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A kì í pè é lẹ́rú, ká pè é lóbí.
One does not call it a slave and call it a child of the house.
(One must be clear about one's attitude to a thing or person; ambivalence causes trouble.)

A kì í pè é lẹ́rù ká pè é lọ́ṣọ̀ọ́.
One does not call it a burden and also call it an adornment.
(An event is either a boon or a disaster; never both.)

A kì í rí ẹṣin ní ìso.
One does not find a horse on tether.
(Too easy and too convenient a find suggests stealing.)

A kì í rí i ká tún sọ pé a ò ri mọ́.
One does not see a thing and then say one does not see it.
(Always stand by your word.)

A kì í ró aṣọ ajé sídìí ká dájọ́ òdodo lẹ́bi.
One does not wear the ritual loincloth for presiding over a trial-by-ordeal and judge the righteous guilty.
(One must not violate the oath one is sworn to observe.)

A kì í so ẹran mẹ́ran kó kàn án pa.
One does not tie a goat with another goat and keep one from butting the other to death.
(One must not injure a person committed to one's protection.)

A kì í sọ̀rọ̀ ìkọ̀kọ̀ kó má diyàn ní gba-n-gba.
One does not conspire in secret without the matter eventually causing a public argument.
(Whatever is done in secret soon becomes exposed.)

A kì í ṣe ẹlẹ́jọ́ ní “Ngbọ́?”
One does not ask the main litigant, “How about it?”
(Do not expect impartial witnessing from an interested party.)

Àbàtá pani; àbàtá pani; ká ṣá sọ pé odò-ó gbéni lọ.
He died in the mire; he died in the mire; let us simply say that the person drowned.
(One should prefer plain talk to euphemisms.)

Àbẹ̀tẹ́lẹ̀ ní ńfọ́jú onídàájọ́.
It is bribery that blinds a judge.
(Bribery beclouds judgement.)

Adánu tí ńjẹ ilá: ó ní “Ẹ ò rí ilẹ̀ báyìí?”
Cleft-lipped person eating okro; he complains, “Can you believe what a mess the floor is?”
(The culprit complains about a condition as though he or she had nothing to do with it.) [1]

Àdàpè olè ní ńjẹ́ àfọwọ́rá.
It is simply a euphemism for theft to say àfọwọ́rá (literally, causing to disappear through the operations of the hand).
(The use of a euphemism does not change the nature of a thing.)
See the following entry.

Àdàpè olè ní ńjẹ́ “ọmọ-ọ̀ mi ńfẹ́wọ́.”
It is a euphemistic description of stealing to say, “My child's hands are uncontrollably nimble.”
(One should face facts and not skirt them.)
Compare the preceding entry.

Àdàpè ọ̀rọ̀ ò jẹ́ ká mọ ìtumọ̀ orúkọ.
Riddling makes it impossible for one to know the meanings of names.
(Circuitous talk is liable to lead to confusion.)

Adẹ́tẹ̀ẹ́ sọ̀rọ̀ méjì, o fìkan purọ́; ó ní nígbàtí òún lu ọmọ òun lábàrá, òún ja léèékánná pàtì.
The leper said two things, one of them being a lie; he said after he had struck his child with his palm, he also pinched him severely with his fingernails.
(One fools only oneself when one claims to have done the impossible.)

A-dọ́gbọ́n-pàgùntàn-jẹ Ìlárá, ó ní ojú ẹ̀ ḿba òun lẹ́rù.
Person-who-schemes-to-kill-a-sheep-to-eat, native of Ìlárá, he says that he is afraid of its eyes.
(One should avoid dissembling.)

Afasẹ́gbèjò ńtan ara-a rẹ̀ jẹ.
He who would collect rain water in a sieve deceives himself.
(The shiftless person hurts himself more than others.)

Afatarẹ́nilójú, alè-e baále.
One-who-smears-one's-eyes-with-pepper, one's husband's concubine.
(The illicit lover of a woman's husband is no friend of hers.)

Afẹ́nilóbìnrin ò ro ire síni.
He-who-has-an-affair-with-one's-wife harbors no good will towards one.
(One knows one's friends by their behavior.)

Afìkọ̀kọ̀jalè, bí ọba ayé ò rí ọ, tọ̀rún rí ọ.
You-who-steal-in-secret, if an earthly king does not see you, the heavenly king sees you.
(Nothing is hidden from God.)

Afọ́jú àjànàkú, kò mọ igi, kò mọ èèyàn.
A blind elephant does not know a man from a tree.
(Fate is no respecter of persons.)

Àfọwọ́rá ní ńjẹ́ olè.
Employing-the-hands-to-make-things-disappear is called stealing.
(Euphemistic circumlocution does not relieve a crime of its true nature.)

Agada ò morí alágbẹ̀dẹ.
The sword cannot tell the smith's head from others.
(Natural justice does not play favorites.)

Àgbàdo kì í ṣe èèyàn; ta ní ńrí ọmọ lẹ́hìn eèsún.
The maize plant is not human; who ever saw children on the back of elephant grass?
(One should not overestimate the value of things.) [3]

Àgbàká lodi ńgba ìlú.
It is completely that a fortification wall encircles a town.
(Brook no half measures.)

Àgbàká nigbà ńgba ọ̀pẹ.
It is completely that the climbing rope encircles the palm-tree.
(What is worth doing at all is worth doing well; there will be no obstacle in the way of one's ventures.)

Yoruba Proverbs

On consideration, kindness, and thoughtfulness