Yoruba Proverbs

oyekan owomoyela

University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln and London

 two

The Fortunate Person

(or The Good Life)
 On good name (good repute)

2712. -lbnrin k - dk lsn; t k is lled with pride. (The accomplishments

pe gbogbo ay k bni gb
r n. of ones relatives make one proud. This is a
Not-having-a-woman is not a problem to variant of the following entry.)
keep secret; it merits appealing to the whole
world to intervene in the matter. (A man 2718. B egn n b jore, or a yni.
without a woman needs drastic measures to If ones masquerader dances well, one is
resolve his problem.) proud. (The accomplishments of ones rela-
tives give one cause for pride. Compare the
2713. kbj, m gan-n-drj-b. preceding entry.)
Spoiled rotten, child-collectively-mothered-
by-barren-women. (Infertile women make 2719. Bb ire - fow r.
poor mothers.) A good pedigree is not something one can
buy with money. (Money cannot improve
2714. kj t ba m olw j. the circumstances of ones birth.)
Excessive pampering ruins the child of a
wealthy person. (Children of wealthy par-
ents are likely to be spoiled with too much D
pampering.)
2720. Ddn ddn nil olyin; kkor nil
agb
n.
2715. Abj w ni rere knra.
Sweetness is the constant characteristic
The evildoer seeks good people to associate
of the honey sellers home; bitterness is
with. (Evil people always seek the company
the permanent characteristic of the wasps
of good people to burnish their image.)
home. (The good person will always be at-
tended by goodness, the wicked person by
2716. wd k m p ar il wo un.
wickedness.)
The hawk in the sky does not know that
ground dwellers are watching it. (One may
be unaware, but ones machinations are not E
hidden.)
2721. yn-n dra ku w; il dra ku
gb.
B A person may be attractive, but character
still matters; a home may be gorgeous, but
2717. B egn b jore, or a y at
kn-un r. what matters is its livability. (Looks are not
If a masquerader dances well, his attendant everything.)
2722. yn-n rn, jj t l e; k - m, stale. (Certain things never go out of season
k - j sp. or favor. Also, this is a prayer that a person
A person walks along, and his or her shadow may never be disgraced.)
follows; it cannot be grabbed, and it cannot
be slipped into the pocket. (No one can hide 2729. nw, a k
l-e r sta.
his or her character.) lacks good character; therefore, his
house is built outdoors.2 (Whoever lacks
2723. Ehn funfun l
rn; w rere l
social graces deserves to be ostracized.)
yn.
The adornment of a smile is white teeth; the
adornment of a person is good character.
(Good character is more valuable than good
2730. gb bn t kan oo g.
looks. Compare 4991.)
Two hundred lthy persons are no match
for one person of good repute. (One decent
2724. Ehn knkn obnrn kn; olr w-
individual is worth more than two hundred
l.
tasteless people.)
A womans front teeth break; the main-
stay of [her] beauty is demolished. (When
2731. hn sunwn: aj m aw kn t sn.
ones main asset is gone, one is as good as
The end is inauspicious: a dog sleeps on the
nished.)
hide of a leopard. (The way one is remem-
bered after death is a good indication of
2725. j Ogb ni baba If.
whether or not one lived and died well.)
j Ogb is the father gure in If. (The
subject of this comment is thought to be 2732. n b  jal lkan, b b frn ogn
without peer in its category.)1 k bora, a ol l w.
Whoever stole once, if he or she later drapes
2726. k k, a gbl kan kta. himself or herself in expensive velvet cloth,
The devious person dies, and while digging is draped in stolen goods. (A reputation
his or her grave one strikes a rock. (Even the once ruined is impossible to mend.)
earth bears witness against the wicked.)
2733. n b in l
bn-n jre in: in
2727. k e n k m lw; k e n b
j ll; k ws lwr; pt-pt b
k m dgb; gb
n j
tisn lb. ltls- in.
Being devious does not prevent one from Whoever calls the horse lthy is justied:
prospering; being evil does not prevent one the horse does not rinse its face at night;
from living long; but it is ones dying day the horse does not wash its feet at night;
that one needs to worry about. (The devious there is year-old caked mud on the hooves
and the evil may prosper and live long, but of the horse. (If one does not look well to
their end will be terrible.) ones behavior, one deserves the contempt of
others.)
2728. Epo k t; iy k t.
Palm oil never goes stale; salt never goes 2734. n nu ra iy, t  b.
The disgrace of the person who bought
1. In If, the elaborate Yoruba system of divination,
j Ogb is the rst and most important of the sixteen 2. The reference is to the practice of erecting
main chapters. outdoors the images of , the rascally Yoruba god.

268 the fortunate person

glory with his or her mouth is near at hand. 2741. ni t p lko p l n k d b-
(Undeserved glory is soon exposed.) kb.
The person who stayed too long on the
2735. n m ni db ni a m. palm-wine farm is the one who encouraged
A person who knows one is not like a per- all sorts of speculation about what he was up
son one knows. (One can vouch for the to. (If ones behavior is devious, people are
character of a person one knows, not of a justied in wondering about ones charac-
person who knows one.) ter.)

2736. ni rere k k sp k. 2742. s ignnugn t ba b j.

A good person does not die the death of an The legs of vultures, which ruin the stew.
evil person. (Each person will be recom- (An abomination [is] like the legs of a vul-
pensed according to his or her character.) ture in a stew.)

2737. ni t a b nl gb
n, t a w nl 2743. s- p lhn-in krik.

mrn, gb
n ni k n gb
n ni, tb mrn There is a multitude of feet in the wake of
ni k n m? the wolf. (An illustrious person attracts a
A person who is born in the house of wis- great following.)
dom and reared in the house of discern-
ment, will he or she lack wisdom or be
I
without discernment? (A person carries the
marks of his or her pedigree and upbring-
2744. Ik y ju sn.
ing. See 3476.)
Death is preferable to disgrace. (One should
die rather than besmirch ones name.)
2738. ni t b w bbur w sy, tun
tokn jr n l s
run. 2745. Il dra ku k; yn-n dra ku
Whoever comes into this world accompa- w.
nied by bad character goes back to heaven The house is beautiful but for its pillars; a
by means of a vine. (Bad character will be person is handsome, but what of character?
the undoing of its owner.) 3 (Bad character nullies any charm a person
might have.)
2739. ni t lr rere t k nw, w-a r ni y
ba or-i r j. 2746. Il kan-n w ly
ngb tij
t p
A person who is blessed with good fortune n kj; ynb k nb.
but lacks good character: his character will There was a house in y in ancient times
ruin his or her good fortune. (Evil character called One-that-does-not-acknowledge-
ruins good destiny.) greetings; a white man died there. (Com-
ment on ill-mannered people who do not
2740. ni t lw t k nw, ow olw l n. respond to greetings.)4
The person who has riches but lacks good
character has other peoples riches. (A rich 2747. e  ni j k m ik bk.
person without good character soon loses That is his or her habit keeps one from
his or her riches to others.)
4. The proverb associates this bad habit with Euro-
3. The idea of the vine is that the bad person may peans and suggests that those who do not greet others
well be liable to hang. are like dead people.

On good name 269

knowing when an bk is really dying. (One is nothing like being found to vindicate
who cries wolf too many times will attract the report. (Ones real character is more
no one in times of real trouble. See note 6 at important than what others say.)
3488 and compare 3627.)
2755. Ktj pa m: r p ni.
2748. w k onw sl. May I die of shame: that is the chief of all
Character will not forsake its owner. (One curses. (No fate is worse than disgrace.)
cannot shed ones character.)
2756. K s m nn m Lb; k n gb
2749. w lsn. k pn.
Character is worship. (Ones worship and There is no child worthy of the name among
prayers are only as ecacious as ones char- the children of Lb [the acrobatic mas-
acter is good.) querader], only dead people carrying dead
people on their backs. (Said as a dismis-
2750. w lw. sive statement about worthless, ill-behaved
Character is beauty. (A person is as beautiful children.)5
as his or her character is good.)

2751. w lr; b a ti h s n gbeni s. M

Character is a god; just as one lives it, so
it succors one. (Ones fortune depends on 2757. M-e--m-l obnrin, oj-u pp
ones character.) lr-a r gb.
I-will-do-as-I-wish-and-go-my-way woman:
2752. w rere l
yn; ehn funfun l
the memorial shrine to her goddess belongs
rn. by the roadside. (A wife who cares not about
Good character is a persons [best] adorn- her character is not worth keeping.)
ment; white teeth are the adornment of a
smile. (A persons most desirable trait is 2758. Mj l w yn; b e yyn a e
good character, just as a smiles best aspect bb.
is white teeth.) There are two ways of speaking about
people; if it is not in praise, it will be in cas-
2753. wniy, algbd Ifk; w
n fn un tigation. (One has either a good reputation
nrin, lj gb e j; aj a ma j irin b? or bad, never neutral.)
wniy [Good character brings good re-
gard], blacksmith of Ifk quarters [in 2759. Mo b, mo b k e m rere.
Ibadan], was given an iron rod, and he I have just had a baby; I have just had a
claimed a dog ate it up; do dogs eat iron? baby! does not make for good breeding.
(If you wish others to think well of you, (Frequent births are less desirable than
you must be reliable and trustworthy.) painstaking child rearing.)

K
5. The masqueraders, supposed to be the incarnated
2754. K rhn ni t k b ni b. spirits of the dead, actually have only props made to
To have people say good things about one look like children on their backs.

270 the fortunate person

 O 2768. r nw; b a ti h l e gbeni.
Character is a god; it aids one according to
2760. di or ni bj, -mw--h ni. how one uses it. (Ones character determines
[If ] all was ruined during ones watch, that ones fortune.)
spells a defect in character. (A person of
good character will not be responsible for 2769. Ork ni n jr ni lkr.
social disasters.) Ones name is ones most eective advocate
abroad. (Your reputation determines what
2761. Obnrin t k nw, y  n b people who do not know you go by.)
orogn.
A woman without good character will have 2770. Ork lgbn oy.
only her mother as co-wife. (A woman A name is the elder of a chieftaincy title.
without good character is unlikely to nd a (A good name is better than an important
husband.) position.)

2762. Obnrin t bm t gb
n fab jn. 2771. Ork roni; pj roni.

A woman who gives birth to a child that Ones name aects ones character; ones war
lacks wisdom only singed her genitals. (A name determines how one behaves. (People
child who grows up lacking wisdom is the are inuenced by their names.6 Compare the
bane of his or her mother.) following entry.)

2763. bk-
d, rn-n d. 2772. Ork t a s m n m
m lra.

The he-goat has arrived; stink has arrived. It is the name a child is given that sticks to
(When evil people arrive at a gathering, the child. (People behave later in life the
dissension ensues.) way they were brought up. Compare the
foregoing proverb.)
2764. Od gb m gb ork.
Rivers dry up but not their names. (Ones 2773. ynb l u sga.
deeds will survive one.) The white man takes his leave; he shits on
the chair. (Said of persons who leave a mess
2765. Oj k la ti m olore jba. of problems behind when they depart a
It is in the presence of the wicked person place.)
that the son of the good person is crowned
king. (The wicked will live long enough to
see the good prosper.)

2766. Ol k gb
ork  k dr. 2774. m
tn lra m t j er.

A thief does not hear his name and stand in There is no longer anything worth calling
place. (A person who has something to hide a child in a child that eats ashes. (A youth
is always worried about being exposed.) whose habits are lthy and bestial is worth-
less.)
2767. Onwpl: a-bni-gb-tuni-lra.
A mild-mannered person [is] one with
whom cohabitation envelops one in ease. (A
mild-mannered person is a joy to live with.) 6. This is a Yoruba belief.

On good name 271

 P Both the gb and the s people know
that Lf is like the chameleon; the whole
2775. Pla-pla nil gbn, igb rere nil ahun. world knows Tlm as a thief. (Said of a
The home of the snail is ever disorganized, person whose bad character is common
but the home of the tortoise is a tidy bush. knowledge.)7
(One can always expect to nd certain
people in an orderly state.) 2778. Tw tw l rj.
It is in the company of ones character that
one goes on a journey. (No one leaves his
S or her character at home when venturing
abroad.)
2776. Sn b sn, ap rr; w m n
m m j kgb.
Tie a knife on you before you sleep; use a Y
quiver as your pillow: your character forces
you to resort to charms for rendering cut- 2779. Yy n y yl; dd n d db
lasses harmless against your esh. (People l
rn.
whose characters are evil have good reason The fate of the pigeon is always to enjoy
to fear attack from others.) good report; the fate of the dove is always to
be at peace. (A way of wishing people peace
and good regard.)
T

2777. T gb t s l m Lf lgm; gbogbo

ay l m Tlm ll.

7. gb and s people are from two locations in

Yorubaland; L and Tlm are persons from those
places whose poor reputations are widely known.

272 the fortunate person

 On health

2780. Akrboto k lj aw; l lk k lj 2786. Aun m-
ly; dgb t b r ni

toknb. t k l u.
One-piece kola nut has no cleavage lines; a The person who has diarrhea does not know
split bead has no string hole. (A defective his or her good fortune until seeing some-
thing or person is not as well o as a whole one who cannot relieve himself or herself.
thing or person.) (Until seeing others who are worse o, one
makes too much of ones misfortune.)
2781. lf baba 
; ojrr baba ara lle.
Well-being, father of commanding pres-
ence; peace of mind, father of well-being. B
(Without well-being there is no good im-
pression; without peace of mind there is no 2787. Br lolongo y; a k b knrn y
well-being.) lr t.
The orange waxbill is always sprightly; one
2782. lf baba r. never nds an invalid bird in a nest. (The
Well-being, father of friendship. (Nothing person addressed is ever healthy or will ever
conduces to friendship like well-being.) be healthy.)

2783. Anknrn ej l fd pa.

It is a snake that travels alone that one kills L
with a machete. (The lone traveler is vul-
nerable to opportunistic attacks. Compare 2788. Lk-lk y mle; b b lr
2802.) pt
a b sr rob, a ma gbogbo ara
k ew elw kiri.
2784. Ara lle logn r. Cattle egret, Muslim of a bird; if it ies
A healthy body is the medicine for wealth. o the g tree, it alights on the orange
(Health is wealth.) tree, carrying on its whole body gray hair
gathered from sundry sources. (Said of
2785. Arr k yin l
run, b b rr t irrepressible and sprightly older people.)1
rk.
A dwarf does not show gratitude to God
until he sees a crawling cripple. (Until see- 1. The egret is described here as a Muslim bird
ing people who are worse o, one does not because it is all white, just as Muslims favor all-white
appreciate ones own good fortune.) garments. The whiteness also suggests graying hair.
 O 2790. Olknrn 
k ru k; k alra tn
ara m.
2789. Ohun j k
l t. A sickly warrior does not carry rope snares;
What one eats is not what one sells. (One everyone should prepare properly for the
should satisfy ones needs before thinking task at hand. (People who have important
about disposing of the excess.) duties to perform should gird up their loins
accordingly.)

274 the fortunate person

 On happiness and success

2791. A k lni n Msn k mu gn. People who have family thereby have de-
One does not have people at Msn and yet fenders.)2
eat deformed sour oranges. (There should
be some benet to having connections.)1 2797. gb lw a n k gb
n; olw e b
ba lko.
2792. A k nkan gb agn ks- r m An elderly man has no money, and we say
w
l. he lacks wisdom; the rich man is like a king
One does not carry a masqueraders shroud on his farm. (Money is everything.)
by oneself and succeed in keeping its train
o the ground. (One can succeed in certain 2798. gb t f n k llwl
w
, ak aj
ventures only with the aid of others.) n gb.
An elder sounding o in the back yard with-
2793. A k nkan jay. out money in his possession is like a barking
One does not enjoy life alone. (A person male dog. (Money makes the person.)
without other people is nothing.)
2799. gbj w
la s y.
2794. Abr k n tun tw nd. It is with bunched ngers that one strikes
A needle is never lost with a thread in its ones chest. (One assembles all ones re-
eye. (As the thread will reveal where the sources in preparation for a struggle.)3
needle is, a person with relatives will always
have people interested in his or her fate.) 2800. gbt
j ob; m-l
m j tni.
A foster child is not like a child one gave
2795. Abmitn da nkan; ara la r. birth to; other peoples children are not the
I am well born guarantees nothing; all it same as ones own. (There is no substitute
permits is aunting. (It is personal qualities, for ones own possession. Compare 704.)
not birth, that determine ones fortune.)
2. There is a double entendre in the proverb. Be-
2796. Abiyam, a-bhn-jj. cause mothers customarily carry their babies on their
Nursing mother with a ghting back. (The backs, the saying could refer to the restlessness of a
child she carries ghts, and ghts for her. child thus carried, which would trouble the mother. On
the other hand, because children presumably survive
their parents, the saying would indicate that a mother
1. The place-name Msn literally means Eat has someone who will look out for her and survive her.
oranges (mu sn), an indication that the place is the 3. The proverb refers to the practice of striking
home of orange groves. ones chest with a st in making a vow.
2801. Agbrndn b y s; ni t n baba 2809. Aj t lni lhn pb; yn t lni
l t ara- r. lhn jre j
.
There is no commiserator like ones mother; A dog that has people behind it will kill a
only those who have fathers dare to be im- monkey; a person with people behind him
pudent. (With the backing of a powerful will win lawsuits. (With people behind one,
patron, one can attempt anything.) one can accomplish the impossible.)

2802. k
w
rn ej l
m
ary fd pa 2810. Ajnily b -lw-l
w
, lw baba

w
n. jay, ow n tnie.
The failure-to-travel-in-groups habit of Frightful-thing-like-lack-of-ready-money,
snakes makes it easy for humans to kill them lack-of-money [is] father of frights; it is
with machetes. (Those who hang together money that repairs a persons fortunes.
will not hang separately. Compare 2783.) (Lack of money is a frightful condition.)

2803. lbyye ln aw l
rn. 2811. Aj ny go.

Not-having-numerous-relatives explains not Wealth is the mother of glory. (Money
having quarrels to attend to. (Many relatives makes all things possible.)
make many quarrels.)
2812. Aj tn m b.
2804. lw lr s; b a b lw l
w
, taj Wealth brings rebirth. (However one was
tran n bni tan. born, wealth makes one over.)
Lack of money is lack of friends; if you have
money at your disposal, every dog and every 2813. jj rni jr-i r.
goat will claim to be related to you. (Money The stranger has no one to bear witness for
makes the person, socially.) him or her. (A stranger cannot hope for
vindication against an indigene.)
2805. lwl
w
k sn; n lrn.
Lack of money is no disease; it is lack of 2814. jrn n y r.
work that is a disaster. (As long as one has a Traveling in company best suits the wayfarer.
job, one has hope.) (There is glory in numbers.)

2806. m yn lj t. 2815. k
b ni n rni.

It is not-knowing-people that makes one It is ones rstborn that is ones support.
unable to sell ones wares. (To know people (Ones heir is also ones security in old age.)
is to be a successful trader.)
2816. A-krin-l-llgb, b n lu agogo
2807. s nkta ni ni mj- ja jk. lsn.
It is the absence of a third person that makes He-who-sings-and-lacks-a-supporting-
it possible for two people to ght to the chorus [is] the same as one who merely
death. (Communal living minimizes the beats a gong. (A chorus enhances a solo
eects of personal conicts.) performance.)

2808. Aj k k W gb; w gb. A dog 2817. Alyan n jun ogun.

does not turn a deaf ear to Come take; It is the industrious person who enjoys the
come take. (One should never reject gener- booty of war. (To the valiant belong the
osity.) spoils.)

276 the fortunate person

2818. Algm rni w wran un; n b B
gb
, yn n nsr.
The chameleon has no audience to watch it; 2824. B a b m in kr lko, gb t
if one hears footsteps, it is people that are y jgd; b a b m ti bknl Olk kr,
running. (People should know the limits of Balgun gbrfn, di agrae.
their capability and act accordingly.) If one removed re from the farm, only
farmers satised with a diet of bananas
2819. Ar il ni eun; yn ni sunwn; would be unconcerned; but for bknl
a l w lej lsn. Olk, General gbr fn, we could
The members of ones household have not achieve nothing. (Deprived of their founts of
done well by one; ones relatives are not power, people are ineective.)4
good-natured; yet one cannot liken them
to mere strangers. (Whatever one may have 2825. B a b n ogn r, t a n wf gbn;
against ones own people, they are still pref- m lr ni.
erable to strangers.) If one owns twenty slaves and thirty pawns,
children are still ones prot. (Children are
2820. tpk ni onkm ka; baba m-
preferable to slaves or pawns.)5
k m-
dy.
The thumb is the pillar among ngers; a 2826. B a k b n ohun gb, b we l r.
father dies and the children are disunited. If one does not have the accouterments of
(As thumb to ngers, so is a father to his elders, one seems a mere youth. (An elder is
children: remove the one and the others not an elder without the means to be one.)
are dispersed. This is a variant of the next
entry.) 2827. B a k b rni fhnt b l l r; b a
k b rni gbjl, tra m
 ni.
2821. tpk s k dt; baba m
k With no one to lean on, one seems a lazy
m
dy. person; with no one to rely on, one faces
The thumb is missing and the ngers be- ones duties with devotion. (The person with
come unbunched; the father dies and the powerful support seems better than his or
children become individuals. (Without the her peers; lacking such support, one should
thumb, the ngers cannot be bunched; with- redouble ones eorts.)
out a father the children are dispersed. See
also the preceding entry.) 2828. B a k lw, lyn; b a k lyn
lhn rere lnu.
2822. tr ni j krn pa gbn sl. If one lacks money, one should have people;
It is the skull that keeps the sun o the chin if one lacks people, one should be pleasant
below. (As the chin is beholden to the skull, in ones speech. (If you lack a social as-
one is beholden to ones benefactor.) set, make up for it in other ways. Compare
2961.)
2823. tw
lar; gbnw
niykan.
Ones palms are ones relatives; ones el-
4. The person named was a famous and illustrious
bows are ones siblings of the same mother.
Ibadan war chieftain of the nineteenth century.
(The most reliable things are ones own 5. The construction reects the conception of the
resources.) world as a market from which people eventually return
to the home whence they came.

On happiness 277
2829. B eb b kr nn ,  be. matures, the rich man marries her. (The idle
If hunger is removed from poverty, poverty will be left empty-handed.)
comes to an end. (Whoever has food to eat
is not poor.) 2837. B k b s ow, baba nkan ju baba
nkan l.
2830. B egn b m dr, t k m
In the absence of money, one persons father
k, at
kn-n r n wi. is no greater than another persons father.
If a masquerader cannot recognize dr (Money determines status.)
and cannot recognize k, his attendant
has to tell him. (Ones aides are there to 2838. B k s igi lhn gb gb w; b k
make up for ones deciencies.) s ak nn-u bt bt n le.
Without a post behind the fence, the fence
2831. B egn y l, a di rj fn at
kn. will collapse; without masculine forces in
When the time comes for the masquerader bt drumming, the music is not gripping.
to depart, the attendant begins to grieve. (Without his or her main support, a person
(One is saddened at losing ones benefactor is nothing.)
and patron.)
2839. B k s tm t b ly obnrin, t k
2832. B ni l b tn, rn l l pani. s lk t b nd gbr, r- m dra d
If there is no scarcity of great people, a great ju obnrin l.
problem cannot kill one. (As long as one has Except for the breasts on the chest of a
powerful patrons, dicult problems will not woman, and the beads around the waist of
defeat one.) the woman who sleeps around, my friend
is somewhat more attractive than a woman.
2833. B b t, b b w
, ni t a b nwj (But for feminine sexual organs, a male
t baba- e fnni. friend is preferable to a female.)6
If the pedigree is not bent, if the pedigree
is not crooked, the person ahead of one is 2840. B k s tow, k la fw e?
enough to play the role of father. (Unless Were it not for the matter of money, what
there is dissension in the family, the elders would one want with trading? (The need for
in it exercise responsibility over the youth.) money gets one into a trade.)

2834. B t w, w
k ba p. 2841. B k s tya, ogun a ti k Ir, b k s

If the trunk does not fall, the twigs are not tOlf
n, ogun a ti k If
n l.
endangered. (One is safe as long as ones But for the goddess ya, Ir would have
protector is around.) been sacked in a war; but for the god
Olfn, Ifn would have been destroyed.
2835. B y s, ta n j e m l
m lore? (Thanks to ones protector, one survives.)
If there is no mother, who would show kind-
ness to another persons child? (A child can 2842. B ku n ku la k ngb pa aw
n-
look only to its mother for protection.) rnw
n, j y r.
If it is only a matter of days before the
2836. B yw l b dgb, olw ni y iguana dies of thirst, rain will fall. (For
gb e.
When the woman betrothed to a lazy person 6. This is one proverb that only men would use.

278 the fortunate person

those the gods favor, rescue will come before 2849. B
-b
t ap d, rn l gbjl.
disaster. See the next entry also.) The quivers boasting is due to its condence
in the backing of the bow. (A person who is
2843. B ku n ku l k m old- k sure of his backers can boast as much as he
fn ngb, r j r. likes.)
If it is only a matter of days before the child
of the river goddess dies of thirst, a torren- 2850. Brknn ju l
r l.
tial rain will fall. (The favored of the gods The popular rich man is superior to the
will always be rescued before disaster falls. merely wealthy. (To be well regarded is
See the previous entry.) better than to be rich.)

2844. B oj k b ti hn gbt, oj n ti
k. I
If hn gbt is not disgraced, Lagos will
not be disgraced. (As long as ones defenses 2851. b- r- s n y; o m p ir l
hold, one will be secure.)7 r.
Your pregnancy aborts and you rejoice;
2845. B kt b dgb, m m- r n you are not aware that it is your kind that
mu. is perishing. (What in the short run is a
When the giant rat becomes old, it sucks boon might turn out in the long run to be a
from its childs breast. (In ones old age, one disaster.)
depends on ones children.)
2852. Ire k d k m gb
ohn-un gudu-
2846. B olw sr, t k, aj a n k pur
.
gudu.
If a rich person speaks and lies, money will
Good fortune does not arrive without being
say he or she has not lied. (A rich person
trailed by the sound of the gudugudu drum.
can get away with any lie.)
(Good fortune must be greeted with re-
joicing.)
2847. B tt pa wf wn a n k e-e
r d; b pa olw wn a n k r
j k ata
snu.
When the pawn has a fever, people say he O
is up to his usual tricks; when the owner
is thus aicted, they urge him to make an 2853. wswus- m oj run bj; gd-
eort to eat. (The poor cannot expect the gd j krn rn.
consideration the rich enjoy.) The fog besmirches the face of the sky;
the clouds keep the sun from shining. (An
2848. B ow b s nn r, a sni pa. unfortunate matter keeps happiness or
If money is removed from a matter, it bores cheerfulness at bay.)
one to death. (Money gives weight to mat-
ters.)
T

7. hn gbt was important as a defensive buer 2854. Tt l b Olwri.

for Lagos. Ever cool is how one nds Olwri. (May

On happiness 279
calmness and peace ever attend a certain
persons aairs.)8

2855. W nwn; aj n wni.

Limit how often you take a bath; it is wealth
that grooms a person. (Wealth beauties
more eciently than a lot of grooming.)

8. This is a prayer, an incantation. Olwri is

presumably a river or spring that is always cool.

280 the fortunate person

 On children and elders

2856. A k dl ay k m b m. 2861. gb n j or dn; md n j or

One never arrives at the home of the ay yky.
game without nding children. (A prayer for It is an elder who eats bats heads; youths eat
a blessing of children in abundance.) the heads of ordinary birds. (Only elders can
confront extraordinary eventualities.)3
2857. gb l t Or- l; ba l t ehn
erin-n fun. 2862. gb n j kn; md n j ara
Only a [male] elder is qualied to invoke ran.
Or; only a king is qualied to blow a horn Only elders eat the heart; the youth eat
carved out of elephant tusk. (Certain tasks the esh. (Each station has its particular
are for august people only.) obligations.)4

2858. gb mta k i kl p; b kn b ni 2863. gb n k
p gb.

ekulu, kej a n ekl, kta a n kl. Only an elder may hang the satchel of an
Three elders will not mispronounce kl; elder [on his shoulder]. (Certain privileges
if the rst says, ekulu, the second will are restricted to elders.)
say, ekl, but the third will say, kl. 1
(Three heads are better than one.) 2864. gb s l bj; bal il k il
dahoro.
2859. gb mta n m d ta. Without elders a town is ruined; the patri-
It takes three elders to know the mystery arch of the compound dies, and the house-
behind three. (It takes the pooled wisdom of hold becomes an empty shell. (Elders hold a
many elders to resolve deep matters.) community together.)

2860. gb n gb.
It is an elder that accepts. (Certain privi- B
leges, and obligations, attach to age.)2
2865. B a k k, a j ran t t erin.
1. Ekl is another name for tu, a kind of duiker. If one does not die, one will eat as much as
2. The proverb is based on a play on the syllable
gb. By itself it means accept (a proposition) or
take (receive). Since Yoruba forms nouns from 3. Birds heads are not usually eaten. Bats are never
verbs by attaching certain initial vowels to them, in this used as food, let alone their heads. Bats heads would be
case the vowel , the word gb (-gb), which means eaten only as part of a mystery or cult.
elder, is construed to mean someone who takes or 4. The heart of an animal is supposed to be more
accepts (a-gb). desirable food than the esh.
an elephants meat. (Whoever has life has L
things to accomplish.)
2872. Ll lm ay l.
2866. B a k k, e tn. Increasing is the way of the ay games coun-
If one does not die, ones accomplishments ters. (An incantatory prayer that a persons
are not over. (As long as one has life, one has fortunes will always increase.)5
feats to accomplish.)

2867. B or p nl, di ire. O

If a head remains long on earth, it becomes
fortunate. (If one lives long enough, one will 2873. Obnrin t j n ktkt t n l
run
prosper.) ni y m oye m un, gbgb rgb.
A woman who at the dawn of her life vows
2868. B md k, gb n d. that only God will know how many children
If a youth does not die, he becomes an elder. she will bear has placed a load of trouble on
(In time even a youth assumes the mantle of her own head. (Children are not an unmixed
an elder.) blessing for women.)

I
2874. j
t a b k, w
gba ok; m ni
2869. In k fer boj; gd k fm  n jogn ni.
r
p; oly- k foy sl l. The day one dies ones hand cannot hold
The re dies and covers its face with ashes; a coin; ones children inherit ones prop-
the banana tree dies and replaces itself with erty. (One cannot take earthly possessions
an oshoot; a chief dies and leaves his title into the grave but must leave them to ones
behind. (When a person dies, survivors survivors.)
inherit his or her place and property.)
2875. l
m
kr n K lo b?
2870. yw dn-n gb; m
dn-n k A person who has a child is not a person
jde. who can be asked, What did you sire? (A
Marriage is a pleasurable activity, and so is child is a child; whoever has one cannot be
christening a child. (Marrying and christen- taunted with childlessness.)
ing are pleasures.)
2876. l
m
l.
The person who has children has pros-
K pered. (Having children is the best kind of
prosperity.)
2871. K ni b fow r t l kj m?
What can one use ones money to buy that 2877. m br, br.
would be more precious than children? A multitude of children, a multitude of
(Nothing is more precious than children.)
5. The proverb refers to the fact that when an ay
player takes his turn, he adds counters to the ones
already in each of several holes.

282 the fortunate person

misery. (Children are desirable, but not in may expect from ones children is that they
excess.) attend to ones funeral.)

2878. m ni k di mj knu kanni. 2883. m l
m-
ro- p rn n.

Ones mind does not become sour because Another persons child is not easy to send
one has had a second child. (People always on an errand. (There is nothing like having
rejoice at having children.) ones own children.)

2879. m ni l b; r ni l r l
j. 2884. m- m k y ju m m n l.

One gives birth to ones children; one buys My child is dead is far better than My
ones slave in the market. (No one can buy child is lost. (One may lose a child to death,
children in the market.) but it is unspeakable parental irresponsi-
bility simply to lose a child. Compare 2880.)
2880. m k n b ranko.
A child does not become lost like an ani- 2885.
r t aboyn b s, ni mj l s
.
mal. (One must place great value on ones Whatever a pregnant woman says is said
children. Compare 2884.) by two people. (A pregnant womans words
should not be taken lightly.)
2881. m
m y ; talgbt
ny.
A child knows its mother; the foster moth-
ers lot is misery. (A child will never trea- T
sure a foster mother as much as a natural
mother.) 2886. Tm t ma k, tm t ma y, k y
f
l
m.
2882. m lyl; ni m
sin l bm. Whether the child will survive or not, let
Children are not to be rejoiced over; only us rejoice with a person who has a baby.
those whose children bury them really have (Childbirth is always an occasion for joy.)
children. (The most valuable service one

On children 283
 On material wealth

2887. A k eku kan r m mji. 2893. jk l mayo.

One does not placate two children with one Leaving remnants is the indicator of satia-
rat. (An otherwise sucient commodity tion. (How one lives will show how well o
divided too many ways satises no one.) one is.)

2888. A k j dd sn tut
funfun jde. 2894. Aj-lg! ni iwj sl e ni

One does not leave red blood inside and spit hn n pl.
out white saliva. (Never let people think you Almighty wealth! It skips over the person
love them when in fact you wish them ill.) in front to oer salutations to the person
behind. (Wealth is no respecter of age.)
2889. A k lhun ny.
One cannot be both stingy and respected. 2895. Ajjf n n tt pk
.
(Only generosity earns respect.) It is a person who wakes to free booty that
develops an overhanging nape. (Those who
2890. s ow l pa 
dnrn m
; k ni labor for their food are not plagued with
irnw baba gbiw t- e? obesity.)
It is lack of money that makes one hoard 300
cowries; what can 400 cowries, the father of 2896. khns l sunwn.
200 cowries, accomplish? (Those who have The reverse side of greatness is unattractive.
little make too much of little things. See also (A fall from greatness, or turning ones back
the following entry.) on greatness, is unfortunate.)

2891. s ow l tlkn m

dnrn; k ni 2897. ks- ba ni rere j.

irnw baba gbiw t- e? Rags demean illustrious people. (A ragged
It is lack of money that makes one keep 300 attire overrides innate qualities.)
cowries under lock; what can 400 cowries,
father of 200 cowries, accomplish? (The im- 2898. Ak ebi t di jj.
port is the same as that of the preceding Masculine hunger, one that becomes an ill-
entry. See also 119.) ness.1 (When hunger is extreme, it becomes
an illness.)
2892. s ow ni, J kl m
; aj k
gbow k n dla. 2899. A-k-s-m-d, rngb ol.
It is lack of money that makes one say, Wait He-who-collects-the-pool-in-turn-but-
until morning; if the terms are agreeable,
one does not wait until morning. (Lack of 1. In Yoruba usage, describing something as mas-
money makes one temporize even when the culine is stating that it is the most formidable of its
market is in ones favor.) kind.
does-not-make-a-contribution: same as a beaded gourd, it is good character that mat-
thief. (Reaping without sowing is akin to ters.4 (Character is more important than
stealing.)2 wealth.)

2900. A-pp-lhn-gb, gb b w. 2906. B mo l lhnkl Olgb
n, Olgb
n

You-who-clear-the-weeds-behind-an-elder, m p mo l lhnkl un; b mo l lhnkl
your old age approaches. (Those who do fa- Ars, Ars m p mo l lhnkl un; b
vors for old people should be reminded that mo l
lhnkl Onky Mgb, y m p mo
they too will some day grow old.) l lhnkl un.
If I pass behind the house of the Olgb
n,
2901. rn t j nrun s; ebi n m the Olgb
n will know that I have passed
ara- yi. behind his house; if I pass behind the house
There is no sickness called nettle rash; it of the Ars, the Ars will know that I have
is hunger that makes one develop welts. passed behind his house; if I pass behind
(Hunger is a disease not to be belittled.) the house of the Onky Mgb, he will
know that I have passed behind his house.5
2902. r k k t lj ew. (My fame is such that my presence is loudly
The secrets of corn meals being will not proclaimed.)
be exposed in the presence of leaves. (As
long as one has champions, one will not be 2907. B tt pa l j k k; kk tk
disgraced.) l e nkan fnni.
If a lazy person has a fever, one lets him
2903. ttdy kan tgb; or ni n die; neither a live nor a dead lazy person
gbni ga. does anything for one. (A lazy person is not
Primogeniture has nothing to do with elder- worth troubling over.)
liness; it is the head that elevates one. (Age is
no guarantee of status. Compare the follow- 2908. Bom
y lrin bb.
ing entry.) Red corn shows amid guinea corn. (A good
person sticks out among bad people.)
2904. ttdy kan tr; l
run n e or
ow.
Primogeniture has nothing to do with E
wealth; God assigns wealth to heads.3 (Age is
no guarantee of wealth.) 2909. k dn lj ni t lw l
w
.
The city of Lagos oers no pleasures in the
view of a penniless person. (Without money,
B one is shut out of many pleasures.)

2905. B a b lw l
w
t t ti kr, w

rere ni nkan.
Even if one has as much money as the

4. kr is a gourd that has beads or cowrie shells,

2. s (ss) is a mutual organization whose the currency before colonization, strung around it and
members regularly contribute money to a pool from that is used as a musical instrument.
which each member in turn withdraws the total sum. 5. The three titles are those of renowned Yoruba
3. Again, or (head) here refers to destiny. chiefs.

On material wealth 285

 never lack whatever is part of ones essence.
Compare the preceding three entries.)
2910. ni aj ya il-e r l gb
n.
It is the person whose home riches have 2916.  m kly k m ran m;
found that is wise. (Whoever has prospered ak k n ar.
may boast that he or she is wise.) Destitution does not aict the husband
and spare his children; the poverty-ridden
2911. ni lrun-n d - faraw. person does not have relatives. (The desti-
The person fashioned by God is not one to tution of the head of the household aects
emulate. (It is unwise to emulate people who all members of the household; on the other
have means that do you not have.)6 hand, the poor person does not have many
friends.)

I
N
2912.  aago k  ynb.
The dearth of watches does not aict the 2917. Nw-nw n sgi; t n er
white man. (One never lacks a thing for dgb; rt t gi t nn gb: ow ni
which one is the source.7 See also the follow- gbogbo w
n j n.
ing three entries.) The big spender does not use beads for
money; the poor person did not grow up
2913.  agbd k  mle. spending peas; the person who gathers re-
The dearth of agbad [the traditional Yor- wood from the forest for sale: all of them
uba garment] never aicts the Muslim.8 spend money. (Rich or poor, no one can do
(A person is never short of something that without money.)
characterizes him. Compare the preceding
entry and the following two.)
O
2914. - bt k  ynb.
The dearth of shoes never aicts the white 2918. de s al-
l.
man. (This is a variant of 2912. Compare Public functions do not faze a person with
also the preceding and following entries.) many clothes. (No eventuality can over-
whelm a person with abundant resources.)
2915.  ow k  Dda, Dda olw y.
The dearth of money never aicts Dda, 2919. k t b l, If n sin n.
Dda who is blessed with coins.9 (One will A dead person who owns a wealth of clothes
is buried by If itself. (The community itself
6. ni l
run-n d, translated literally as a person sees to the funeral of an illustrious person;
fashioned by God, actually means a person who is the problems of a popular person arouse the
under Gods constant protection. concern of everyone.)
7. This proverb and its variant are based on the fact
that the white man introduced the watch to Yorubaland
and is never seen without shoes. born with an abundance of curly hair; the curls, being
8. The agbd is the characteristic attire of the likened to the traditional currency of cowrie shells,
Muslim. are sometimes referred to as ow (money), and people
9. Dda is the name automatically given to a child customarily oer coins to such children.

286 the fortunate person

2920. Olw lar m; ar m ; r t that even his clothing is virtually all
lw, ar fa w  ya. money.)11
Kin acknowledges only the rich; no kin
claims a poverty-ridden person; the way- 2928. Ow lgb
n; m lbr.
farer who has no money for kin rips up his Money is the elder sibling; a child is the
papers.10 (Everybody associates with a rich younger sibling. (Having wealth makes
person, but nobody knows a poor person.) having children easier.)

2921. Olw lay m. 2929. Ow l w
n, yw w
n.

Humankind knows only the rich. (The poor Only money is hard to come by; a wife is not
do not count in this world.) hard to come by. (If one has money, nding
a wife is a simple matter.)
2922. Olw lba lk.
The rich man is king in Lagos. (Lagos is an 2930. Ow lor rn; bw b dn rn, yy
ideal playground for the rich.) n y.
Money is the head of any problem; when
2923. Olw sk dil. money is introduced into a problem, its
The rich person turns a hill into a plain. solution results. (Money solves all prob-
(Nothing is beyond a rich person, not even lems.)12
drastically altering the face of Nature.)
2931. Ow lj.
2924. r b aj s; aj n gbni ga. Money is trade. (There is no trading in the
There is no god like money; it is money that absence of money:)
makes people great. (Money can accomplish
anything.) 2932. Ow n ngb t un s nl, ta n
dmrn lhn un?
2925. n j Ta n m
r? Ow n j Money asked, when it was not at home,
Mo b tan. who dared to make plans in its absence?
Poverty is what explains Who knows you? (Without money, all plans are useless.)
Wealth explains, I am related to you. (No
one knows a poor person, but everybody 2933. Ow s, yn sunwn.
claims kinship to a rich person.) [If ] money is lacking, a person is unattrac-
tive. (Wealth is beauty.)
2926. Ow il y, gbs bn.
The household money makes its appearance, 2934. Ow t n gb k r; tolw a
and debt becomes angry. (Ones enemies are ma gb sl igb.
never happy to see one escape misfortune.) It is a poor mans money that stays at the top

2927. Ow-l-r: tb lb.

Money-is-what-we-are wearing: lbs 11. The concept is that the knickers (or male skirt)
knickers. (Said of a person who is so wealthy of the obviously real person named in the proverb,
lb, is made of money or material as valuable as
money.
12. The proverb is based on the Yoruba phrase y
10. The expression to rip up ones papers means or, literally meaning pull the head out, an idiom for
to ruin ones fortunes. solve.

On material wealth 287

of the load; the rich persons money rests 2941.
p ir k ba b j.
at the bottom of the calabash. (A poor man A surfeit of locust-bean seasoning does not
wants to be able easily to see and reach his ruin a stew. (One cannot have too much of a
money, but the rich person can aord to be good thing.)
more carefree.)
2942.
rn gbogbo, lr-i l n d s.
2935. Ow y il, gn y od. All matters resolve themselves around a
Money ts a home quite well; gn is at shilling.14 (Money solves all problems.)
home by the river. (Money is a desirable
thing in a home.) 2943.
rn t gb- w, kr lwd.
A problem complicated by as much money
as 2,000 cowries is no longer a joking
matter. (Matters that involve signicant
amounts of money are not to be tried
2936. b lw. with.)
Stew is complexion. (What one eats deter-
mines ones well-being.)
T
2937. b lm gb.
Stew is the breast milk of adults. (Adults 2944. Ta la gb gin t k pk
lk?
have their own nourishment, even if it dif- Who would be placed on the horse and
fers from childrens.) not cock his head haughtily? (One should
forgive the arrogance of fortunate people.)
2938. j t t, ow l w.
Goods that will not sell are only in need of 2945. T algbd k, yyan ni y ma
money. (All things are possible if there is yan.
money.) Until the time the owner of elaborate gar-
ments dies, he will keep strutting. (One
2939. m w kan s; m a n b. should not be bashful about displaying ones
There is no such thing as a child that is a wealth.)
creation of beauty, but there is something
like a child that is a creation of clothing.
(Clothing, rather than facial beauty, deter- W
mines the impression one makes on others.)
2946. W
n e b t gb
n b l
r; w
n n
2940.
n l p. b gb
n b lw l
w
.
The approaches to wealth are plentiful; also, People think the poor person lacks the wis-
the responsibilities of auence are plenti- dom the wealthy person has; they say if one
ful. (There are many dierent approaches had wisdom, one would be rich. (It is folly
to wealth. And the more one has, the more to equate wealth with wisdom.)
responsibilities one must shoulder.)13

13. Most often used as a comment on people who

have too much on their minds to pay attention to 14. This proverb came into being when Nigeria still
routine expectations. used British currency.

288 the fortunate person

 On longevity

2947. Agm k k n kker. to jn. (May trouble stop before it reaches

The chameleon does not die young. our frontier.)2
(A prayer for longevity.)1

2951.
d
md k m ork pnr .
2948. m ggn lr ay. A child never knows the praise name of
Longevity is the reward of living. (Longevity his guardian spirit.3 (Only age brings deep
is most to be desired by all. This is a variant knowledge of how the world goes.)
of 2953.)
2952. j
al l tr.
2949. m ggn n sny. It is nighttime [i.e., old age] that one should
It is longevity that makes up for suering. pray for. (Old age is everybodys desire.)
(Longevity makes all suering worthwhile.)

P
K
2953. Pp ly lr ay.
2950. K m m n b, k m e d Longevity is the prot of living. (Longevity
jn. is the reward for having lived a good life.
May the disaster stop at b and not get This is a variant of 2948.)

2. b and jnn, neighboring Yoruba towns,

were destroyed during the Yoruba wars of the nine-
teenth century.
3. Ork is a panegyric, either a short praise name
for an individual or a long praise poem, often recited
1. The chameleons slow, deliberate gait suggests (performed) in honor of important persons or, on state
advanced age. occasions, of kings.
 On wealth in people (popularity)

2954. fm
lgb; igi gbogbo n b tan. 2959. m bt n m od n; l-a baba

The climbing plant has no roots; it claims n m m yan.
relationship with every tree. (A feckless It is due to the life in the marshes that the
person is ever in search of benefactors.) river ows; it is owing to the greatness of the
father that the son struts about. (The suc-
cessful person has some backing that must
B be acknowledged.)

2955. B il kan il, t dd- kan dd, b a 2960. ni t a b lhn t gb
, a-bet--lu-

k fni nb, a t abr. lra-b-ajere.
If houses adjoin and living rooms abut, if A person who is insulted in absentia but
one is not wanted there, one is not worth so hears about the insult anyway: his or her en-
much as a needle. (Being neighbors amounts tire body is all ears, as a sieve is all holes. (If
to nothing if there is no mutual regard.) one cannot be everywhere, one should make
sure one has people everywhere. Compare
2958.)
E
2961. ni t k lw a lyn; ni t k lyn
2956. Elgb [or elgb] n m orin dn. a lpn.
It takes a chorus to make a song melodious. A person who lacks money should have
(It is good to have backers.) people; a person who lacks people should be
gregarious. (Good connections can make up
2957. Einin t b d rn mu j y. for lack of money; but if one also lacks good
A y that keeps a hunter company will drink connections, one had better be gregarious or
blood to its ll. (The fortunes and misfor- personable. See 2828.)
tunes of ones associates will surely rub o
on one.) 2962. ni t k n ads k pt.
A person who has no one to watch a stall
2958. Et-i baba nl, et-i baba lko, yn n should not display his or her wares there. (If
j b. one lacks helpers, one should be judicious in
Fathers ears encompass the house, fathers the extent of ones undertakings.)
ears reach to the farm spells people. (A
person who is privy to what goes on every- 2963. ni t k n b mi p ! k dk.
where has people everywhere. Compare A person who does not have Help me re-
2960.) vive him! does not faint. (If one does not
have a champion, one should stay out of Dense forest behind the hunter; teeming
trouble.) crowd in the wake of a schemer. (Just as
a hunter does not run out of forest and a
2964. ni t k n igi ob k lso. schemer never runs out of co-plotters, so
Whoever does not have a kola-nut tree can- one will not run out of backers.)
not have its fruits. (Unless one owns the
means of production, one cannot claim the 2969. hn il, hn il; j k r k pa m
product.)1 ad.
Here a home, there a home; the rain does
2965. ni t il sl- s p y k
; ni t not fall and drench a chick. (One should not
s k
n- k
p ebi. submit to suering when relief is everywhere
Whoever moves away from home drapes the around.)
satchel of suering on his or her shoulder;
whoever loses a hoe drapes the satchel of 2970. Ik t k n pani n gb alwo rere
hunger. (To move from ones home is to ex- koni.
pose oneself to hardship; to lose the means It is the death that has no intention of kill-
of making a living is to expose oneself to ing one that brings an expert diviner man
hunger.) ones way. (One should be grateful if one
has people to warn one about impending
dangers.)
F
2971. lkn t k n algbgb, k jk 
2966. Fr-fr im yw, sn ju yr ffo jj; ni t n baba k jj bi.
l. A door without a knocker should keep its
A bride with a gaping nose is better than an peace; a fatherless child does not ght an
empty bedroom. (To have something blem- unjust ght. (People who have no strong
ished is much better than to have nothing at backing should not court trouble.)
all.)
2972. rw sn sn sn, a-l
m-lhn-b-
p.
I Brilliantly twinkling star, with a multitude
of followers like the moon. (Comment on
2967. d y l pn s. an illustrious person who has a huge follow-
It is on the mothers waist that a child rests. ing.)
(One should know where ones succor lies.)2
2973. yw dn l
sngn.
2968. Igb rr nwaj l
d, yn Marriage is pleasant when it is new. (No
lhn lt. pleasure compares to that of a honeymoon.)

1. This proverb is usually employed to state that J

a man not married to a woman may not claim her
children as his.
2. This is a reference to the Yoruba womens practice
2974. Jj gb n m gb ny; l-a baba
of carrying their children mounted on their backs, so n m m yan.
that the mothers waist supports the child. It is the rams dewlap that lends it dignity;

On wealth in people 291

it is the fathers greatness that gives the son Ones fortune never turns so bad that one
reason to strut. (One who has good grounds is left with no one; whom one will be left
for doing so may walk proudly.) with is what one does not know. (One never
knows, until trouble comes, who among
ones friends is faithful.)
K
2981. K s ohun t db-i k wni wl.
2975. K j k re
y
, k m ni t lba. There is nothing that compares with being
Let us quarrel and go to y, and we will see visited at home. (It is a great honor to be
on whose side the king is. (Boast that one visited in ones home.)
would have the powers-that-be on ones side
in any quarrel.)
L
2976. K rn k p, yy n yni [b-i tn
run k
]. 2982. Lra yn low w.
Traveling in the company of others shows Riches are inseparable from people. (Who-
people in a good light [but not if the journey ever has people around him is rich indeed.)
is to heaven]. (People are best in association
with others, and not as loners.)3
O
2977. K rni lkr k ry, yni ju
onj l. 2983. Or olkk j asn; w
n kgbe  nl,
To see one from afar and greet one cheer- w
n kgbe  lgun.
fully satises far better than food ever could. The lot of a valorous person is not simple;
(Fellowship is far better than material gifts.) he is called upon at home, and he is called
upon in battle. (A great person is subject to
2978. K ni lt j kgb e lrin il. demands from all sides.)
Being quietly advised keeps an elder from
committing a blunder within his household. 2984. Op gbk m
y
; b gbl m ar
(Even elders will do well to heed advice.) oko.
The moon remains on the rmament and
2979. Kk k gbajm j pl
, ni t y pa knows all about y; the king remains at
kk fun y jde. home but knows all about the farm dweller.
Rather than the popular person nding (An inuential person does not have to be
himself reduced to eating a toad, someone present at a place to know what goes on
will emerge to kill a frog for him. (The well- there. Compare 2958.)
regarded person will always have people to
come to his or her aid in times of need.) 2985. Ow ffn t yn.
A gift of money is not equal in value to
2980. K bur bur k m ku nkan m
ni; a [gift of a] person. (Human presence or
ni t y k la m. company is worth more than money.)

3. The tag about the journey to heaven was not

2986. Ow kan r k; yn mta dr
originally part of the proverb but is in fact a cynical n mj mj.
rejoinder to the original observation. A solitary coin does not clink; three people

292 the fortunate person

cannot stand in twos. (One cannot make T
suciency out of deciency.)
2988. Ta l l e b at
kn fn egn?
Who can play the role of the guide for a
masquerader? (No one can replace a devoted
benefactor.)4
2987. l
r-
k, hn-in r- kn.
The wealthy person dies and his wake is
congested. (A wealthy person has many W
mourners.)
2989. Wrp- gba ara  gba igi oko.
The cow-itch protects itself and protects
other trees in the forest. (Closeness to a
powerful person is good protection.)

4. The at
kn is the ever vigilant attendant who

ensures that the masquerader, with his vision limited
and movements often restricted by his costume, does
not get into diculties.

On wealth in people 293