Page:Hausa Proverbs.djvu/43

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Hausa Proverbs
31

131 A juri zua rafi dei wata rana ayi berri. Continual going to the stream one day there is a leaving. Juri, jimri, yana da jimri, he is doing his best. A juri, to keep on going. 132 Komi karko'n rua, ya koma kwarrie. Water always finds its own level. 133 Banza ba shi kai zomo kasua. " Do nothing " does not bring a hare to market. Nothing can be done without work. 134 Da resshi'n taye akan ber araha. For lack of asking prices bargains are lost. Taye, to ask the price of a thing. Ataya minny shi, find out its price for me. Na taya hamsa, I offer 5,000. 135 Sai ansba wuya akan san babba. Greatness is only achieved by effort. 136 Sai anbugga akan san beedi. Only by fighting can the better man be found out. Ya bida shi, means he overcomes him. 137 Sai angamma jikki, akan san babba. Who is the better man can only be decided by "body to body" (wrestling). 138 Wonda ya clii zomo ya clii gudu. Whoever catches a hare has to run for it. 139 Ba da magana ba shi kai rakumi Asben ba, sai gammi da akala. Talking won't take a camel to Asben, only acquaintance with the nose string. The Asbenawa (Kel Geres or Kel Owi) are the great camel owners to the north of Nigeria. During the rainy months they remain in Asben or Air (situated about latitude 19^), and come down to trade in the dry.