Gikuyu Proverbs R

R

778. Rĩgu ndũtwaranagio

• • Literal translation: The food one takes as provision for one's journey is not carried by another person.
  • English equivalent: Take heed is a good read.

779. Rĩrĩ nda rĩkuaga ũnene

• • Literal translation: The foetus which is in the womb carries the future.
  • Contextual note: The Kikuyu use this proverb to mean that only God knows the future, just as only God causes a foetus to be a male or a female.

780. Rĩtwa nĩ mbokio

• • Literal translation: The name is a useless thing.
  • English equivalent: From our ancestors came names, but from our viirtues our honours.

781. Rĩu nĩ thatũ, no rĩu rĩngĩ nĩ mbura ya mahiga

• • Literal translation: Now we have the misty weather, but after a while it hails.
  • Contextual note: To become worse and worse.

782. Rigĩ rĩa nyũmba rĩtirutagwo rĩa gũtiria nyũmba ya ũngĩ

• • Literal translation: The door of one's hut is not taken to close another's hut.
  • English equivalent: He who has but one coat cannot lend it.

783. Rika na nyũmba itiũraga

• • Literal translation: One does not lose the age-grade nor the clan-right.
  • Contextual note: Kikuyu circumcissed in a particular season are banded together in an age group to which a name is given, after a special event of the season. This age-grade as well as the clan imply certain rights which no Kikuyu wants to give up.
  • English equivalent: No man is willing to waive his rights.

784. Riko na mwana na nda itiũĩ 'kwaga'

• • Literal translation: The hearth, the child and the belly ignore the word 'lack'.

785. Riko na mwana na nda itiganagia

• • Literal translation: The hearth, the child and the belly never have enough.

786. Ringĩra harĩa rũkũgambĩra

• • Literal translation: Cross the stream where it roars.
  • English equivalent: Still waters run deep.

787. Ritho rĩarĩra rĩarĩria iniũrũ

• • Literal translation: The watering eye makes the nose water.
  • English equivalent: When the head aches all the body is the worse.

788. Ritho rĩathigithwo rĩarĩra

• • Literal translation: The eye, which is disturbed, waters.
  • English equivalent: Let sleeping dogs lie.

789. Ritho rĩmenaga njamba

• • Literal translation: The eye scorns heroes; i.e. it can judge falsely of what it sees.
  • English equivalent: Never judge from appearances.

790. Ritho rĩũĩ thaka rĩtiũĩ ngamini

• • Literal translation: The eye discerns the beauty but not the kindness (of a person).

791. Ritho ti ndamĩ

• • Literal translation: The eye is not a piece of cloth (which can be thrown away).
  • English equivalent: The eye is the pearl of the face.

792. Ritho ti ndathio

• • Literal translation: The eye is not a thing which can be asked for.

793. Riũa rĩtietagĩrĩra mũthamaki

• • Literal translation: The sun does not wait for the judge.
  • English equivalent: The sun may do its duty though your grapes do not ripen.

794. Riũa rĩtiũĩ gĩtonga no ngĩa theri

• • Literal translation: For the sun there are no rich, but only poor people.
  • Contextual note: The proverb means that in the dry season neither the rich nor the poor people can plant.
  • English equivalent: The sun shines on the just and the unjust.

795. Rũũa rũkuhĩ rũtirĩ thogora

• • Literal translation: A short hide is of no value.

796. Rũũa rwa mwenw rũtirĩ iringa

• • Literal translation: The owner of the goat does not give away its hide.
  • Contextual note: The proverb refers to the fact that the skin of a slaughtered goat belongs by right to the animal's owner, who does not allow anybody else to have it for nothing. Metaphorically it means that nobody gives his life but for a cause worthy of it.

797. Rũga runaga ũta

• • Literal translation: The string (too tightly strung) breaks the bow.
  • English equivalent: A bow long bent at last waxeth weak.

798. Rũgendo rwa njũa na rwa mbũri ititwaranaga

• • Literal translation: Hides and goats do not keep the same pace (when they are taken to the market).
  • Contextual note: In facts goats go onn foot while hides are carried by men who actually go more quickly.
  • English equivalent: Every man in his way.

799. Rũgũtema rũtiagaga igeca

• • Literal translation: The cutting knife does not lack bruises.
  • English equivalent: Touch pitch and you will be defiled.

800. Rũhiũ rũgĩ nĩrũtuĩkaga

• • Literal translation: A knife too well sharpened easily breaks.
  • English equivalent: To kill with kindness.

801. Rũhonge rwa mũtĩ rũtithendũkaga mũndũ

• • Literal translation: A tree branch cannot put forth a man.
  • English equivalent: Nothing comes out of the sack but what was in it.

802. Rũĩ rũnenehagio nĩ tũthima

• • Literal translation: The river is made bigger by small springs.
  • English equivalent: Little winnings make a heavy purse.

803. Rũĩ rũtithamaga mũkuru waruo

• • Literal translation: A river is not made to flow out of its bed.
  • English equivalent: Every sparrow to its ear of wheat.

804. Rũkaga rũtaraire rũgakĩra rũraire

• • Literal translation: An occurrence in the morning can be of more importance than one of the night before.
  • Contextual note: Problems should be dealt with in order of importance not in order of time.

805. Rũmĩra nguo harĩa hatarĩ ihoro

• • Literal translation: Take hold of your clothes where there is no hole (lest you would tear them even more).

806. Rũmwe rũranagwo rũkĩrĩa: rwagomania hĩa rũgacokanwo

• • Literal translation: The members of one clan can leave one another, but after all they return (to help one another).
  • Contextual note: Mutual assistance is one of the pacts by which members of one clan are bound.

807. Rũmwe rũtiũranagwo, no kũrĩkana rũrĩkanaga

• • Literal translation: The clan does not break, but its members can separate.

808. Rũrakora mũndũ rũtirĩ mũthemere

• • Literal translation: The fate, dear man, cannot be avoided.

809. Rũrĩ itara rũthekaga rũrĩ riko

• • Literal translation: The firewood which is in the pile laughs at the firewood which is already in the fire.
  • English equivalent: Today me, tomorrow thee.

810. Rũrĩ kuuma njora rũticokaga tũhũ

• • Literal translation: The knife which has been unsheathed does not return into its sheath without having done some work.

811. Rũrĩmĩ rwa ngĩa rũtithiraga kĩmanda

• • Literal translation: The poor man's tongue is always thin.
  • Contextual note: Since a poor man's tongue is supposed to utter only words of no importance, so it is said to be thin. The meaning of the proverb is that a poor man will never be listened to.
  • English equivalent: The poor man's wisdom is as useless as a palace in the wilderness.

812. Rũrĩ mũciĩ rũrĩ mũgũnda

• • Literal translation: If you have a pain at home, you have it in the field too.
  • English equivalent: No place is fenced against suffering.

813. Rũrĩ na Komũ rũrĩ na Kaigũ wa nyina

• • Literal translation: If Komũ has it, Kaigũ, his brother, has it too.
  • Contextual note: 'Komũ' and 'Kaigũ' are used in Kikuyu proverbs to denote brothers. The proverb means that if a man has something (either good or bad) his brother has a share in it too.

814. Rũrĩra rũtithambagio rũũĩ

• • Literal translation: Family-ties cannot be washed at the river, i.e. cannot be untied.

815. Rũrigi rũrĩ nja rũtiagaga gĩa kuoha

• • Literal translation: The string in the courtyard does not lack something to tie (in due time, although at present it may seem a useless thing).

816. Rũrigi rwetagĩrĩria mũndũ mũkwa

• • Literal translation: The string can be useful until a rope (of hide) can be got.
  • English equivalent: Little is better than nothing.

817. Rũtemaga mwenji

• • Literal translation: The knife cuts him who shaves another.
  • English equivalent: A knave is often caught in his own trap.

818. Rũthuko rũnungaga rũrĩ mbũthũ

• • Literal translation: The 'rũthuko' spreads its smell from its container.
  • Contextual note: 'Rũthuko' is a medicine given by a witch-doctor to a trapper to help him attract prey, or to a shepherd to call his sheep. It should be burnt and the smell of the smoke is supposed to be a call for animals. But natives believe the medicine to exercise its power even from its container. The proverb compares the smell of the medicine to the words of a man, which are supposed to be a reflection of his mind and means that one can judge him from his words.

819. Rũtungu rũmwe rũtiraragia mwaki

• • Literal translation: One piece of wood only does not keep the fire alight.
  • English equivalent: One stroke fells not an oak.

820. Rũtungu rwa gwĩtinĩria rũtirĩ gĩthong'ori

• • Literal translation: The log which I myself cut has no knot.
  • English equivalent: Every potter praises his own pot, and more if it be broken.

821. Rũtwaraga mũthambĩri

• • Literal translation: The stream drowns even the swimmer.

822. Rũu nĩ rũrigi rwa kũruta rũngĩ kĩnya

• • Literal translation: That is a thread for pulling another thread out of the 'kĩnya'.
  • Contextual note: 'Kĩnya' is a calabash used to draw water or to hold gruel. Here it is taken to mean the hidden place wherein one's secrets are kept. The proverb is told to people who ask indirect questions for discovering what they cannot learn directly.

823. Ruuo rũrĩaga mwene

• • Literal translation: The pain is felt by its owner (and not by another).

824. Ruuo rũtiguanagĩrwo

• • Literal translation: Pain cannot be felt by one for the other.

825. Rutanĩria mũigua na maguta

• • Literal translation: Take out the pus with the thorn.
  • English equivalent: Do nothing by halves.

826. Rwambo rũmwe rũtiambaga ndarwa

• • Literal translation: One peg only does not stretch out a skin.
  • English equivalent: No living man all things can.

827. Rwendo nĩ ũnyamarania

• • Literal translation: Love means trouble.
  • English equivalent: Love is a sweet tyranny, because the lover endures his torments willingly.

828. Rwendo rũkĩrĩte ihaki

• • Literal translation: Love exceeds reward.
  • English equivalent: Love is not mean.

829. Rwendo rwarutire mwana wa nderi igũrũ

• • Literal translation: Love put the eaglet out of its nest.
  • Contextual note: The Kikuyu say that the young eagles, if left alone in the nest by their parents try to do as the parents do out of love for them and leap out of the nest; but in so doing they kill themselves.
  • English equivalent: Love is blind.