KכNכ TAI NU -
KONO PROVERBS
Compiled by Komba Ngekia
AN Dכ MOε TO-A TA כ, I כ A BUA MINDA-A WAN?
We dεn se man lεf na faya, nכ aks if in biabia ros.
When they say a person burned to death, don't ask if his beard burnt.
KכNKכN Tε DεN DUU, I כ Tε CHε MA PO NI.
Yu fεn fכl, i bכn faiv pikin, nכ grכmbul se di fכl nכ bכn bεtε.
You find a chicken, and it has five chicks, don't complain about it not having enough chicks.
CHENAN TANA MA KANGBO DA A, I MA TO SIכ I NI BכN TA A.
Big man nכ fכ sidכn wach te-te pijin pכt trowe na faya, we i no se na-in gεt fכ it de.
An adult should not sit and watch the pot cooking pigeon spill into the fire when he knows that he will share in the food.
N MBE EE KA BUU Fε-A, N NI Yε TO N SUNε Fε-A.
You nכh kכmכt blo hכn yu bigin blo yu nos.
You won't leave off blowing a horn and then start to blow your nose.
SεGBεNDε BUI, A MU FAAGBε-A AN NA.
Di hכk in mεhrεsεn, na we i peshεnt.
The hawk's medicine is patience.
TEE ε Bכ FEA FEA.
Di san de kכmכt tu-tu.
The sun comes out twice.
BOMATUNDUNε MA A כ SכN, MBε BOE CHε KOE GBεε WAN.
Dat bitul we de rכl kaka, i nכ no se fכ kaka, i trangga.
The dung beetle doesn't know that it's not easy to defecate.
KO SכN KONDE, AN FEA KOE A כ GBε KONDE A, KONDE DכNDכ MA AN NA.
Di bכd we de no εn di bכd we de כndastan, nכtכ di sem bכd.
The bird that knows is different from the bird that understands.
E KA SA CHε A כ YIAN-DA BכNDU DE AN NA.
You nכ go tich Bondu in mama haw fכ du mami εn dadi busnis.
You don't need to teach the mother of five daughters how to have sex.
NI WO FEA MA BεN NI DכNSO A DU כ, WO MA TA FIA A כ.
We yu εn hכntin-man nכ gri na tכn, nכ go wit am na bush.
When you don't get along with a hunter in town, don't follow him to the bush.
Mכε KUN DAUN Mכε, A EE CHIAN Pכε MA.
If yu ebul it pכsin in hed, nכ fred dכti na di yai.
If you can bring yourself to eat a person's head, you don't have to be afraid to eat the dirt (the sand) in the eye.
WU TA EE BεNDε A Sε MA.
Dכg nכ gεt bisnis fכ klem na di hos in ruf.
A dog has no business climbing on the roof.
TכNKAN TA BE-A NYANKOMA YA MA, A TA-A FεN YAN-DA Nכ?
Wedin go mek pus sidכn tu blaksmit te faya go fכdכn na in yai.
What would make a cat sit near a blacksmith until a spark goes into its eye?
Mכ EE CHE TO KA AN KAN-DA SA CHε MA
Yu nכ go tich snek haw fכ ledכn.
You don't need to teach a snake how to lie down.
KOA NYεN DON MכNε, NI YESE FINε AN BAN-DA, KOSANε GBU A כ YEN-DA
We yu wiv difrεn-difrεn kכlכ, we blak trεd dכn, skil dכn tap.
When a weaver weaves different colours of thread, when the black thread is gone, the skill is at an end.