 | PROVERBS / METHALI # 01 |
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- Aachaye kweli huirudia
He who leaves truth behind, returns to it
(i.e. A person who does something good somewhere, people receive him/her with gladness when he comes back)
- Achanikaye kwenye mpini, hafi na njaa
He who struggles with the hoe, does not die of hunger - Achekaye kilema, hata kwao hipo
He who laughs at a cripple has one at home - Ada ya mja hunena, muungwana ni kitendo
A man talks but a gentleman acts
Actions speak louder than words - Adhabu ya kaburi aijua maiti
Only the corpse knows the punishment of the grave - Adhihakiye kovu, hajaona jeraha
He who trivialises a scar hasn't been injured - Adui aangukapo, mnyanyue (muinue)
When an enemy falls, lift him up - Adui mpende
Love your enemy - Adui ya mtu ni mtu
The enemy of man is man - Afadhali akutembeleaye kuliko akutumiaye salaam
The one who visits you is better than the one who sends you greetings - Afadhali kuaibika kuliko kufa
Better ashamed than dead - Afadhali kufa kuliko kuaibika
Better dead than ashamed - Afadhali kuwa jirani wa mbuga kuliko kuwa jirani wa mwenye mdomo mrefu
It is better to be a neighbour of a steppe than to be a neighbour of one who speaks badly - Afadhali mchawi
A witch is better
(i.e. The enemy you know is better than a friend you don't) - Afua ni mbili, kufa na kupona
Relief comes in two ways, dying or healing - Ahadi ni deni
A promise is a debt - Aibu ya maiti, aijuaye mwosha
The shame of the corpse is known to the mortician - Aisifuye mvua imemnyea
He who praises the rain, it has rained on him - Ajali haina kinga (haikingiki)
An accident cannot be averted
(i.e. Whatever can go wrong will) - Ajidhanie kasimama, aangalie asianguke
One who thinks he is standing, should beware of falling - Ajuaye mengi, hasemi mengi
Who knows more speaks less
Empty vessels make the loudest noise - Akiba haiozi
savings will not decay
Put something away for a rainy day - Akili ni mali
Intelligence is an asset - Akili nyingi huondoa maarifa
Great wit drives away wisdom
Too many cooks spoil the broth - Akufaaye kwa dhiki ndiye rafiki
A friend in need is a friend indeed - Akufukuzaye hakwambii toka
He who chucks you out doesn't tell you to go away
(i.e. A person may use indirect signs to tell you you are not welcome) - Aliye juu, mngojee chini
Wait at the bottom for the one who is at the top
What goes up, must go down - Anayefikiri amesimama, aangalie asianguke
He who thinks he is standing, should be on his guard not to fall down - Apandaye haba, huvuna haba
He who farms little harvests less - Asifuye mvua imemnyea
He who praises rain has been rained upon - Asiyefunzwa na mamae hufunzwa na ulimwengu
He/she who is not taught by his/her mother will be taught my the world - Asiyekubali kushindwa si mshindani
He who does not accept defeat is no sportsman - Asiyekuwepo na lake halipo
If you are absent you lose your share
Out of sight, out of mind - Asiyesikia mkuu huvunjika mguu
He who doesn't heed the chief's advice breaks his leg
Don't be reckless - Atangaye na jua hujua
He who wanders in the sun, knows - Avumaye baharini papa kumbe wengine wapo
Shark is the famous one in the sea but there are many others - Baada ya dhiki faraja
After hardship comes relief
Every cloud has a silver lining - Baba wa kambo si baba
An adoptive father is not a father - Bahati mbaya haiji peke yake
Misfortune doesn't come alone - Bahati ya mwenzio usiilalie mlango wazi
Don't leave your front door open because someone was lucky that nothing happened when he did it
Don't be reckless just because others were lucky - Bandu bandu humaliza gogo
An incessant hacking of the log finishes the log
(i.e. If you keep nibbling, you will eat into your capital) - Bendera hufuata upepo
A flag follows the direction of the wind - Bilisi wa mtu ni mtu
The evil spirit of man is a man - Cha mlevi huliwa na mgema
The drunkard's money is eaten by the palm-wine tapper - Chanda chema huvikwa pete
A handsome finger gets the ring - Chema chajiuza, kibaya chajitembeza
A good thing sells itself, a bad thing advertises itself for sale - Chombo cha kuzama hakina usukani
A sinking vessel needs no navigation - Chovya-chovya yamaliza buyu la asali
Constant dipping will empty the gourd of honey - Dalili ya mvua mawingu
Clouds are the sign of rain - Damu nzito kuliko maji
Blood is thicker than water
(i.e. family ties are stronger than marital ties) - Dawa ya moto ni moto
The remedy to fire is fire
Send a thief to catch a thief - Debe tupu haliachi kuvuma
An empty "debe" doesn't stop making noise
empty vessels make the most noise - Dua la kuku halimpati mwewe
The prayer of the fowl does not bother the hawk
It is no use to swear at the mighty - Elimu haina mwisho
Education has no ending
You are never too old to learn - Embe dodo sawa sawa na kisukari
A "dodo" (kind of mango) is like a "kisukari" (sweet banana)
Something is better than nothing - Fadhila ya punda ni mateke
The gratitude of a donkey is a kick - Fimbo la mnyonge halina nguvu
A feeble man's stick has no strength
Might is right - Fimbo ya mbali haiui nyoka
A weapon thrown from far won't kill a snake
(i.e. You must be on the spot to put your affairs in order) - Fuata nyuki ule asali
Follow the bees and you will get honey - Fumbo humfumba mjinga
A parable mystifies a simpleton - Fumbo mfumbe mjinga mwerevu huligangua
Put a riddle to a fool a clever person will solve it - Ganda la mua la jana chungu kaona kivuno
The skin of yesterday's sugarcane is a harvest to an ant - Haba na haba hujaza kibaba
Little by little fills up the measure - Hakuna masika yasiyokuwa na mbu
There is no rain season without mosquitoes - Hakuna msiba usio na mwenziwe
Misfortune never comes alone - Hakuna siri ya watu wawili
A secret is no secret when it is shared by two persons - Hakuna ukuu wa kunguru panzi zikianguka
Raven's age matters not when there are grasshoppers - Hapana maji yasiyo na mawimbi
There is no water without waves - Hapana marefu yasio na mwisho
There is no distance that has no end - Haraka haraka haina baraka
Hurry hurry has no blessings
Haste makes waste - Hasira, hasara
Anger brings loss - Hasira ya mkizi ni furaha ya mvuvi
The rage of a cuttlefish is joy for the fisherman - Hata paka ana visharubu
Even a cat has whiskers
(i.e. Having whiskers is not a guarantee of masculinity) - Hebu kiishe, huchoma mkia
He who waits until the whole animal is visible spears its tail - Heri kufa macho kuliko kufa moyo
It is better to lose your eyes than to lose your heart - Heri kenda shika, kama kumi nenda uje
Better is nine "take-it" than ten "go-and-come"
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush - Heri kujikwa kidole kuliko ulimi
Better to stumble with the toe than with the tongue - Hiari ya shinda utumwa
Voluntary is better than force
- Hucheka kovu asiye kuwa na jeraha
He laughs at scar who has received no wound - Huwezi kula ng'ombe mzima halafu ukasema mkia umekushinda
You cannot eat a whole cow then say you can't finish the tail - Ihsani (hisani) haiozi
Kindness does not go rotten - Ikiwa hujui kufa, tazama kaburi
If you don't know death look at the grave - Jembe na mundu ni baba na mama
Hoe and sickle are your father and mother - Jina jema hungara gizani
A good name shines in the dark - Jino la pembe si dawa ya pengo
An ivory tooth is not cure for the lost tooth. - Jitihadi haiondoi kudura
Effort will not counter faith - Jogoo la shamba haliwiki mjini
The village cock does not crow in town - Kaa akiinua gando mambo yamekatika
When the crab raises his claw, there is an end of the matter - Kafiri akufaaye si Mwislamu asiyekufaa
An infidel who does you a good turn is not like a Muslim who does not - Kamba hukatika pabovu
A rope parts where it is thinnest - Kanga hazai ugenini
A guinea-fowl does not lay eggs in strange places - Kawaida ni kama sheria
a custom is like a law
Habit is second nature - Kawia ufike
Delay in order to arrive
Better late than never - Kazana kulima, usione wanakula
Struggle farming, don't see them eating
See moore from the link:Mwanasimba- http://mwanasimba.online.fr/E_links.htm
