❖
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.
❖❖❖
❖
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.
❖❖❖
❖
One bracelet will not jingle.
He who takes one sip isn't satisfied.
Speech is pulling a straw out of thatchonce out it cannot be replaced.
Throwing water over yourself once won't get rid of the dirt.
One tree does not make a forest.
❖
However long the night, dawn will break.
One beats iron while still hot.
Character is a line on stone, none can rub it out.
Speed breeds delay.
Thanks cause the increase of gifts.
❖
The wily man doesn't buy snuff till he has sampled it.
However good garlic is, it will not be as good as an onion.
It is the mouth that cuts the throat.
A bone in a mortar is no luck for the dog.
Let each bird cry according to its kind.
❖
If you hear a jar rattling, it is not full.
He who farms is spared the trouble of buying corn.
He who loves you won't see your faults.
Water can drown the ferryman, much more the learner.
Because of deceit day does not refuse to break.
❖
Birth is the remedy for death.
One bean spoils the flour.
Reducing debt is better than swelling it.
When lies finish in a free man's mouth, he will become a slave and be sold.
The hole of lying is easily filled up.
❖
If there is neither food nor drink, plain water is medicine.
It's not right for a race horse to despise the pace of a pony.
A hare is caught not by sitting down.
Every dog rests at his own door.
A meatless bone is the dog's.
❖
Life in the world is like washing-you knead him who kneads you.
The quarrel that doesn't concern you is pleasant to hear about.
He who remembers last year finds not this year good.
One does not tear one's coat because of the cleverness of sewing.
The deceits of women are 99. The one which completes the 100, the devil knows it not.
❖
Only by waiting is character known.
Tobacco is different from millet flour.
A poor man's drum is his belly.
One knows a man by his trade even if it is drinking beer.
Death is the revealer of secrets.
❖
Living in peace is better than living as a king.
The knife for flaying an elephant needs not size but sharpness.
The sick man's property belongs to the doctor.
One horse in the racecourse runs the fastest.
A thing put out to dry will not stop the sun.
❖
Every tomato is red.
Fear in the forest is shame at home.
Sharpening a knife doesn't frighten a horse.
Your enemy will not praise you, even though you catch a leopard and give it to him.
A fish is a king in the water.
❖
A poor man's house is no place for a war horse.
Galloping in water is the remedy for a vicious horse.
One day of prosperity is better than a year of poverty.
However debased the lion it will not play with a pig.
Put out the fire while it is small.
❖
Patience is the universal remedy.
The strength of women is but a plentitude of talk.
Send a boy where he wants to go and you'll see his best pace.
Trade is not mutual help.
If the ear hears news of evil, the neck escapes being severed.
❖
The fish in the well experiences no pleasure.
A good thing sells itself.
The house of one's intimates isn't a market.
The craftsman should be recognized by the tools of his craft.
A boy knows not fire till it burns him.
❖
A needle with a piece of string will not be lost.
A smiling face removes unhappiness.
A calf will not follow horses.
A horse knows its rider.
However poor the elephant, it will be worth more than ten frogs.
❖
Ability to swim is preservation of life.
A cow is milked by gentle handling.
However bad the bread it is better than cattle dung.
He who will not work of his own accord will find himself forced to work by another.
The boaster dies before his days are fulfilled.
❖
A year is a day if life continues.
The mouth knows what it will say, not what it will be answered.
One will distinguish between the bitter gourd and the sweet.
He who is angry with the world must be tired of it.
Troubles don't last forever.
❖
Whatever the avarice of a midwife, she doesn't come to the house of a bachelor.
Hunger is the remedy for poor cooking.
Having is better than wanting,
Haste is not strength.
Even if the forest is undone, the elephant is above running.
❖
One does not throw away the stick that drives off poverty.
A sack is no load for a goat.
The goat learns wisdom from a cropped ear.
Patience is wealth to its possessor.
The mouth of any who eats onion will smell.
❖
The foot does not stay where there is no ground.
The elephant's spoor treads out the camel's.
A shining face goes with a full belly.
An egg in the mouth is better than a fowl in the fowl house.
Without trouble there is no profit.
❖
He who wants an exchange despises his own.
It is difficult to beat a drum with a sickle.
Guile excels strength.
Plenty and envy lie down together.
Even today the remedy for dirt is water.
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Hausa Proverbs (001-100)Hausa Proverbs (201-274)
Hausa is the ancestral language of one of the largest ethnic groups in Central Africa. It is spoken throughout southern Niger and northern Nigeria.
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If the lion knew that he was going to find meat while still in the thicket he wouldn't go outside.
The useless man is like sand; though it be rolled together it will not stay rolled.
A stranger is blind even though he have eyes.
Better hunger than disgrace.
Everything the house gets is by favor of the door.
❖
If you're going to move, move like an elephant, not like a hyena.
Health of the body is prosperity.
The wily man doesn't buy snuff till he has sampled it.
Better sell cheap than for credit.
Don't put the roof on when the rain is wetting you.
❖
You can't play with eggs on a rock slab!
Even in Mecca profit is all the same.
However old the horse it is better than new sandals.
A good disposition makes a man liked.
The possessor came before the seeker.
❖
An ostrich chick is too much for a hawk to pick up.
Confused sounds will not make speech.
Birth is the remedy for sorrow.
Kindness and evil are not forgotten.
All love is love, but self love is strongest.
❖
Putting the water back in the well is not waste.
The rainbow is not God but it prevents God sending rain.
Better the poorest loincloth than nakedness.
If you don't want to resign yourself to poverty, resign yourself to work.
Fate makes a man dismount quicker than counsel.
❖
With rotten meat is the hyena caught.
The belly is not a treasurer.
Ignorance is an illness for which there's no medicine.
Sleep is the remedy for fear.
However pleasant the sound of a drum, silence is better.
❖
Silence is talk too.
The wolf doesn't concern himself with the price of a sheep.
Better to be silent than to speak ill of another.
Man is like pepper: not till you chew him do you know his heat.
Bucking will not rid a donkey of a load.
❖
Where one dies, there another gets up.
Medicine will not revive him doomed to die.
The antelope does not bear a child that cannot run.
A piece of meat isn't the dog's portion unless it falls on the ground.
However full the stream it won't refuse to rise higher.
❖
A seedling is better than a cutting.
The seed that is sown is the one that sprouts.
A day with your friend is better than a year with one who hates you.
On the day of trouble, a free man chooses patience.
He who does not lose his way by night will not lose his way by day.
❖
A rod is the cure for a boy's folly.
Lack of knowledge is darker than the night.
The first sign of a quarrel is gesticulation.
Seeing excels hearing.
Punishment is not putting to death, it is improving character.
❖
He who restrains his impatience to eat will find his food the sweeter.
He who likes you sees not your faults.
In the absence of moonlight the star shines.
The roast takes a long time to a hungry man.
The nose knows not the savor os salt.
❖
Poverty will not drive away freedom.
If the river prevents crossing it will not prevent turning back.
A goat cannot be cooked with the hyena.
Gratitude is what shows whether a gift is appreciated.
One doesn't climb a tree by the trunk and come down by the branches.
❖
The shrub with one root is not hard to pull up.
Anyone who sees a leopard knows it is not a pig.
He who continually uses an axe, must keep it sharp.
Only a donkey is patient under a load.
Food and drink both go to the belly.
❖
A stranger is like running water.
Seeing the case of another is enough to cause fear.
When there is nothing to eat but corn, rice is a luxury.
Better to repair than to build anew.
Everything above falls to earth at the end.
❖
If the hyena were peaceful, the dog would not acknowledge it.
Silence defeats the scandal monger.
The chick loved by God will grow up, though motherless.
Abundance will make cotton pull a stone.
Truth is hard to tell-if you tell it look for your sandals.
❖
Blood is not the remedy for thirst.
Through lack of bargaining one loses a cheap buy.
The expert rider is the man on the horse.
Hyena and dog can't share an abode.
If the music changes so does the dance.
❖
Blood will not wash away dirt.
The pleasant land is never near.
He who does not know a famous person surely will hear of him.
Better begging than theft.
An ostrich is too great to alight on a branch.
❖
Living by yourself is better than living with a bad woman.
One does not put two irons in the fire.
It is the fowl with chicks that flees from the hawk.
Similarity is not identity.
He who lacks today is he who finds tomorrow.
❖
The elephant does not bite, it is that trunk one fears.
He who is in the shade doesn't know that another is in the sun.
The pleasant land is never near.
Fat meat is known when taken close to the fire.
An axe with a loose head is the bane of a man up a tree.
❖
Give thanks for a little and you'll find a lot.
The patient man cooks a stone till he drinks broth from it.
One blow will not knock a strong man down.
Not always does one sleep on a bed, sometimes one must sleep even on the ground.
The bird that walks straight into the snare is bound to be caught.
❖❖❖
Hausa Proverbs (101-200)Hausa Proverbs (201-274)
❖❖
He who neglects his farm won't see a bright eye in his house.
A lazy man does not know he is lazy till he drives a tortoise away and it escapes.
If the bucket has been long in the well, it ought to come out with water.
Choose your fellow traveler before you start on your journey.
Only a gadfly can sit on an elephant's back.
❖
He who looks for what cannot be obtained will endure much trouble.
Hunger makes a youngster old, repletion makes an old man young.
A lazy man will not bring a hare to market.
He who likes frogs does not like fish.
The good looking man is king, if there is no rich man near.
❖
The meat close to the fire is best cooked.
Each end of the fire has its smoke.
One man's gain is another's loss.
Every man thinks well of his own abilities.
One pebble doesn't make a floor.
❖
It is the owner of the farm who drives off a leopard, not another man.
He who does not know a famous person surely will hear of him.
One tells a dog there's a feast at your home, it says let me see it on the ground.
Property is the remedy for disgrace.
There is no rest for the poor man.
❖
A man's face shows what is in his heart.
Character comes before the teacher.
Where the runner goes the walker will go with patience.
Ugliness with a good character is better than beauty.
It is the occupant who knows where the house leaks.
❖
Self control excels control of a beast.
Whatever accomplishment you boast of in the world, there is someone better than you.
Where an elephant is being killed, none notices the death of a monkey.
Being thin is not death.
A blind man does not worry over the loss of a looking glass.
❖
Loving one who loves another is a bellyful of trouble.
ts the bud that makes the gourd.
The place to get top speed out of a horse is not the place where you can get top speed out of a canoe.
Pride brings curses.
He who has a pup as good as has a dog.
❖
When the treasure house is full desire ceases.
However foolish the monkey it will not play with the thorn tree.
He who owns something knows all about begging.
To the joyless man death is a blessing.
It's the mother who can cure her child's tears.
❖
The patient man cooks a stone till he drinks broth from it.
A hawk doesn't swoop on a stone ball unless there's a piece of meat on it.
Choose your neighbor before you buy your house.
A misfortune borne patiently is as though it had not been.
Escaping with your reputation is better than escaping with your property.
❖
Before one comes out of water one does not squeeze.
Sleeping in a shed is better than sleeping in a two-storey house with no money.
A prisoner does not choose his task.
Let anyone who despises the position of the moon get up and correct it.
The remedy for dislike is separation.
❖
Accomplishment of purpose is better than making a profit.
One tells a dog there’s a feast at your home, it says let me see it on the ground.
Anyone who sees a leopard knows it is not a dog.
A lie even after a year is a lie, truth has its abiding place.
Stone will not become water.
❖
A sick man despises not medicine.
Desperate search doesn't cause finding.
Seeing is not eating.
The rope strong enough to bind the free man is hard to find.
Evil counsel is the root of misfortune.
❖
One day with the prosperous man is better than a year with the poor man.
One does not give a hyena meat to look after.
One does not dive onto a rock.
A large animal is nice but difficult to feed.
Plenty to eat and company is the feast.
❖
Avoiding a quarrel is better than asking forgiveness.
He who skirts a town doesn't know what is inside.
One twig will not sweep.
Eating a mouthful is better than waiting for a helping.
A libel hurts worse than a spear thrust.
❖
The hyena is the cure for the biting dog.
Where talk is abundant, it is easy for a lie to slip in.
Talk without authority is useless talk.
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Hausa Proverbs 001-100Hausa Proverbs 101-200
❖
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.
❖❖❖
Jabo (Djabo) is the self-designation of an ethnic group located in the southeastern part of the Republic of Liberia in West Africa. They have also sometimes referred to themselves as Gweabo or Nimiah tribe.
❖
One who cannot pick up an ant and wants to pick up an elephant will some day see his folly.
A heedless dog is not fit for hunting.
Evil deeds are like perfume; difficult to hide.
By his deeds we know a man.
The pumpkin has no unripe parts.
❖
The thief does not gossip about his accomplice.
One must touch a drum before it will speak.
No time is set for death.
If you can't spread my fame, don't besmirch my good name.
Dead tree does not yield dew.
❖
There is no wealth where there are no children.
In a beloved wife there is no evil.
Baldness is a thing of dignity.
A person dies before we appreciate him.
If you are stingy, your bad reputation will spread.
❖
Gossiping about the enemy brings war.
We decide our affairs, then we rest them with God.
A patient person has all the wealth that there is in this world.
A woman does not perish in marriage.
On the palm tree that yields nuts the birds will tarry.
❖
If you grind damp rice, it sticks to the mortar.
Not all the people who weep over your corpse are your friends.
The water spreads and spreads but the canoe lands at last.
Eternity gives no answer.
The bird is not big until he spreads his wings.
❖
What the sea has swallowed it does not vomit out again.
A person is not a palm nut which we cut open to see what it is inside.
Fear surrounds the place where a snake disappeared in the bush.
When it rains, the roof always drips the same way.
Every head must do its own thinking.
❖
If one comes to a fork of the road in a strange country, he stops to think.
The dog's owner is the one who can take the bone from its mouth.
As we teach a child, so he learns.
The goat dwells among men for fear of the leopard.
One does not embrace hunger.
❖
A person dies before we appreciate him.
One cannot fight on two roads.
A patient person has all the wealth that there is in this world.
A child does not speak while a grown-up is talking.
War does not look at the ground.
❖
The one who listens is the one who understands.
The bird builds his nest, then he flies up the hill.
If the elephant were not in the wilderness, buffalo would be the greatest.
One doesn't throw the stick after the snake has gone.
It is not only giants that do great things.
❖
If you marry a beautiful woman, you marry trouble.
The leopard has no heart.
One does not embrace the leopard.
The butterfly that flies among the thorns will tear its wings.
The foot that travels the road is the one that is pricked by the thorn.
❖
Rats never sleep on the mat of the cat.
The fruit must have a stem before it grows.
A heedless dog is not fit for hunting.
He does not kill the beast who only looks at it.
The beasts plan ahead before entering the fields.
❖
Wealth is short-lived.
A man who has no house is like a bird in the tree when a storm has broken.
A person is not a palm nut which we cut open to see what it is inside.
The stranger eats with care.
A gossiping woman is the root of trouble.
❖
Daring talk is not strength.
❖❖❖
❖
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.
❖❖❖
❖
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.
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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.
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The Kpelle people are the largest ethnic group in Liberia. They are located primarily in an area of central Liberia extending into Guinea.
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Trees which bear flowers do not always bear fruit.
A child does not know his father's poverty.
If you are not inside a house, you do not know about its leaking.
A person is not his words.
A talkative child reveals his mother's secrets.
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The way the river flows at the surface is not the way it flows underneath.
All the trees which sprout do not grow.
An old rice bag is ugly, but the thing inside is beautiful.
Friendship is not laughing.
A needle is small but its metal is strong.
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A tree with holes does not call the wind to itself.
A person is not corn that you peel and see the seeds.
All things which make noise at the side of the path do not come down on the path.
A baby chicken sleeps under a hawk's tree without knowing it.
An owner of a house knows about its leaking.
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One rat is outside but many rats are inside the hole.
A person is not his words.
Everything the mouth says, it does not do.
Do not eat your chicken and throw its feathers in the front yard.
A person is not corn that you peel and see the seeds.
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Charity has no merit till the houseowner's hunger is satisfied.
Those who pry into other people's affairs will hear what they do not like.
To be lonely is better than to suffer offense.
He is lost who has seven jobs.
A mad dog bites anything but himself.
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No divination without charcoal.
He who has luck will have the winds blow him his firewood.
Only he who treads on the fire feels it.
Every journey gives you its own flavor.
If everyone thought alike, no goods would be sold.
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If your pocket gets empty, your faults will be many.
Always taking out without giving back, even the mountains will be broken down.
Your tongue is your power. Preserve it, it will preserve you. Betray it, it will betray you.
He who searches for pearls should not sleep.
Only he is a friend who is a friend when we are in difficulties.
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One stroke by the master's hand is better than ten from an apprentice.
Prosperity glitters and adversity shrivels.
He whose covering belongs to others is uncovered.
Genuine beauty appears from the morning; no eye fluids will spoil it.
Friends in prosperous times are many but in adversity you won't find one.
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Every raisin contains a pip.
He who is patient obtains.
Fish eats fish and he who has no might dies.
Eat too much honey and it will become tasteless.
The thief is suspicious and the man who itches scratches.
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He who has not married nor built a house doesn't know where his money has gone.
If you get mixed with bran you'll soon be pecked by chickens.
All's not cake that's round.
Penny piled on penny will make a heap.
According to your cover stretch your legs.
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Too many captains will sink the ship.
Don't throw stones in the well you drink from.
If the sun shone at night many thieves would be discovered.
Walk with sandals till you can get good shoes.
As long as a human being lives he will learn.
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Far from the eye, cheap to the heart.
The small donkey is the one that everybody rides.
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A rolling stone, it stops not till the bottom is reached.
A lie is plump in private but lean in public.
Better lose a little money than a little friendship.
Scandal is like an egg; when it is hatched it has wings.
Desire doesn't equal destiny.
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Death is the pursuer, disease the constant companion of man.
Regret is not first but last.
Powder doesn't refuse fire, nor fire fuel.
Don't help a bull out of a ditch, for when he's out he'll butt.
Water doesn't refuse to go down, nor smoke to go up.
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Don't be so much in love that you can't tell when the rain is coming.
It will do no good to have wealth that you won't use.
A patient that can swallow food makes the nurse doubtful.
Don't think of the shortness of the day, but of the length of the year.
Cheated customers and satisfied customers balance each other.
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The end of the ox is beef, and the end of a lie is exposure.
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Worldly goods come from avarice or what is forbidden.
If your son turns out to be a thief, give him up even though he will be mad.
A garden without a fence is like a dog without a tail.
The mouse in its hole is a king.
The mind of a workman is in his stomach.
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There is no beauty but the beauty of action.
Speech and action make the perfect conduct.
One fish makes the basket stink.
Every country has its beauty.
He who becomes fat must become thin, and he who flies must come down.
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Choose the neighbor before the house, and the companion before the road.
The snake does not bite itself.
Fish are not bought at the bottom of the sea.
The early breakfast is bought with gold.
Strength breaks the plough.
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The camel does not see his own hump, he sees only the hump of his brother.
A herd of cattle should not be without a bull.
A man without children is like a horse without a tether.
Into a closed mouth no fly will enter.
An unjust government is better than corrupt subjects.
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The river is not crossed without a ford.
An old cat will not learn dancing.
An agreement is a kind of debt.
Women are defective in understanding and religion.
What God wills, what God desires, that will be.
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The secret of a discussion is only between two.
Misfortune draws misfortune in its train.
Obedience to women makes one enter hell.
After every affliction there is enjoyment.
Every day has its fare.
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The hen lays an egg, and the cock feels pain in his bottom.
The friend is known in the time of difficulty.
The miser is like a donkey, he carries gold and silver and wants straw.
The good supper is known by its odor.
Marriage without good faith is like a teapot without a tray.
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Learning is better than goods.
A stone from the hand of a friend is an apple.
The oppressor will not be helped by God.
He who digs a pit for his brother will fall into it.
People know people, and horses know their riders.
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The learning of things is better than the ignorance of them.
What the devil does in a year an old woman does in an hour.
Instruction in old age is like engraving in dung.
Instruction in youth is like engraving in stones.
The iron is struck while it is hot.
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Fright is worse than a blow.
The food is according to the year.
Wine is the key of all evil.
Everything is useful, except that lies and slander bring no profit.
Assistance conquers a lion.
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Truth is a lion, and lies are a hyena.
Opportunity kills a lion.
He who loves honey should be patient of the stinging of the bees.
Endurance pierces marble.
Chance is better than meeting by agreement.
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Hunger is a slave, and satiation is its mistress.
He who sows thorns must walk on them barefoot.
An old monkey does not learn dancing.
To pass the night in the cold is better than the hospitality of a monkey.
Work for the sake of the children is better than pilgrimage and the holy war.
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If the prices are equal, choose the best.
Charity does not come out of a prison.
A man who is pure and gentle is to the people like gold in the pocket.
Repentance for silence is better than repentance for speaking.
He who sows evil will harvest repentance.
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If he steals a needle, he will steal a cow.
He who makes a rascal suffer obtains reward.
The guest is a guest, even if he stays a winter or a summer.
The cold teaches one to steal charcoal.
Don't show the mouse the door of the house.
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Haste is the sister of repentance.
A curse without causes does not pass through the door.
If you help a gambler, it is as if you throw a hair into the fire.
Two bulls do not get on together in the same pen.
Abundance of money is a trial for a man.
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The visitor is under the rule of the visited one.
A veil of rope is better than breach of custom.
When the soap comes to an end, the washerwoman rejoices.
He who marries a young woman gets welfare and a treasure.
The cunning of women is strong, and the cunning of the devil is weak.
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The wonders of the world are more numerous than its misfortunes.
Never will salt become worm eaten.
The wound caused by words is worse than the wound of bodies.
Dress according to your size, and associate with your equal.
The beauty of the man is his intelligence, and the intelligence of the woman is in her beauty.
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Useless talk is not worth a match.
Don't marry an old woman, even though you will eat with her young pigeons and lamb's meat.
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“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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Words can kill before arms.
You do not beat a drum with one finger.
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Tshi, Tchwi, or Oji, are a group of people living in Ghana. The chief of these are the Ashanti, Fanti, Akim and Aquapem. Their common language is Tshi.
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In the morning the mouth smells, but there are good words in it.
If you put two pieces of iron together in the fire, one will be burned.
When a way is long you shorten it with your feet, not with a hatchet.
When a bird is in a snare, its cry is peculiar.
If you make friends on the road, your knife will be lost.
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He whom a serpent has bitten dreads a slow-worm.
As long as you have not got the tortoise, you do not cut the string for him.
If sentence is passed on your neighbor, another time it will be passed on you.
A poor man has no friend.
If you eat, eat a portion, but do not eat all.
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He who fetches water breaks the pot.
What hunger desires is repletion.
There is nothing more so red as fire.
One tree receiving all the wind, breaks.
A canoe is paddled on both sides.
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When the cat dies, the mice rejoice.
When the occasion comes, the proverb comes.
He whom a serpent has bitten dreads a slow-worm.
Long teeth and short teeth eat the same food.
If you are rich, always shut your door.
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When a fowl eats your neighbor's corn, drive it away; another time it will eat yours.
A fowl selects a single grain.
When gold comes near to you, it glistens.
The mice eat the miser's goods.
Reinforcement beats the foe.
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Food, which you will not eat, you do not boil.
The tongue kills man and the tongue saves man.
If sentence is passed on your neighbor, time it will be passed on you.
Nobody cooks food and places it in the road to seek a guest.
The crab's daughter does not bear a bird.
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By going and coming a bird weaves its nest.
Poverty makes a free man become a slave.
The poor man's ivory is a hog's tooth.
A child may crush a snail, but it will not crush a tortoise.
When the mouth stumbles it is worse than the foot.
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If there were only snails and tortoise, no gun would ever be fired in the jungle.
Who travels alone tells lies.
Though you are hungry, you do not eat with both hands.
Nobody will buy the footprints of a bullock.
Though your coat is dirty, you do not burn it.
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A forest that has sheltered you, you will not call a shrubbery.
As the sword is, so is the scabbard.
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