Page:Hausa Proverbs.djvu/30

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18
Hausa Proverbs

47 Komi ya ke chikkin dan kaza, shafu ya deddi da sanninshi.

Whatever there is inside a chicken the hawk has been familiar with it for a very long time.
There is not much that you can teach me about that.

48 Ansan baki yana da ja'n myo, akan zubar da fari.

It is well known that the month has red spittle (or that it looks red in the mouth), still white comes out.
Though spittle in the mouth looks red, still, when it comes out, it is white, so, though you are hot with anger, let it come out cool.
I know you are angry, still forgive him.

49 Gishiri nema (na yi ma) mai'n kaddé daria'n rana, randa rua ya zo gishiri ya ji kumia.

Salt laughs at mai'n kaddé while the sun shines, but when rain comes it hides its head.
Mai'n kaddé, shea butter.
He laughs best who laughs last. Vide 63.

50 Inda gainya'n doka daia ya fadi, asa gainya'n dorowa derri ba rufe wurinn.

Where one doka leaf has fallen, it would require more than 100 dorowa leaves to fill its place.
100 men will not fill the place of the man who has been removed or died; you will never get one so good.
The leaf of the doka is a large flat one; that of the dorowa is like that of an ash tree or a fern; when a leaf falls all the side pieces (pinnæ) fall separately.
Wurinn, note the accent on the "inn," meaning "in that place."