Hausa Proverbs
19
51 Idan gamba tana da dadi a nono, nono ma yana da dadi a wuri'n gamba.
- If gamba is pleasant (to drink) with sour milk, sour milk is pleasant to drink with gamba.
- Gamba, the flour of millet, to which water has been added.
- If he likes me, I like him. If he agrees, I do.
52 Ba rabbo ba, dan wâbi ya fada a wutta.
- That was not fated to be my share: it is as though a dan wabi had fallen into the fire and been burnt to death.
- It was fated that I should not get it; it is no loss.
- Dan wabi, a child that is fated to die.
- Mai wabi, a woman whose children die one after another.
- Itachi'n wabi, a tree whose fruit falls off" without ripening.
53 Wurinda baki ya karkatta, nan myo kan zubar.
- Wherever the mouth turns, there spittle is expectorated.
54 Ganni ya fi ji.
- Seeing is better than hearing.
- To be able to say that you have seen a thing with your own eyes is better than only to know by hearsay.
- The full formula is—Q. Ka ganni? A. Xa ganni. Q. Ka ji ? A. Na ji.
- The questioner now says—ganni ya fi ji—seeing is believing.
55 Zamma dubara, ta fi karifi.
- Stratagem is better than brute force.
- Na yi maka dubara. I give you a bit of advice.
56 Kadda ya yi cbikki, ya haifu wuya.
- Don't let him conceive and bring forth trouble.
- Don't do something that you will be sorry for afterwards.
