The Sierra Leone Web

Proverbs in Krio

Proverbs in Krio, many with English translations and explanations, from all over Sierra Leone. Compiled by Peter C. Andersen

Krio Proverbs

Proverbs from an anonymous compilation which circulated in Freetown in the early 1980s.

Kono Proverbs
Compiled by Komba Ngekia.

Bra Spaida εn Bra εlifant
As told by a schoolboy

Na Mista Spaida, in εn Bra εlifant kam sidכn. We dεn de, Bra Spaida, i se, in yon, i smכl nכmכ, bכt i gεt sεns pas εlifant. εlifant se OO, i se wεl mi naw, i se a nכ gεt sεns-o, i se, bכt mi trεnk kin ebul gi mi wetin a de it. Wans כf tεm, dεn kam kכmכt, dεn go mek patrכl, dεn go εn strol. So we dεn go te-e, na-in Mista Spaida go mit usai banana de. Bכt Bra εlifant naw, i nכ ebul si di banana. I pas. Bra Spaida we i kam, i pas biεn di banana, i sidכn, i dכn it di banana fip! I dכn bεlεful. Dεn waka, dεn waka, dεn go te-e, we dεn dכn go, di banana we i de it, Bra Spaida in yon, we i bin dכn bεlεful, i dכn dכn na in bεlε. Bra εlifant go mit wan big-big fam-os. Insεf, i jכs tinap fain nכmכ, i sεn dat in mכt de. I dכn klia כlting we de insai: pכpכ naw, wit di rεs-o, כlting we de de, i dכn it am fip. I (Spaida) wan lε Bra εlifant gi am smכl. Dat kכni de, na-in i ple, i nכ no fכ se dat man de, i nכ pul in mכt bεtε yet na di os. I go insai de. We i go insai nכmכ, di bra insεf, i drכ am fip. I drכ am wit in mכt, i swala-ram כl. Bra εlifant dכn fεn dat spaida te, fכ go blכf tu-ram, i se bra, misεf, we yu bin dכn it tide di banana, yu nכ gi mi, mi naw, a dכn it, a dכn bεlεful. I nכ si am egen. Bihol, i de insai in bεlε. I waka, i waka, i waka, i waka, i waka, i waka, i de go εn fεn Bra Spaida, i nכ ebul si am. Pas naw de tεm we i kaka, i tכn biεn am, na-ya i si am, na-ya i laf am, i (Spaida) se OO bra, yu bin se yu gεt trεnk, bכt naw yu dכn it mi, a dכn si wetin de na yu bεlε. Na-in mek te tide Bra Spaida in εn εlifant dεn nכ de gri.

Flai εn Dכg
As told by a farmer

Yu biliv se flai dεn tu dכg gεt tכk? So, wans כf tεm, dכg bin dכn grap. Dat awa de, dכg bin dכn grap, i grap, i go tu flai. I go mit am na dכti bכks. I se bo, i se bo, dat ting de we yu sidכn pan so, i se bo, na fכ sεl? I se yεs. I se na כmכch? I se na wan-wan sεnt. I se, wεl gi mi am, i se a want am. Bכt dat awa de, di flai i nכ bin no se na trכs i bin de trכs am. So na-in i grap pan am, na-in di dכg bigin de it am. We i dכn dכn it am, i grap wit pawa, i bigin de go. I go na tכn. Lεk we san kin kכmכt so niuli, i go ledכn na san. So dεn flai dεn kam biεn am. We dכn kam biεn am, dεn bigin de fashin pan am. Dεn bigin de fashin pan am te-e, fכ dat mכni de. Na-in dεn aks am, dεn se we wi mכni? I se we wi wan sεnt? I se (dog, as if looking over his shoulder and barking) Kכmכt biεn mi! Kכmכt biεn mi! (Like fly buzzing) We mi sεnti, we mi wan-wan sεnti? Kכmכt biεn mi! Kכmכt biεn mi! Na so dכg bin de du, we wi kam tu-ram fכ dat we mכni-bisnεs de, i bigin de bεt-bεt wi, i bin de kil we. We wi aks am fכ dat mכni nכmכ i bin de trai fכ kil wi. εn i bin de du am.