There is the tendency among 'ignoramuses' to regard the Hausas and in
fact all black-men, as silly and unintelligent. Far from this, the
'blacks'/Hausas have a very wonderful imagination and great
intelligence. we(the blacks) probably have better and deeper proverbs
that the "whites". To prove this, I have decided to take my time to pick
most of these lovely proverbs from a book written by G.merrick and some
few others from the elders...
I doubt if there is anyone who doesn't love proverbs. To me, a proverb is much more than a "sauce" in a conversation, it is a special gift bestowed on mankind.
Here are 50 lovely Hausa proverbs for your reading pleasure.
1.) Maichi da uwa ba shi kuka 'n soodi.
Meaning: He who eats with his mother will not have to ask for the soodi, for she will give it to him as a matter of course.
Soodi- the surplus or remainder of anything. The usual way of eating is for everyone to dip his hand in turn into a calabash until the food is finished: the scrapings are the soodi, and this the child of the house would naturally get.
2.) Rua ba su yami banza.
Meaning: Water does not get bitter without a cause.
There is reason for everything
3.) Ba don “rigan'n domin” ba, da mutum ya mutu masiachi.
Meaning: If it were not for riga'n domin a man(a fellow) would die poor.
Riga'n domin, because of some one else, for someone else's sake, thrugh someone else's influence.
Na shigga “riga'n domin" wuri'n Abdu.
Meaning: I got it through Abdu.
4.) Makafo ya rassa ido, ya che ido na wari.
Meaning: The blind man lacks eyes, he says eyes stink.
5.) Idan rua ya zubar, ya ber tulu, ya yi keau.
Meaning: Even if the water is spilt, as long as the tulu is not broken, no harm.
Tulu- the jar used for carrying water from the well or stream; it has a small mouth. Different districts have different patterns.
Don't cry over spilt milk. That can be remedied
6.) Ba domin tsawo akanga wata ba
Meaning: The moon is not seen because of great stature.
It is by no merit of yours that you have done that. Anyone can do it.
7.) Fawa biu tana bata hankali'n kuda.
Meaning: Two pieces of meat confuse the mind of the fly.
To hesitate between two things, two cources, etc
8.) Mai akwia ya yi taffia derri, bale mai kua.
Meaning: If the owner of a goat is not afraid to travel by night, why should the owner of a hyena be(seeing that night is the usual time for a hyena to move about).
9.) Da ayi jiranka ga abinchi, gara akayi ka jira'n abinchi.
Meaning: Better that you should be made to wait for food than that food should be made to wait for you.
10.) Mai tambaya ba shi bata, sai dei asheerinsa ka tonoa
Meaning: He who asks does not go wrong, but his secret is dug up.
The first part of this proverb is very commonly used by itself with the meaning, "Always ask if you are in doubt."
The meaning, as it stands, is--before you ask for information, be quite sure that it will not give away your object, i.e. If you wish to conceal it
11.) kunkurru ya so dambe, ba shi da yasa
Meaning: The tortoise wishes to fight with his fist, but he has no fingers.
Impotent wrath
12.) Komi ya ke chikkin dan kaza, shafu ya deddi da sanninshi.
Meaning: whatever there is inside a chicken, the hawk has been familiar with it for a very long time.
There is nothing much you can teach me about that
13.) Gishiri nema (na yi ma) mai'n kadde daria'n rana, randa rua ya zo gishiri ya ji kumia
Meaning: Salt laughs at shea butter while the sun shines, but when the rain comes, it hides its head.
14.) Idan dei a chini(ni=ne) ba a seyer ba, kaza ta fi doki
Meaning: if it is a matter of eating and not of selling, then the hen is better than a horse.
Everything has its own peculiar uses
15.) Woni tsuntsu ya ke gudu rua, awuagwa rua ta ke nema
Meaning: Some birds avoid water. The duck searches for it
Everyone to his own taste
16.) Idan angulu ta bia maka maradi, zabua ta taffi da zanenta
Meaning: if the vulture fulfils your desire, the guinea fowl will pass you by..(Beautiful) marks and all.
If you are satisfied to associate with such low people, a better class will have nothing to do with you
17.) Buzarre ba shi rabba jaki da kaia.
Meaning: Bucking will not separate a donkey and its load; for the owner will merely put it on again.
Don't kick against the pricks
18.) Tsimmi da kasshi chikki ba shi magani'n yungwa.
Eking out (or saving up for another day) when your stomach is empty is not a cure for hunger.
19.) Ba aroko'n jinni ga fara.
Meaning: blood is not begged from a locust.
Blood from a stone/rock
20.) Fura da zai (za ya) zubar ba shi tara'n guribi.
Meaning: A pot of fura that is going to fall will not stay in the hole hollowed out for it.
What must be must be
Guribi- the scratching a hen makes to lay an egg in
21.) Mugu'n gatarinka ya fi “sare ka bani”
Meaning: A bad axe of your own is better than one you have to wait for until the owner has finished with it
22.) Mutum ba shi soka'n chikkinshi, saanan shi komo shi yi kirari
Meaning: A man does not stick a knife into his stomach and then go and boast about it.
A man does not do an injury to, or make an accusation against a relation and then go and boast about it
23.) Mu dei bera'n rami dain, en ba agamma ashigga ba, agamma a fita
Meaning: We are mice of one hole, if we don't meet going in, we meet going out.
If you refuse to give a man something that he asks for, he might reply as above, meaning, "Any day you may want to borrow from me"
24.) Akwia ta mutu, ta fata na sha'n wuya.
Meaning: The goat has died and left its skin to encounter difficulties.
The skin being the children and family generally
25.) Ba samu'n abinchi ke da wuya, wurinda zaka chishi ke da wuya
Meaning: As the hen says, "It is easy enough to find food, but hard to get away to a place where you can eat it in peace."
Your friends and relatives always want to share your goods
26.) Anatamaha wutta makera, auka isketa masaka
Meaning: One is expecting fire at a blacksmith's, one gets it at the weaver's
The unexpected happens
27.) Hankuri, hatchi'n tukunia ne, ba shi wuya'n kuriwa.
Meaning: Patience is like grass for (lighting a fire to cook) a pot, it quickly comes to an end.
28.) Bunsuru ya je berbera ya dawo da chikki
Meaning: The he-goat goes a-seeking the she-goat; he returns in child.
29.) So daia gujia'n makafo ta kono, na biu sai shi chita dainya.
Meaning: Once the blind man's ground-nut is burnt (while he is cooking it) next time he eats it raw.
A burnt child fears the fire
30.) Karifi'n mata sai yawa'n magana
Meaning: The strength of a woman is in her tongue
I doubt if there is anyone who doesn't love proverbs. To me, a proverb is much more than a "sauce" in a conversation, it is a special gift bestowed on mankind.
Here are 50 lovely Hausa proverbs for your reading pleasure.
1.) Maichi da uwa ba shi kuka 'n soodi.
Meaning: He who eats with his mother will not have to ask for the soodi, for she will give it to him as a matter of course.
Soodi- the surplus or remainder of anything. The usual way of eating is for everyone to dip his hand in turn into a calabash until the food is finished: the scrapings are the soodi, and this the child of the house would naturally get.
2.) Rua ba su yami banza.
Meaning: Water does not get bitter without a cause.
There is reason for everything
3.) Ba don “rigan'n domin” ba, da mutum ya mutu masiachi.
Meaning: If it were not for riga'n domin a man(a fellow) would die poor.
Riga'n domin, because of some one else, for someone else's sake, thrugh someone else's influence.
Na shigga “riga'n domin" wuri'n Abdu.
Meaning: I got it through Abdu.
4.) Makafo ya rassa ido, ya che ido na wari.
Meaning: The blind man lacks eyes, he says eyes stink.
5.) Idan rua ya zubar, ya ber tulu, ya yi keau.
Meaning: Even if the water is spilt, as long as the tulu is not broken, no harm.
Tulu- the jar used for carrying water from the well or stream; it has a small mouth. Different districts have different patterns.
Don't cry over spilt milk. That can be remedied
6.) Ba domin tsawo akanga wata ba
Meaning: The moon is not seen because of great stature.
It is by no merit of yours that you have done that. Anyone can do it.
7.) Fawa biu tana bata hankali'n kuda.
Meaning: Two pieces of meat confuse the mind of the fly.
To hesitate between two things, two cources, etc
8.) Mai akwia ya yi taffia derri, bale mai kua.
Meaning: If the owner of a goat is not afraid to travel by night, why should the owner of a hyena be(seeing that night is the usual time for a hyena to move about).
9.) Da ayi jiranka ga abinchi, gara akayi ka jira'n abinchi.
Meaning: Better that you should be made to wait for food than that food should be made to wait for you.
10.) Mai tambaya ba shi bata, sai dei asheerinsa ka tonoa
Meaning: He who asks does not go wrong, but his secret is dug up.
The first part of this proverb is very commonly used by itself with the meaning, "Always ask if you are in doubt."
The meaning, as it stands, is--before you ask for information, be quite sure that it will not give away your object, i.e. If you wish to conceal it
11.) kunkurru ya so dambe, ba shi da yasa
Meaning: The tortoise wishes to fight with his fist, but he has no fingers.
Impotent wrath
12.) Komi ya ke chikkin dan kaza, shafu ya deddi da sanninshi.
Meaning: whatever there is inside a chicken, the hawk has been familiar with it for a very long time.
There is nothing much you can teach me about that
13.) Gishiri nema (na yi ma) mai'n kadde daria'n rana, randa rua ya zo gishiri ya ji kumia
Meaning: Salt laughs at shea butter while the sun shines, but when the rain comes, it hides its head.
14.) Idan dei a chini(ni=ne) ba a seyer ba, kaza ta fi doki
Meaning: if it is a matter of eating and not of selling, then the hen is better than a horse.
Everything has its own peculiar uses
15.) Woni tsuntsu ya ke gudu rua, awuagwa rua ta ke nema
Meaning: Some birds avoid water. The duck searches for it
Everyone to his own taste
16.) Idan angulu ta bia maka maradi, zabua ta taffi da zanenta
Meaning: if the vulture fulfils your desire, the guinea fowl will pass you by..(Beautiful) marks and all.
If you are satisfied to associate with such low people, a better class will have nothing to do with you
17.) Buzarre ba shi rabba jaki da kaia.
Meaning: Bucking will not separate a donkey and its load; for the owner will merely put it on again.
Don't kick against the pricks
18.) Tsimmi da kasshi chikki ba shi magani'n yungwa.
Eking out (or saving up for another day) when your stomach is empty is not a cure for hunger.
19.) Ba aroko'n jinni ga fara.
Meaning: blood is not begged from a locust.
Blood from a stone/rock
20.) Fura da zai (za ya) zubar ba shi tara'n guribi.
Meaning: A pot of fura that is going to fall will not stay in the hole hollowed out for it.
What must be must be
Guribi- the scratching a hen makes to lay an egg in
21.) Mugu'n gatarinka ya fi “sare ka bani”
Meaning: A bad axe of your own is better than one you have to wait for until the owner has finished with it
22.) Mutum ba shi soka'n chikkinshi, saanan shi komo shi yi kirari
Meaning: A man does not stick a knife into his stomach and then go and boast about it.
A man does not do an injury to, or make an accusation against a relation and then go and boast about it
23.) Mu dei bera'n rami dain, en ba agamma ashigga ba, agamma a fita
Meaning: We are mice of one hole, if we don't meet going in, we meet going out.
If you refuse to give a man something that he asks for, he might reply as above, meaning, "Any day you may want to borrow from me"
24.) Akwia ta mutu, ta fata na sha'n wuya.
Meaning: The goat has died and left its skin to encounter difficulties.
The skin being the children and family generally
25.) Ba samu'n abinchi ke da wuya, wurinda zaka chishi ke da wuya
Meaning: As the hen says, "It is easy enough to find food, but hard to get away to a place where you can eat it in peace."
Your friends and relatives always want to share your goods
26.) Anatamaha wutta makera, auka isketa masaka
Meaning: One is expecting fire at a blacksmith's, one gets it at the weaver's
The unexpected happens
27.) Hankuri, hatchi'n tukunia ne, ba shi wuya'n kuriwa.
Meaning: Patience is like grass for (lighting a fire to cook) a pot, it quickly comes to an end.
28.) Bunsuru ya je berbera ya dawo da chikki
Meaning: The he-goat goes a-seeking the she-goat; he returns in child.
29.) So daia gujia'n makafo ta kono, na biu sai shi chita dainya.
Meaning: Once the blind man's ground-nut is burnt (while he is cooking it) next time he eats it raw.
A burnt child fears the fire
30.) Karifi'n mata sai yawa'n magana
Meaning: The strength of a woman is in her tongue
A "Super-sweet" Collection Of Hausa Proverbs
![A "Super-sweet" Collection Of Hausa Proverbs]()
Reviewed by Abhi
on
September 09, 2015
Rating:
No comments:
Share What Is In Your Mind On This Post
You can use Anonymous in the (Comment as) drop down list for quick comment