Page:Hausa Proverbs.djvu/31

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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.