I have been trying to improve my Yorùbá for the past year or two. One way to improve language skills is through listening. While I was watching the King of Boys movie, I had the wild idea to record all the Yorùbá Proverbs used in the movie. They were quite a number and it felt so powerful listening to them. I shelved the idea because it meant I had to rewatch the 3 hour long movie
Last year, when I saw the sequel “Return of the King” I knew I had to do it. So, I rewatched over 10 hours of television to bring you this post. I had done most of the grunt work in October of last year but I needed someone with better Yorùbá writing skills to edit.
My parents helped me with a lot of text and translation so I have to say thank you to them. And thank you to, my editor: Jídé Ayẹni, I appreciate this!
In my earlier post, I wrote about the top 3 Yorùbá Proverbs from the King of Boys saga. As promised this is a longer post containing every proverb in the show. I may have missed one or two, but not three. All translations are in Italics.
KING OF BOYS – THE MOVIE
1. O rán olófòfo ní ṣẹ́, ó ní ó jẹ́ ẹ dada.
A gossip on an errand will always deliver.
2. Ẹ ni tó bá sọ̀rọ̀ jù, á ṣi ọ̀rọ̀ sọ.
Anyone who talks too much, will surely tell tall tales.
3. Á ò kin pa òwe fún àgbàlagbà.
It is wrong to use parables on elders.
4. Irú ló sọ pé òun o jẹ ìyà rí, o ní òun ò tẹ́ rí, ó lòun o bàjẹ́ rí, ó lòun o kàbùkù rí, ṣùgbọ́n nígbà to de Ìmẹ̀sí-Ilé wọ́n pèé l’égbọn.
The locust bean said it never felt insulted until it reached Ìmẹ̀sí-Ilé where it was called a tick.
5. Yé yé ọtí ẹkùn kìí ṣe bí t’ojo.
The slow crawling of a lion is not out of fear.
6. Àgbò to fi ẹ̀yìn rìn lọ, agbára ló lọ mú wá.
The ram that moves backwards has gone to summon more power.
7. Tí ẹrú ẹni, bá dojú kọ ni, á pani.
When a slave turns on his master, he will be killed.
8. Igi gogoro má gún ní lójú òkè re báyìí la tí ń wò ó.
To avoid thorns from poking you in the eyes, you must observe it from a safe distance.
9. Ọmọdé ò m’ogùn, ó pèé lẹ́fọ̀ọ́
A child sees a poisonous plant and calls it a vegetable
10. Pàṣán ti wọ́n fi na ìyá ilé ó wà l’ájà fún ìyàwó.
The whip that was used for the first wife is available for the second wife.
11. Ọmọ ẹni kò lè burú títí a ma fún ẹkùn jẹ.
One’s child cannot be so bad that he is offered to the lion as food.
12. Eyín tí ajá fín bá ọmọ rẹ ṣeré, òun lo fín ge jẹ.
The teeth that a dog used to play with her children, is the same teeth she uses to discipline them.
13. Igi tó yẹ ka fẹhìntì tó bá wó lu ní kò lè pa ni.
A tree that cannot support us when we rest on it cannot kill us if it falls on us.
14. Òjò lóùn ní lọ́wọ́ onílé ni ò ní gbà fun.
The flood is determined to wash away the house but the owner must be ready to prevent it.
15. Ajá tó dibu d’ẹkùn, ó ṣe tán à ti kú. Labalábá ti ó loun kan lu ègún játi-jàti bála-bàla ló ma fàya.
A dog that challenges a lion is definitely ready to die. A butterfly that challenges a thorn head on will surely have its wings and beauty torn to shreds.
16. Aìsínlé ológbò ilé dilé èkúté.
It is because of the cat’s absence, rats have taken possession of the house.
17. Ìtàkù ní pé ki erin má gun odò toun térin lo n lọ
The stump that stands in the way of an elephant will surely be crushed.
18. Ewé kan o kin jabọ lára igi ki Ọlọ́run run ma mọ si
A leaf does not fall from a tree without God’s consent.
KING OF BOYS: RETURN OF THE KING
Episode 1
19. Ilé Ọba tó jó ẹwà ló bù si.
After a king’s palace burns, a better one is rebuilt.
20. A fi aṣẹ́ bu òjò ó ń tan ara ẹ̀ jẹ.
He who tries to catch rain water with a sieve deceives himself.
21. Labalábá tó fẹ́ ṣèṣe ẹyẹ, a fẹ ẹ́ kú.
A butterfly that mimics a bird will only suffer.
22. Egun ńlá tí ó ni pe òun ò rí gorogo, gorogo á ní pé òun ò rí ńlá.
If a big masquerade claims not to see a small one, the small masquerade will also refuse to see the big one.
Episode 2
23. Ti wón bá wípé omi ló ma se ẹja jiná, wọ́n ma ní iró ni.
If it was said that the water a fish swims in is the water that cooks it, they would said it was a lie.
24. Òjò tó rọ̀ ló jẹ́ ka kó ẹyẹ ilé pọ̀ mọ́ adìyẹ
The rain has forced us to house the pigeons with chickens.
25. Ọmọdé ò m’òogùn, ó pèé lẹ̀fọ́
A child sees a poisonous plant and calls it a vegetable
26. Kò sí eré mọ́tò lè sá, iwaju báyìí ló ma bá ìlẹ̀.
No matter how fast a car is, it cannot outrun the ground..
Episode 3
27. O ò loògùn anìyà ò ń jẹ ayán.
You have no antidote for nausea, yet you swallowed a cockroach.
28. Ẹ̀ẹ̀kan báyìí ni atan-ni ló lè tan ni mọ
Only once can a dishonorable man lure an innocent lady for sex.
29. Ahọ́n àti ẹnu má ń jà, ṣùgbọ́n bí wọ́n ṣe parí ẹ̀. Kò sí èyàn tó mọ̀.
The mouth and the tongue sometimes fight but no one outside knows when they reconcile.
Episode 4
30. Igi gogoro má gún mi lójú, òkè la tí n wòó.
The stick that will pierce one in the eye is best avoided while still far away.
31. A ò le ṣe orí olórí kí a wo idì gbé tẹni lọ
One does not fight to save another’s head only to have his own taken away by an eagle.
32. A ò kín fi eyín ọkà họ imú ṣe
One does not use the snake’s tooth to scratch his nose.
Episode 6
33. Afẹnumẹ́nu àti afètèmetè òun lo kó bá ẹ̀kẹ́.
The mouth that won’t stop talking and the lips that won’t stop moving will inevitably bring trouble to the cheek
34. Òní sùúrù ló ń fun wàrà kìnìún.
Only a patient one can milk a lion.
35. Ìkòkò tí o jata, ìdí ẹ̀ a gbóná.
The pot that will cook pepper must first be heated with fire.
36. Ajá tó wo ilé ẹkùn, esu se, esu setan o bere lowo ẹkùn eran to sonu da a fi eje we.
A dog that that dares visit a lion in its den must invariably have been touched by the devil. It will bathe in its own blood.
38. Ọkà tó ròpé òun burú, tó bá kú tán àwọ ẹ̀, bàtà ni wọ́n fi ṣe.
When the deadliest Python dies, it’s skin is nothing but a fashion accessory.
Episode 7
39. Ọjọ́ gbobo ni ti olè, ọjọ́ kàn ni ti olóun,
Everyday is for the thief but one day is for the owner.
40. Inú mà jìn o, awó fẹ́lẹ́ bo inú, kò jẹ ka ríkùn aṣebi.
The skin that covers the stomach covers the rot in one’s insides.
41. A ò kín ka oyún inú ka kà mọ́ ti lé (ó jẹ́ eewọ̀).
One does not include a pregnancy when counting one’s children. It is an abomination.
42. Tí a ò bá gbàgbé ọ̀rọ̀ àná a ò ní rí ẹni bá ṣeré.
Any one who holds on to past grudges will not have friends for good company.
43. Ẹyìn tó bá ma di epo ó di dandan kó tọ́ iná wò.
A palm kernel that will become oil must first endure fire.
44. Ta bá mú òkuta, ta bá jùú sínú ọjà, ará ilé ẹni ló má ń bà.
He who throws a stone in a market will hit a relative.
That’s all of the Proverbs I caught, If you think I missed anyone, please let me know!
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