African Proverbs…

What exactly is a proverb? You may ask. well…

A proverb is a short, straightforward, customary saying that gives advice based on practical experience. They are often in the form of a metaphor or allegory.  Proverbs are popular and present in every spoken language, as a part of the folklore, culture, passing down from one generation to the next one.

Today I want to focus, on African Proverbs. They are one of my favorite. I like them, mostly because they mention nature – the earth and animals – giving pearls of wisdom through the metaphors of everyday activities and objects. You can see the admiration and gratitude towards Mother Nature, for every element of a world (human, plant and animalistic). I am not focusing on any specific African country, ethnic groups, or region, of this great continent.  Quite the opposite. I have decided, to put a small collection of some of my favorite, meaningful and wise proverbs.

Befriend many, but trust few.

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with a friend.

He, who done evil, expects evil.

Many words do not fill a basket.

What an old man sees seated, a small child cannot see even standing on top of the mountain.

It is impossible to find a man who has everything, but it is possible to find one who enjoys the things he has.

A good wife is easy to find, but suitable in-laws are rare!

Wisdom does not come overnight.

Do not step on the dog’s tail, and he will not bite you.

Do not make the dress, before the child is born.

He, who tell the truth, is never wrong.

Taking water from the same well does not make all the wives’ gravy taste good.

Children are the rewards of life.

The fool speaks, the wise man listens.

No matter how long the night, the day is sure to come.

Knowledge is like a garden: if is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested.

The rain does not recognize anyone as a friend. It drenches all equally.

Do not tell the man who is carrying you, that he stinks!

To be without a friend, is to be poor indeed.

It takes the whole village to raise a child.

Even the best dancer on the stage must retire sometime.

Time destroys all things.

If you are filled with pride, then you will have no room for wisdom.

If you close your eyes to facts, you will learn through accidents.

Milk and honey have different colors, but they share the same house peacefully.

No matter how big a child is, he cannot deny that he was once carried on the back of a woman

Nobody is born wise.

One who causes others misfortune also teaches them wisdom.

He, who ask the questions, cannot avoid the answers

Always being in a hurry does not prevent death, neither going slowly prevent living.

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

Rain beats the leopard’s skin, but it does not wash out the spots.

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

Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.

Raising early, makes the long road short.

What you learn is what you die with.

If love is a sickness, patience is the remedy

A tree cannot stand without roots

No matter how full the river, it still wants to grow.

Eat when the food is ready speak when the time is right

Where a woman rules, stream run uphill.

Where there is no shame, there is no honor.

The good mother knows what her children will eat.

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

He who cannot dance will say, ‘The drum is bad!

A child does not laugh at the ugliness of his mother.

An army of sheep led by a lion can defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.

If you educate a man you educate one individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a family.

All monkeys cannot hang on the same branch.

An empty pot makes the loudest noise.

Do not allow the belly to make you useless.

Do not fight a lion with a stick.

Every door has its own key.

One arrow can knock down an elephant.

Only a medicine man gets rich by sleeping.

Only someone else can scratch your back.

Peace is costly but it is worth the expense.

Rich people sometimes eat bad food.

Unity is the real thing.

When the lion cannot find meat, it eats grass.

You cannot force water up a hill.

The chameleon changes colour to match the earth, the earth doesn’t change colour to match the chameleon.

A canoe does not know who the leader is – when it turns over everyone gets wet.

If you do not have patience you cannot make beer.

A person who has children does not die.

A tree does not move unless there is wind.

An intelligent enemy is better than a stupid friend.

The rhinoceros never dances with the monkey.

The jungle is stronger than the elephant.

By trying often, the monkey learns to jump from the tree.

The chameleon looks in all directions before moving

He who fears the sun will not become chief.

Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand.

He who is destined for power does not have to fight for it.

Those who are absent are always wrong

Women have no chief.

Crying a lot does not give you peace of mind.

A tree does not move unless there is wind.

A clever king is the brother of peace.

Examine what is said, not him who speaks.

What is inflated too much will break into fragments.

One who relates with a corrupt person likewise gets corrupted.

If the palm of the hand itches, it signifies the coming of great luck.

He who is unable to dance says the yard is stony.

All heads are the same, but not all thoughts are the same.

Birds sing not because they have answers but because they have songs.

Hope does not disappoint.

The key to a healthy body is a good head.

If the wind blows, it enters every crevice.

There is not such a thing in the world as a sheep of many colors.