not traveled widely
thinks their mother is the greatest cook.

❖

There is always room for the people you love,
even if the house is crowded.

There is no hiding place on the water surface.

There is more wisdom in listening than in speaking.

They share only water from the well.

Those who respect the elderly
pave their own road toward success.

❖❖❖

Ugandan Proverbs (151-190)

❖

Those who waste time only hurt themselves.

Those who arrive to the spring first, drink the purest water.

Though the leopard is fierce, it does not devour its cubs.

Until the old moon disappears completely,
the new moon cannot come.

Until the snake is dead, do not drop the stick.

❖

Walking in two is medicine.

What the chief likes is not always what the youths like.

What an elder can see while sitting,
a child cannot see while standing.

What you recognize as deadly will not kill you.

When a lion roars, he does not catch game.

❖

When the leg does not walk, the stomach does not eat.

When your finger is in pain, your sight is not lazy.

When the webs of the spider join, they can trap a lion

When the soup sours, the orphan
gets an unusually large amount.

When an enemy digs a grave for you,
God gives you an emergency exit.

❖

When an elephant combats, it is the grass that suffers.

When the lion gets old even flies attack him.

When weeds invade the land, it means the owner is absent.

Where there is peace, a sickle can be used
to shave your beard or cut your hair.

Where the cattle does not graze, the warriors pass.

❖

Who made the drum knows best what is inside.

Who guards two termite hills, returns empty handed.

Who wakes and rises at the first cry of the songbird
collects the best fruit of the night.

Who mistrusts everybody is the real enemy of the village.

Wind makes more noise among the trees.

❖

Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it.

Without effort no harvest will be abundant.

Women give birth with other women.

Work done in the right way rewards
both the employer and the employee.

Working in the fields is hard, but hunger is harder.

❖

You can hide a mark on your skin, but not a defect.

You do not teach a giraffe to run.

You can not take away someone's luck.

You suffer from smoke produced
the firewood you fetched yourself.

You cannot hide the smoke of the hut you set on fire.

❖

You cannot teach the old gorilla the road.

You don't need pain killers for another man's headache.

You would not entrust an old cooking pot to
the care of a friend or associate.

Youths talk first and then listen,
the elderly listen and then talk.

Youths look at the future, the elderly at the past,
our ancestors live in the present.

❖❖❖

A man can not sit down alone to plan for prosperity. ~ Nigerian Proverb [15005]

Photo by Steve Evans (Congo Refugee)
[CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)],
via Wikimedia Commons

More African Proverbs

To see more Illustrated Proverbs click here.

16, POTD, Proverb of the Day,

A proverb is the horse of conversation: when the conversation lags, a proverb revives it. ~ African Proverb [15542]

Title: Al-Buraq Artist: Gora Mbengue
Brooklyn Museum
[CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)],
via Wikimedia Commons

More African Proverbs

To see more Illustrated Proverbs click here.

16, POTD, Proverb of the Day,

If you tell people to live together, you tell them to quarrel. ~ African Proverb [17193]

More African Proverbs

16q, QOTD,

If there were no elephant in the jungle, the buffalo would be a great animal. ~ Ghanaian Proverb [17152]

See also:

If there were no elephants in the jungle, the buffalo would be big. ~ African Proverb [17122]

More African Proverbs

16q, QOTD,