Gikuyu Proverbs Ĩ

Ĩ

159. Ĩciaraga ũru mwene oine

• • Literal translation: The cow has a bad delivery though her owner is present.
  • English equivalent: Misfortunes may come in spite of watchfulness.

160. Ĩganagwo yaarĩ iria yakua

• • Literal translation: The good milking cow is praised after her death.
  • English equivalent: A friend is never known till needed.

161. Ĩgĩtunywo mwana ĩikagĩrio mũngũ

• • Literal translation: The cow is given a present when her calf is carried away.
  • English equivalent: When one thing distresses you, another consoles you.

162. Ĩgũkua ĩhuragia kĩara

• • Literal translation: The ox that claws the ‘kĩara’ will die.
  • Contextual note: ‘Kĩara’ is the dunghill you will find in every Kikuyu village. In order to understand the proverb it much be borne in mind that the Kikuyu regard it as a sacred place which the witch-doctors dedicates with the sacrifice of a goat to secure that the evil spirits may not return into the hut from which he expelled them. They are supposed to stay in the ‘kĩara’ just as the rubbish does.
  • English equivalent: Touch pitch and you’ll be defiled.

163. Ĩkũrũma ndĩoragia mũgũgũta

• • Literal translation: The ox that feeds itself does not spoil its skin.

164. Ĩkũrũra yarahũraga ĩmamiĩ

• • Literal translation: The animal rambling in the stable makes the sleeping ones rise too.
  • English equivalent: Ill examples are like contagious diseases.

165. Ĩkũrũrio ti noru

• • Literal translation: The ram that is shown around is not fat.
  • Contextual note: A really fat ram will easily find a buyer and does not need to be carried around and shown in the markets.
  • English equivalent: Good ware makes a quick market.

166. Ĩreragĩra rũkũ-inĩ na ĩkaya kũigana

• • Literal translation: The cimex lives in the firewood and still it reaches its full growth.
  • English equivalent: Where there is a will there is a way.

167. Ĩrĩ gĩciarĩra riũa-inĩ yongithagĩria o ho

• • Literal translation: The cow that drops her calf in the sun feeds it there too.
  • English equivalent: One likes the place where one does well.

168. Ĩrĩ gũkũra ĩrĩagwo iguku nĩ aka

• • Literal translation: The hump of the ox that has grown old must be eaten by women.
  • Contextual note: The hump is a choice morsel for young men when the ox is young. But if it is old women must eat it.
  • English equivalent: Rubbish is women’s portion.

169. Ĩrĩ gũkũra ndĩrĩ mwĩroreri

• • Literal translation: The ox which has grown old has no admirer.
  • English equivalent: Nobody looks after elderly people.

170. Ĩrĩ gũtũ ĩhũgagia mwene

• • Literal translation: The flea troubles him who has got it in his ear.

171. Ĩrĩ kũhĩnja ndĩrĩ munĩri ngũ

• • Literal translation: Nobody gathers firewood to roast a thin goat.
  • English equivalent: Poor people have no friends.

172. Ĩrĩ kũhũma ndĩrĩ mũtĩ ĩtangĩgwatĩrĩra

• • Literal translation: There is no tree which a panting animal would not cling to.
  • English equivalent: A drowning man will catch at a straw.

173. Ĩrĩ kũra ndĩrĩ mũhĩti

• • Literal translation: The ox that ran away cannot be caught.
  • English equivalent: Resist the beginnings.

174. Ĩrĩ kũruga nĩ ĩgũita, ĩgũitĩrĩra nĩ nguũ

• • Literal translation: The cooking pot on the fire leaks, when pouring water it is broken.
  • English equivalent: Misfortunes come by forties.

175. Ĩrĩ mũrungu ĩgiritagia ĩrĩ kahĩa

• • Literal translation: The ox which has no horns, relies for help on the one that has them.
  • Contextual note: He who feels weak relies on the friend he knows is strong.

176. Ĩrĩ mũthece kinya tene ndĩoyagĩra ĩngĩ

• • Literal translation: The bird who has always possessed a beak, does not pick up for another.
  • English equivalent: Content is more than a kingdom.

177. Ĩrĩ nyite nĩ mũtego ndĩthũire gwĩteithũra

• • Literal translation: The animal caught in the trap does not refuse to set itself free.
  • English equivalent: No man likes his fetters, though of gold.

178. Ĩrĩ tha nĩ ĩrĩ iria

• • Literal translation: It is he who got milk that is merciful.
  • Contextual note: ‘Milk’ here has the sense of money; possessions. The proverb means that the rich should help needy people, since the poor cannot do it.

179. Ĩrĩ thoni ĩnyuaga munju

• • Literal translation: The timid ox drinks muddy water.
  • Contextual note: He goes to the river only when others have come away leaving the water dirty.
  • English equivalent: Faint heart never won fair lady.

180. Ĩrũgamaga nĩ ĩkurumaga

• • Literal translation: He who goes around with his body upright, later on will go crawling.
  • English equivalent: Young today, old tomorrow.

181. Ĩtakuura ĩgwatagia rũhuho

• • Literal translation: To blame the wind for the rain that does not fall.
  • Contextual note: It refers to boasting people who try to make silly excuses for themselves.

182. Ĩtarĩ thahu ĩgunagwo nĩ makoro ma njĩra

• • Literal translation: The man who has no impurity will be helped even by the peels he sees on the road.
  • Contextual note: There are many ways by which a Kikuyu can contract impurity and he fears the baneful effects which will follow it. That is why a man able to avoid all legal unclanness is said to be so lucky.
  • English equivalent: God helps honest people.

183. Ĩthĩnjagĩrwo mũrwaru ĩgakora warwarire tene

• • Literal translation: The goat slaughtered for a man who is sick now, finds another who ws sick long before.
  • English equivalent: God cures and the doctor takes the fee.

184. Ĩthimbaga na ndũire

• • Literal translation: The sky is heavy with rain, but does not come.
  • Contextual note: It refers to people who are always promising great thing which they never do.
  • English equivalent: Great boast, small roast.

185. Ĩtunyagwo mbũĩ nĩ gũciara

• • Literal translation: A plant loses its blossom as soon as it bears fruit.
  • Contextual note: Woman’s beauty is spoilt by maternity.