Gikuyu Proverbs Ũ

Ũ

874. Ũbataire ahũrithagia kĩhĩĩ ime

• • Literal translation: He who is in need sends his boy when there is still the dew.
  • English equivalent: Need makes the naked man trot.

875. Ũbataire ndaconokaga

• • Literal translation: The person who is in need does not feel ashamed.
  • English equivalent: Need makes the naked queen spin.

876. Ũbataire nĩwe ũhuraga ũrĩrĩ

• • Literal translation: It is the person who feels the need (of sleeping) that prepares the bed.
  • English equivalent: Let him that is cold blow the coal.

877. Ũcamba ndũringaga tũhuro twĩrĩ

• • Literal translation: (Even) bravery does not cross two valleys (at one time).
  • English equivalent: Samson was a strong man, yet he could not pay money before he had it.

878. Ũcokereru nĩ ũkĩgu

• • Literal translation: To return (to the same thing, argument, etc.) is foolishness.
  • English equivalent: A tale twice toldis cabbage twice sold.

879. Ũcukagwo na ndũgũteo

• • Literal translation: You are slandered without being thrown away.

880. Ũgakinya mũhũa gũtarĩ gatĩ

• • Literal translation: (The time will come when) you will step on the 'mũhũa' in a place where there is no other plant.
  • Contextual note: 'Mũhũa' is a common forest tree yielding a very poor timber. The proverb means that he who despises this tree because it is of little value and there is plenty of good timber, will go so far as to scorn it even when no better timber is available.
  • English equivalent: Half a loaf is better than no bread.

881. Ũgakinya na mũtwe wĩĩrĩte nĩ magũrũ

• • Literal translation: You will move on the head thinking it is the feet.
  • Contextual note: It is said to proud people who think they know everything.
  • English equivalent: Do as most men do and men will speak well of thee.

882. Ũgathĩna ta ritho gwakĩa

• • Literal translation: You shall have pains like the eye that opens in the morning
  • Contextual note: The proverb is a curse, and refers to the pain which one's eyes are supposed to feel when after a night's pleasant dreams, they open again to this world's miseries.

883. Ũgĩ mũnene ũtuaga ithanwa

• • Literal translation: Too great a wisdom breaks the axe.
  • English equivalent: Too much breaks the bag.

884. Ũgĩ ndũtongoragia ta ũrimũ

• • Literal translation: Wisdom does not go in front as foolishness; i.e. is not so easily attained as foolishness.
  • English equivalent: No man is born wise or learned.

885. Ũgĩ nĩ kĩhooto

• • Literal translation: Knowledge is power.

886. Ũgĩ ũgĩgũ

• • Literal translation: (There is) wisdom (that is) a bluff.
  • English equivalent: All is not gold that glitters.

887. Ũgĩ ũkĩrĩte hinya

• • English equivalent: Wisdom outweighs strength.

888. Ũgĩ wa arũme ũtemaga ta kahiũ

• • Literal translation: Men,s skill cuts like knives.
  • English equivalent: Words are for women, actions for men.

889. Ũgĩ wa mũndũ ũmwe ndũrĩmaga

• • Literal translation: Only one man's ability cannot till (all the fields).
  • English equivalent: No living man all things can.

890. Ũgeni wa nyama nduoyagĩrũo nguo

• • Literal translation: He who has been invited to eat meat does not waste time looking for good clothes.
  • Contextual note: The proverb means that if anyone has received an invitation for a feast he does not waste time in adorning himself at the risk of arriving too late.

891. Ũgĩthondekera mũciĩ ndũngiuga nĩ ũrĩkora ũngĩ

• • Literal translation: While you adorn your house, you don't imagine that you will find another (more adorned than yours).
  • Contextual note: The proverb refers to self confident people who go to discuss a question with the certainty of getting the best of it, and do not think they will meet an adversary stronger than they are.
  • English equivalent: The first caper of fools is to esteem themselves wise.

892. Ũgwĩthirima mũtino

• • Literal translation: You smear yourself with misfortune.
  • Contextual note: The proverb is told as an advice to people who are on the point of doing something which sooner or later will become a cause of misfortune.
  • English equivalent: He that cuts himself willfully, will deserve no balsam.

893. Ũhere nĩ ũgwatanagio

• • Literal translation: Scabies is contracted (by contact).
  • English equivalent: A rotten sheep infects the whole flock.

894. Ũhĩĩ nĩ ũmagwo, no ũka ndumagwo

• • Literal translation: The man comes out of childhood, but the woman never comes out of womanhood.
  • Contextual note: To understand the proverb, it must be remembered that according to Kikuyu law, after the initiation a boy is no longer a boy, but a man in the fullness of his rights. On the other hand a girl, even when circumcissed, does not become entitled to new rights.

895. Ũhoi nĩ ũgariũrĩre

• • Literal translation: Asking for something is like turning (potatoes in the fire or meat on the spit).
  • Contextual note: The proverb means that he who wants to succeed in a petition tries all ways, just as he who is roasting his food turns it on all sides.

896. Ũhoro wa maitho ti wa rũthiomi

• • Literal translation: What one sees with one's eyes is not what one hears from another's tongue.
  • English equivalent: One eye-witness is better than ten hearsays.

897. Ũhũniĩ ndarĩ kĩeha

• • Literal translation: He who is sated has no affliction.

898. 'Ũi, ũi' ĩgunaga kĩ?

• • Literal translation: What is the use of crying 'ũi, ũi'?
  • English equivalent: What cannot be cured must be endured.

899. Ũi tene ĩ...

• • Literal translation: Oh, for the (good) past!
  • Contextual note: This is an expression often heard in the mouths of Kikuyu elders and corresponds to:
  • English equivalent: 'Past and to come seem best: things present, worst'.

900. Ũkabi nĩ mũhũũnu mũtu

• • Literal translation: The Masai have had their fill of flour.
  • Contextual note: The Kikuyu used to sell maize and millet flour to their neighbours the Masai. But if they happened to sell it too dear, the flour trade became the spark which kindled one of the many raids which ended only when the British government confined the Masai to their present territory. The proverb had the meaning of an alarm, as to say: 'Now that the Masai have eaten all the flour we have sold them dear, we may expect their revenge'.
  • English equivalent: A little spark can kindle a great fire.

901. Ũkeni ndũtũũraga

• • Literal translation: Joy does not last.
  • English equivalent: Pleasant hours fly fast.

902. Ũkũndihia ũgacoka kũnjũria ndarĩo nĩ kũ?

• • Literal translation: You wound me and then ask what is ailing me?

903. Ũkũrũ ndugaga mbu

• • Literal translation: Old age does not shout any notice-cry.
  • English equivalent: Time is the rider that breaks youth.

904. Ũkũrũ nĩ ta wonje

• • Literal translation: Old age is like being lame.
  • Contextual note: The proverb is told by or to old women.
  • English equivalent: Old bees yield no honey.

905. Ũkũrũ ũrĩaga wanake

• • Literal translation: Old age eats youth.
  • English equivalent: Old age creeps in.

906. Ũkwenda mũnyũ mbere ya mũcini

• • Literal translation: You want the salt before the person who burned the salt-grass.
  • Contextual note: To understand this proverb it must be borne in mind that, before the arrival of Europeans, the Kikuyu obtained salt from the ashes of salt-grass. (See also No. 629.)
  • English equivalent: No cross, no crown.

907. Ũmenyagwo nĩ mũraari, ti mũroki

• • Literal translation: Home affairs are known by him who sleeps in the home, not by him who only comes in the morning.
  • English equivalent: None knows the weight of another's burden.

908. Ũndĩaga rĩmwe na ũgĩ

• • Literal translation: You sometimes eat me by cunningness
  • Contextual note: In this proverb 'to eat' means 'to cheat'.

909. Ũndũ ũkwendwo ndũtanukagwo nĩ kũmerio ũmeragio

• • Literal translation: The thing that one finds palatable is not chewed, but it is swallowed quickly.

910. Ũngĩigua ĩgĩkaya nĩ nũme

• • Literal translation: If you hear a goat moan, it is because she has been bitten.
  • English equivalent: No smoke without fire.

911. Ũndũ ũrekwo ndũcokagĩrwo

• • Literal translation: One must not return on the work done.
  • Contextual note: The proverb means that one must not be too attentive to the details of his work if one wants to finish it, since--
  • English equivalent: Perfection is not of this world.

912. Ũngĩgacema mũno kahahũka

• • Literal translation: If you go too carefully, (the chance) will pass away.
  • English equivalent: Sleeping foxes catch no poultry.

913. Ũngĩigua kaana gakiuga ũndũ ũgakahũra: menya kaiguite na ithe

• • Literal translation: When you hear your child say anything, you beat him; remember that he says what he has heard from his father.
  • English equivalent: Children pick up words as pigeon peas, and utter them again as God shall please.

914. Ũngĩrĩa irio cia mũthemba ũmwe irĩ kĩnyiria

• • Literal translation: If you eat ever of the same food, it becomes bitter: it is a good thing to change.
  • English equivalent: Change of pasture makes fat calves.

915. Ũngĩona ũkirĩte, ĩmeretie ĩngĩ

• • Literal translation: If you see a quiet snake, it is because it swallowed another snake.
  • English equivalent: Beware of a silent dog and still water.

916. Ũracama arĩ njeme

• • Literal translation: He who has tasted (food) has its appetite.
  • Contextual note: The proverb means that, if a man has willingly started to do some job, he is not satisfied until he completes it.

917. Ũrathĩna mũgũnda wa mwana ndarĩ

• • Literal translation: He who is in trouble lacks (also) a field for his son.
  • English equivalent: Misfortunes seldom come alone.

918. Ũrĩ kũhĩtia na mbugi, ndũrathaga na njoya

• • Literal translation: If you have missed with the point (of the arrow) you do not hit with the feathers.
  • English equivalent: Resist the beginnings.

919. Ũrĩ kũngariũra ta mũtura wa ihĩĩ

• • Literal translation: You have tried to roast me as boys roast goat's bowels.
  • Contextual note: When a goat or an ox is slaughtered, it is a Kikuyu custom to give the bowels to the uncircumcissed for them to roast. The proverb is a contemptuous expression meaning 'I know that you want to deceive me: but don't expect to succeed as easily as boys succeed in roasting the bowels they are given'.

920. Ũrĩ kwĩirũkĩra ndũngĩthondekeka

• • Literal translation: If you despair you are not cured.
  • Contextual note: The proverb refers to women who go to the witch-doctors for a remedy for their sterility.
  • English equivalent: Not to have hope is the poorest of all conditions.

921. Ũrĩ mwega no ũkamenyeka

• • Literal translation: If you are good you are known.
  • English equivalent: Good wine needs no bush.

922. Ũrĩ na ithe ndaringagwo wa ngoro

• • Literal translation: He who has a father is not knocked down by any of those word or deeds that hurt one's heart (for he has somebody to defend him).

923. Ũrĩ ndũgũ nyingĩ ndatukagĩrĩrwo

• • Literal translation: He who has many friends is not caught by darkness in the road; i.e. he has a lodging for the night.

924. Ũrĩ witũ ũtandiga na ndũnjerera

• • Literal translation: You are a person who neither leaves nor waits for me.
  • English equivalent: To have two strings to one bow.

925. Ũrĩ wona rũkũre?

• • Literal translation: Have you ever seen an unsheathed knife (a thing that has frightened you?)
  • English equivalent: Scalded cats fear even cold water.

926. Ũrĩmi ndũhinyaga

• • Literal translation: The tilling does not come to an end.

927. Ũrirũ ndũthiraga

• • Literal translation: Misfortune that has put down roots, does not finish.
  • English equivalent: Mischiefs come by the pound, and go away by the ounce.

928. Ũrugarĩ ndũrĩ indo, nĩ heho ĩrĩ indo

• • Literal translation: It is not warming oneself (staying at home) that makes one rich, but talking with many people.
  • English equivalent: God helps them who help themselves.

929. Ũrugĩte na ũrugĩte matihoyanaga

• • Literal translation: Two persons, who have both cooked their food, do not beg from one another.

930. Ũrutagwo mwĩruti

• • Literal translation: The work is done if one does it.
  • English equivalent: If you want anything done, do it yourself.

931. Ũtahetwo nĩ mũigĩre

• • Literal translation: Also for the man who has not yet received a present, there is something put aside for him.
  • English equivalent: Everything comes to him who waits.

932. Ũtamerithĩtie ndaigaga kĩgĩna thĩ

• • Literal translation: He whose seeds have not germinated, does not lay down his 'kĩgĩna'.
  • Contextual note: 'Kĩgĩna' means the seeds put by for planning next season.
  • English equivalent: Perseverance kills the game.

933. Ũtana ũminagĩra mũrokerwo ng'ombe

• • Literal translation: Prodigality ruined the man who used to give away his oxen.
  • Contextual note: The legend, from which this proverb originates, tells that a very rich man used to present all his visitors with an ox, with the result that very soon he found himself reduced to poverty.
  • English equivalent: Prodigality brings a man to a morsel of bread.

934. Ũtana wa ngĩa ũragĩra ngoro

• • Literal translation: A poor man's generosity is lost in his heart (for he has nothing to show it with).

935. Ũtarĩ kondo arĩ kagara

• • Literal translation: The person who has not a small bag, has a small basket.
  • English equivalent: Every man has his lot.

936. Ũtarĩ ndarĩ ngoro

• • Literal translation: He who has nothing has no heart.
  • Contextual note: The proverb means that a poor man, though refused what he asks for, does not feel so much pain as a rich man would, for the latter knows the difference between possessing and not possessing what one needs.
  • English equivalent: Nothing have, nothing crave.

937. Ũtarĩ maitho ndatumaga kĩnya

• • Literal translation: A blind man does not sew a gourd.
  • Contextual note: The Kikuyu make use of the dried shell of gourds as dippers or ladles. They mend them with a rough thread when they crack.
  • English equivalent: Blind men should not judge of colours.

938. Ũtarĩ ndetagwo ndundu

• • Literal translation: A poor man is not invited to a private discussion.

939. Ũtarĩ ciake na ndarĩa ciake

• • Literal translation: He is a person that does not eat other's food, nor his own.
  • Contextual note: The proverb refers to people who are not able to take advantage of their own things, nor of those of other people.

940. Ũtatiga ndakora

• • Literal translation: He who does not leave, will not find.
  • English equivalent: No gains without pains.

941. Ũtenderũ ndũrĩ njamba

• • Literal translation: Slipping has no hero, i.e. nobody however clever he may be, is guaranteed against a fall when walking on a slippery road.
  • English equivalent: No fence against ill fortune.

942. Ũtenderũ ũrĩ nja ndũrĩ mũthemere

• • Literal translation: Nobody can avoid the slippery place that is in the courtyard.
  • English equivalent: What cannot be cured must be endured.

943. Ũthayo na ng'aragu nĩ mũndũ na mũrũ wa nyina

• • Literal translation: Laziness and starvation are like a man and his brother.
  • English equivalent: Laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon overtakes him.

944. Ũthaka ndũrĩagwo

• • Literal translation: Beauty is not eaten.
  • English equivalent: Beauty will buy no beef.

945. Ũthuuri wa gĩtonga ndũnungaga

• • Literal translation: A rich man's old age has no bad smell.
  • English equivalent: Rich men have no faults.

946. Ũthuuri wa kanua ũkĩrĩte wa mĩaka

• • Literal translation: Mouth's old age is better than year's old age.
  • Contextual note: The proverb means that it is of no use to be old in years, if one does not show his old age by his wise words too.
  • English equivalent: An old goat is never the more revered for his beard.

947. Ũthũ ndũhingagia

• • Literal translation: Hatred does not affect all.
  • Contextual note: The proverb means that he who is hated by some people is not necessarily hated also by all the others.

948. Ũthuuro mwega ndũiyũraga ikũmbĩ

• • Literal translation: The picking up of only the good things does not fill one's barn.

949. Ũtoĩ karirũi, oĩ wacĩ

• • Literal translation: He who does not know how to dance the 'karirũi' knows how too dance the 'waci'.
  • Contextual note: 'Karirũi' and 'wacĩ' are two native dances. The meaning of the proverb is the same as the following one.

950. Ũtoĩ ũũ, oĩ ũũ

• • Literal translation: He who does not know one thing, knows another.
  • English equivalent: Every man hath his lot.

951. Ũtonga ndũhanyũkagĩrwo

• • Literal translation: Riches are not attained by running.

952. Ũtonga nĩ kĩgunyĩ

• • Literal translation: Riches are a shadow.
  • English equivalent: Riches have wings.

953. Ũtonga ndũrĩ nyoni

• • Literal translation: Riches have no bird of ill omen.

954. Ũtonga wa mũici ndũthunaga, na nĩũteaga wake

• • Literal translation: Unlawful riches do not increase, but rather spoil the lawful ones.
  • English equivalent: Ill-gotten things seldom prosper.

955. Ũtukũ ndũtumagwo nguo

• • Literal translation: One does not sew clothes by night.
  • English equivalent: There is a time for all things.