€œThe leopard€s stealthy gait is not a result of cowardice; it is simply stalking a prey.€ (Do not mistake people€s gentle nature for spinelessness.) €œThe rabbit that eats yams and enjoys them will return for more.€ (People remember good experiences and seek their repetition.) €œThe chicken sweats, but its down prevents us from knowing.€ (Everybody has his or her problems, although strangers may not guess.) €œThe mouth does not say, €˜I ate once before.€€ (Hunger is not something one assuages once and for all.) €œIt is a light rain that chases a child indoors; it is a raging torrent that shakes the raffia palm to its roots.€ (Every person, however lowly or mighty, has his or her nemesis.)
Â
Yoruba Proverbs is the most comprehensive collection to date of more than five thousand Yoruban proverbs that showcase Yoruba oral tradition. Following Oyekan Owomoyela€s introduction, which provides a framework and description of Yoruba cultural beliefs, the proverbs are arranged by theme into five sections: the good person; the fortunate person (or the good life); relationships; human nature; rights and responsibilities; and truisms. Each proverb is presented in Yoruba with a literal English translation, followed by a brief commentary explaining the meaning of the proverb within the oral tradition.
Â
This definitive source book on Yoruba proverbs is the first to give such detailed, systematic classification and analysis alongside a careful assessment of the risks and pitfalls of submitting this genre to the canons of literary analysis.
