Gikuyu Proverbs T

T

830. Tha cia arũme itirĩ iria

• • Literal translation: Males' pity has no milk.
  • Contextual note: It means that men are unable to stop the crying of a baby by suckling it. Metaphorically the proverb means that men feel no less pity than women although they show less.

831. Thaka ya mwene ndiunĩkaga

• • Literal translation: The owner's beauty does not break.
  • English equivalent: Every man thinks his own geese swans.

832. Thakame ndĩrĩ ndũgũ

• • Literal translation: Blood has need of no friendship.
  • Contextual note: The proverb means that the best friendship is the one that comes from relationship; for, as it has been told before, all the members of a clan are tied by the bond of helping one another.
  • English equivalent: Blood is thicker than water.

833. Thakame ĩhakagwo maguta na gatĩ

• • Literal translation: The 'thatũ' is smeared with fat and driven out.
  • Contextual note: 'Thatu' is the name of a big caterpillar which infests sweet potato plantations. To the Kikuyu it is a creature of bad omen; that is why, when it happens to enter their huts they do not kill it, but rather smear it with fat and take it out carefully to propitiate the spirit.
  • English equivalent: Misfortunes that cannot be avoided, must be sweetened.

834. Thegere igĩrĩ itiremagwo nĩ mwatũ

• • Literal translation: Two 'thegere' are not overpowered by a beehive.
  • Contextual note: 'Thegere' is a small mammal, about the size of a pole-cat common in Kikuyu land. It is fond of honey. The proverb means that only one 'thegere' would be unable to pull a beehive down from a tree. But if two of them join together, they easily succeed in overturning and emptying it.
  • English equivalent: Union is strength.

835. Thekanĩrĩro nĩ hĩtaahĩtano

• • Literal translation: He who laughs at others will be laughed at.

836. Thĩ na igũrũ itimenyanaga

• • Literal translation: The earth and the sky do not know each other.
  • Contextual note: The proverb means that nobody can foretell the weather.

837. Thĩga nĩ mũruu: marara nja gũtirĩ

• • Literal translation: 'Thĩga' is circumcissed: there is no reward in passing the night in the courtyard.
  • Contextual note: 'Thĩga' means a certain fellow. The proverb originates in one of the many customs relating to the Kikuyu ceremony of circumcission. On the eve of the circumcission day women and girls gather at the hut of the candidate and sing for a great part in the night; not gratuitously, but in the hope of getting food and beer from the candidates mother. But if when the rite is completed, she makes as an excuse that now the child is circumcissed and refuses to give them what they expect, they start singing the above strain, meaning: 'Have no recourse to the idle pretext that your son is now circumcissed; but rather give us the reward to which we are entitled after a night's singing and dancing'.
  • English equivalent: Eaten bread is soon forgotten.

838. Thĩna ndũrĩ mĩri

• • Literal translation: The 'thĩna' has no roots.
  • Contextual note: 'Thĩna' is the name of a kind of leafless plant growing on trees. It also means affliction, troubles, sadness, poverty.
  • English equivalent: Troubles pass.

839. Thĩna ndũtigaga handũ ũramenyera

• • Literal translation: Affliction does not leave a place which is already known to her.
  • English equivalent: One danger is seldom overcome without another.

840. Thĩna ndũtũũraga

• • Literal translation: Affliction does not last.
  • English equivalent: After a storm comes calm.

841. Thĩna nĩ rũhiũ rwa gũicũhia mũro

• • Literal translation: Affliction is a good knife to sharpen the 'mũro'.
  • Contextual note: 'Mũro' is a short stick used to beat the earth, to plant, to dig out potatoes, etc.
  • English equivalent: Necessity sharpens industry.

842. Thia ndĩthiragwo nĩ mĩhũmũ

• • Literal translation: The duiker cannot help panting.
  • English equivalent: The leopard cannot change his spots.

843. Thia ndĩthiragwo nĩ mũnithi

• • Literal translation: The duiker is not found without head stripes.
  • English equivalent: Man is what God has made him and nothing else.

844. Thiaka nĩ ũta

• • Literal translation: Quiver means bow (for there is no quiver but it has also its bow).

845. Thiaka ũiniĩ ndwagaga gũita mĩgwĩ

• • Literal translation: A quiver upside down cannot fail to pour out its arrows.
  • Contextual note: The proverb is an excuse for an error which depends only on human weakness.
  • English equivalent: To err is human.

846. Thiari ndĩrerega kwa ngĩa

• • Literal translation: The 'thiari' does not hover above a poor man's house.
  • Contextual note: 'Thiari' is the tick-bird. The proverb says that this bird does not stay with the poor for there are no oxen to provide ticks.
  • English equivalent: A poor man has no friends.

847. Thirĩ ũtarĩhagio no wa ũrogi

• • Literal translation: The debt of poisoning is a debt which cannot be paid.
  • Contextual note: All the other crimes can be paid for with a number of goats, but the crime of bewitching must be expiated by heavier punishment.

848. Thiriti nĩ ĩteanaga

• • Literal translation: Friendships dissolve.

849. Thiriti nĩ ya andũ erĩ, ya atatũ nĩ rũmena

• • Literal translation: Friendship can exist between two people, friendship of three people would mean strife.
  • English equivalent: Two's company, three is none.

850. Thiriti yagĩa kĩhehũ no ĩthire

• • Literal translation: Friendship finishes if there are whisperings.

851. Thogora nĩ mũrurumo ũtarũo

• • Literal translation: Buying (and selling) brings in much noise but no strife.

852. Thogora ndũrĩ nyina na mwana

• • Literal translation: Buying and selling has neither mother nor son.
  • English equivalent: Friendship is friendship and business is business

853. Thome wa anake ndũrĩ thogora no tharo

• • Literal translation: Young unmarried men do not buy in their 'thome': they steal things.
  • Contextual note: 'Thome' is the pathway leading up to the entrance of the Kikuyu homestead. It is made in the shape of a narrow passage which can be closed at night or in time of danger. The proverb means that nothing orderly can be done when only youngsters are present.

854. Thoni itirĩ gathuthuma

• • Literal translation: Shyness has no sucking.
  • Contextual note: It means that if a calf is shy it will be afraid to approach its mother and consequently will get no milk.

855. Thoni nene nĩ ũkarĩ

• • Literal translation: Too much shyness means miserliness.
  • English equivalent: There is measure in all things.

856. Thũ ndĩgũaga harĩa ĩikagio

• • Literal translation: The enemy does not fall where one throws him.
  • English equivalent: Man proposes, God disposes.

857. Thũ ndĩagaga mwenji

• • Literal translation: An enemy does not lack someone to shave him; i.e. to keep him informed of what is going about him, and very often to give him help.

858. Thũmbĩ ĩrĩ nyone, mwene nĩ muone

• • Literal translation: If one sees the ostrich-feather head-dress, one sees also the owner of it.
  • Contextual note: The Kikuyu warriors used to pass over the head and under the chin a strap carrying ostrich feathers. Such a head-dress is used today only by young men at the circumcission ceremonies. The proverb means that if you see anyone wearing such an ornament, you easily recognize him as a warrior.

859. Thurania gũkua na kũhona

• • Literal translation: Choose between dying and living; i.e. between death and life, war and peace.

860. Thutha mwega nĩ wa ndũrũme

• • Literal translation: It is proper of the ram to have a good tail.
  • Contextual note: It means that the good side of many a thing is not found at the beginning of it, but at the end, just as the best part of the ram is not its head, but its fat tail.
  • English equivalent: The best fish swim near the bottom.

861. Thutha nĩ mwariĩ

• • Literal translation: The afterwards is wide.
  • Contextual note: The future holds many happenings.

862. Thutha wa arume nduoyagwo ruoya

• • Literal translation: Where men have passed there is not a single feather to pick up.

863. Thutha wa maũndũ mothe nĩ Mwathani

• • Literal translation: After all, there is God.
  • English equivalent: Man proposes, God disposes.

864. Tiga gũkunga hĩra-inĩ na tama mwerũ

• • Literal translation: If you wear white clothes do not hide ina place where the grass has been burnt (for you would easily be discovered).
  • Contextual note: The proverb means that it is useless to tell lies that are obviously lies.

865. Tiga gũkungia ũgĩ ũgĩ-inĩ

• • Literal translation: Do not show wisdom where there is wisdom.
  • English equivalent: To carry coals to newcastle.

866. Tiga thĩna: toboka: ndũcũnaga kĩihũri

• • Literal translation: Cease repining: go on; you are not like a child that licks the 'kĩihũri'.
  • Contextual note: 'Kĩihũri' is a half calabash used as a ladle or eating bowl. The proverb means that a man must not be timid like a child that is afraid of his mother's rebuke and dares not lay down the 'kĩihũri' used for gruel, if it is not licked.
  • English equivalent: Fortune helps them that help themselves.

867. Tiga kũhoya ngi thakame

• • Literal translation: Do not expect blood from a fly.
  • English equivalent: If you squeeze a cork, you will get but little juice.

868. Tiga kwaria na kanua ka ngoma

• • Literal translation: Stop talking with the mouth of the 'ngoma'.
  • Contextual note: 'Ngoma' are the spirits of the departed in which the Kikuyu firmly believe.
  • English equivalent: Keep the tongue within your teeth.

869. Tiga kuonia ngarĩ kũhaica mũtĩ

• • Literal translation: Stop teaching the leopard how to climb a tree.
  • English equivalent: Don't teach your grandmother how to knit.

870. Tũtikũhe hiti kerĩ

• • Literal translation: We do not give twice to the hyena.
  • English equivalent: Once bitten, twice shy.

871. Tũtũ ũrĩ mwana ndũnyitagia ngotho

• • Literal translation: The man who has a family does not adorn his family with finery.
  • English equivalent: Children are certain cares, but uncertain comforts.

872. Turuma yakĩra kĩrugo

• • Literal translation: A sip is better than a feast.
  • Contextual note: The proverb means that a sip of beer given to him who happens to call on a friend during a beer drinking is more appreciated than a feast to which one has been invited (and has therefore waited for).

873. Tuoko tũingĩ tũthũranaga tũkĩrĩa

• • Literal translation: Many hands eating (from the same dish) hate one another
  • English equivalent: Two cats and a mouse, two wives in one house, two dogs and a bone never agree in one.