Tout tanbou pouvé chanjé di tibwa.
“Every drum can change its sticks.”
People and tools alike can be exchanged or replaced when needed.
— Traditional French Guiana Wisdom, French Guiana
Source: Traditional French Guiana Creole proverb (dolo), public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from French Guiana
The turtle would fly if it had feathers.
People often claim they would achieve great things if only they had what they lack, an excuse for ambition that will never really be tested.
A distant drum sounds beautiful.
Things far away or belonging to others often seem more appealing than what a person already has.
Even if the dog sells its tools, it does not forget its trade.
A skill or piece of knowledge, once truly learned, stays with a person no matter what their circumstances become.
One hand washes the other.
People who help each other accomplish far more together than either could alone.
It is when the agouti runs that you see the strength of the dog.
True ability and character are revealed under pressure and testing, not in calm, easy moments.
The ox in front drinks the good water.
Whoever arrives first gets the best of what is available.