Yoruba Proverbs

* Bí abá so òkò sójà ará ilé eni ní bá;
o Translation: He who throws a stone in the market will hit his relative
o Anonymous: Be careful what you do unto others it may boomerang towards you or someone close to you

* B’ópé títí, akólòlò yó pe "baba"
o Translation: A stammerer would eventually say "father"

* Kàkà k'ó sàn lára iya àjé, ó fi gbogbo omo rè bí obìnrin; eye wá subú lu eye
o Translation: Rather than an abatement of her viciousness, a witch gives birth to only female children and witchcraft multiplies

* Teni ni teni; b'àpón sun'su, a bù f'ágùntàn rè
o Translation: One takes care of one's own: when a bachelor roasts yam, he shares it with his sheep

* Ìyàwó àkófé kì í rá'hùn okó, òkèlè àkóbù kì í rá'hùn obè
o Translation: A man's first wife never complains of neglect from the penis, the first morsel never complains of insufficient sauce

* Ile oba t'o jo, ewa lo busi
o Translation: When a king's palace burns down, the re-built palace is more beautiful (every cloud has a silver lining)
o Anonymous: Necessity is mother of invention, creativity is often achieved after over coming many difficulties
* Gbogbo alangba lo d'anu dele, a ko mo eyi t'inu nrun
o Translation: All lizards lie flat on their stomach and it is difficult to determine which has a stomach ache (Everyone looks the same on the outside but everyone has problems that are invisible to outsiders)

* Ile la ti n ko eso re ode
o Translation: Charity begins at Home
o Anonymous: A man can not give what he does not have good or bad behaviour is a reflection of ones background.

* A pę ko to jęun, ki ję ibaję
o Translation: The person that eat late, will not eat spoiled food
o Anonymous: It is more profitable to exercise patience while seeking a durable solution, in difficult situations than to hastily accept an ill-conceived/prepared solution.

* Eewu bę loko Longę, Longę fun ara rę eewu ni
o Translation: There is danger at Longę's farm (Longę is a name of a Yoruba Legend), Longę himself is danger
o Anonymous: You should be extremely careful of situations that have a past history of danger

* Bi Ēēgun nla ba ni ohùn o ri gontò, gontò na a ni ohùn o ri Ēēgun nla
o Translation: If a big masquerade claims it doesn't see the smaller masquerade, the small masquerade will also claim it doesn't see the big masquerade.
o Anonymous: If an important man does not respect those less important than himself, less important men will in turn refuse to give him his due.
* Kò sí ęni tí ó ma gùn ęşin tí kò ní ju ìpàkó. Bí kò fę ju ìpàkó, ęşin tí ó ngùn á ję kojū.
o Translation: No one rides a horse without moving his head, voluntarily or involuntarily. (your status in life dictates your attitude towards your peers)
* Ile la nwo ka to somo loruko
o Translation: Charity begins at home