Nigerian proverbs

From Wikiquote

"Too much - no good. Plenty - alright"

• Onye jee obodo ebi m nti, o biri nke ya tinye.

Literally: If one goes to a land where they cut off ears, he should cut off his own and contribute them. (When in Rome, do as the Romans do.)

• Ewu mmadu abuo nwere na-ehi ura nezi.

Literally: A goat owned by two people sleeps outside. (With joint ownership, each owner shunts his responsibility to the other, with the result that nothing gets accomplished.)

• Nwanyi umu iri o dighi ihe mere nabali o naghi ama.

Literally: When a woman has ten children, there is nothing that happens in the night that she does not know about.

• E lelia nwa ite, o gbonyua oku.

Literally: If you neglect the pot, it boils over and extinguishes the fire. (A small thing can do a lot of damage.)

• Mmecha ede abughi okuko.

Literally: Preparing cocoyams for planting does not mean that they are already planted. (Buying a lot of books does not mean that a person is educated.)

• "He who waits for a chance may wait for a long time."
• "When the mouse laughs at the cat there is a hole nearby"
• "A man who lives alone is either always overworked, or always overfed."

"Agutan to baja rin, yio jegbe" The sheep that follows the dog will eat human feces Agba ti ko binu ni omo inu e po An elderly man who take vengeance not, is surrounded by many children

A child may have many clothes but not as many rags as an old man

• "e mee ngwa ngwa emeghalia odachi."

Hold a true friend with both your hands.

Ukedofulu ki ma ma ki ondu wn ch'egbo. The hot temper that temporarily forgets that the body it resides in belongs to a coward.