Village Journals
Resonate your identity with Naseeb journals. Express your opinions, share your thoughts, post your writings and connect with like minded people through the power of expression.
Resonate your identity with Naseeb journals. Express your opinions, share your thoughts, post your writings and connect with like minded people through the power of expression.
Proverbs, the Spice of Speeches!
In Africa (as well as other places of course), speeches are spiced with idioms, special phrases and proverbs.
Proverbs, captures the intent behind a speech. It also captures the audience. It spices your delivery and tickles the listeners.
Proverbs are like advice, often short and witty , but their interpretations and implications will require several pages of explanation.
To cut long story short, what are your FAVOURITE PROVERBS?
Let's make a list. Please indicate which language or community of people use the proverb. You may give an explanation to help our understanding of the proverb as literal translation can betray the cultural importance of the proverb.
So let's go (at least one from every Village member): ;)
1. When you see an old lady running, do not ask what is the matter, run too. -Jamaican Proverb -by Rasunday
2. What an elder sees sitting, the young can't see standing. -Ibo proverb, Eastern Nigeria -by Rasunday
3. The rain beats on me, but the rain did not wash off the beauty of my body. -Yoruba proverb, Western Nigeria -by Rasunday
4. She who learned from her mother how to fry doesn't like others frying for her. -Kigezi proverb, southwest Uganda -by Rasunday
5. Nothing is achieved in a dream. -Malinke Proverb -by Rasunday
Proverbs, captures the intent behind a speech. It also captures the audience. It spices your delivery and tickles the listeners.
Proverbs are like advice, often short and witty , but their interpretations and implications will require several pages of explanation.
To cut long story short, what are your FAVOURITE PROVERBS?
Let's make a list. Please indicate which language or community of people use the proverb. You may give an explanation to help our understanding of the proverb as literal translation can betray the cultural importance of the proverb.
So let's go (at least one from every Village member): ;)
1. When you see an old lady running, do not ask what is the matter, run too. -Jamaican Proverb -by Rasunday
2. What an elder sees sitting, the young can't see standing. -Ibo proverb, Eastern Nigeria -by Rasunday
3. The rain beats on me, but the rain did not wash off the beauty of my body. -Yoruba proverb, Western Nigeria -by Rasunday
4. She who learned from her mother how to fry doesn't like others frying for her. -Kigezi proverb, southwest Uganda -by Rasunday
5. Nothing is achieved in a dream. -Malinke Proverb -by Rasunday
Comments on this journal
You can't suck cane and blow whistle! (Trinidadian)
means: take one thing at a time.
The higher de monkey up de tree, da more he expose! (Bahamian, Jamaican, Trinidadian, I've heard this all over the Caribbean) means: warning to those who think they're getting somewhere in life by stomping down others to get to the top, used in other situations too.
Shell deep in de ocean will never know how hot de sun is. (Bahamian) means: if you are sheltered you will not no the hardship of life.
When de cat away, de mice does play. Favourite one among Govertment workers! :)
De cat that does catch de mice for you, does steal de fish from you. (Trinidadian) Good and evil can come from the same source.
That would be east Africa.
(don't kick me out now) i am still african :).
wasalams.
means: mind your business! (of things that don't concern you.)
this is my uncle's favourite proverb although the language he uses is a little more colourful ;)
He whom we have advised may God let him hear the advise. Yoruba proverb
2 "Bi omode ba laso be agba, ko le ni akisa bi agba"
A child can have as many new cloths like an old man but he can not have as many rags as the old man. This is with regards to experience of life.
I have added a few
hurry hurry has no blessings
A favorite finger gets a ring on )
A poor man's cane is not strong enough
1. W'en yu se ole wuman run, no ax wha'matter, run to.
-Jamaican proverb
When you see an old lady running, do not ask what is the matter, run too.
Thoughts: Accept the words wisdom and action of the elders they have travelled before you and should be respected and trusted without question.
2. What an elder sees sitting, the young can't see standing
-Ibo proverb
3. Ojo pa mi, ojo ko pa ewa ara mi danu.
The rain beats on me, but the rain cannot wash off the beautyof my body.
Thoughts: Life's challenges and struggles cannot remove the beauty of who you are.
4. She who learned from her mother how to fry doesn't like others frying for her.
-Kigezi proverd, southwest Uganda
Nothing is achieved in a dream-Malinke Proverb