Equatorial Guinea Proverbs (50)

“A dog that is determined to go astray will not wait to listen to the voice of the master.”

Someone set on doing wrong will ignore every warning and piece of guidance offered to them.

“Any river that forgets its source will definitely dry up.”

A person or community that loses touch with its roots and heritage eventually withers.

“The rabbit that stays in a hole must be ready to face the hunter's fire.”

Hiding from a problem instead of confronting it still carries its own risks.

“He that learns to eat without reservation must also learn to starve.”

A person who consumes everything without restraint should expect a season of scarcity in return.

“A monkey left behind laughs at the others' tails.”

It is easy to mock the struggles of others while ignoring one's own shortcomings.

“The search for a black fowl should always be done before darkness falls.”

Difficult tasks should be handled early, before circumstances make them even harder.

“A stubborn chicken learns its lesson in a hot pot of soup.”

Refusing sound advice often leads to a harsher lesson learned the hard way.

“You do not teach the way to an old gorilla.”

Someone with long experience already knows the path and does not need to be instructed by the inexperienced.

“A trap that captures a rat cannot catch an elephant.”

A tool or approach suited to a small problem will fail against a much bigger one.

“If you pick up too much, some of it will fall.”

Overreaching for more than you can hold means losing part of what you already gained.

“Many beads strung together form one necklace.”

Individual efforts joined together create something far stronger and more beautiful than any one alone.

El que siembra vientos, recoge tempestades.

“He who sows winds, reaps storms.”

Reckless or harmful actions eventually bring back much greater trouble upon the one who caused them.

Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando.

“A bird in the hand is worth a hundred flying.”

A small, certain gain is worth more than a large but uncertain one still out of reach.

Nosotros no leemos en los libros. Nosotros conocemos nuestra tradición porque el más viejo se la entrega al joven para que cuando sea viejo también él se la dé a los jóvenes. Así hemos vivido siempre.

“We do not read it in books. We know our tradition because the eldest passes it to the young, so that when he too grows old he may pass it to the young. This is how we have always lived.”

Knowledge and identity survive not through writing but through the living chain of elders teaching the young, generation after generation.

“A wise man never knows all, only fools know everything.”

True wisdom includes recognizing the limits of your own knowledge; claiming to know everything is a sign of foolishness.

“As long as the white man stutters, the interpreters have a lot of work.”

Confusion or miscommunication between parties creates opportunity and importance for those who can bridge the gap.

“Before you buy shoes, measure your feet.”

Prepare and understand your true needs before committing to a decision.

“The eyes of the trapper are as subject to reddening as those of the small animal that he pursues.”

Even the one pursuing or in control of a difficult situation shares in its hardship, not only the one being pursued.

“The bush in which you hide has eyes.”

There is no place to hide where nothing sees; secrecy is never absolute.

“Wherever a man goes to dwell, his character goes with him.”

A person's true nature travels with them; changing location does not change who they are.

“Two men in a burning house must not stop to argue.”

In a true emergency, cooperation must come before disagreement.

“A butterfly that flies among thorns will tear its wings.”

Venturing carelessly into a dangerous situation brings harm even to something delicate or admired.

“A good wind is no use to a sailor who doesn't know his direction.”

An opportunity is wasted on someone who lacks a clear sense of purpose or direction.

“The bird which flaps its wings too much will drop its feathers.”

Excessive, frantic effort exhausts a person and costs them more than it gains.

“Never compete with the elephant in defecating.”

Do not challenge someone whose scale or power in a matter far exceeds your own.

“A feather is a delicate thing when removed from a bird yet it carries the bird anywhere in the world.”

Something that looks fragile on its own can carry immense power and reach when it is part of the right whole.

“If you dream of moving mountains tomorrow, you must start by lifting small stones today.”

Great ambitions are achieved by beginning with small, manageable steps taken right away.

“An agama lizard in the village will always remain an agama in town.”

A person's fundamental nature or status does not change simply because they move somewhere new.

“Your beauty will take you there, but your character will bring you back.”

Appearance may open the first door, but character determines whether you are welcomed back.

“Nobody holds the cow by its horn while another milks it.”

Fair cooperation means sharing in the difficult and risky part of a task, not just its reward.

“A man that lives near the river will not use spit to wash his hands.”

Use the good resources already available to you rather than settling for a poor substitute.

Barriga llena, corazón contento.

“A full stomach makes for a happy heart.”

Physical well-being and emotional contentment are closely connected; meeting basic needs brings peace of mind.

Camarón que se duerme, se lo lleva la corriente.

“The shrimp that falls asleep is swept away by the current.”

Those who grow careless or complacent will be overtaken by events around them.

Cría cuervos y te sacarán los ojos.

“Raise crows and they will peck out your eyes.”

Kindness given to the wrong person can be repaid with betrayal instead of gratitude.

Cuando el río suena, agua lleva.

“When the river makes noise, it is carrying water.”

Persistent rumors or visible signs usually point to some real underlying truth.

De tal palo, tal astilla.

“From such a stick comes such a splinter.”

Children tend to take after their parents in character and behavior.

A quien madruga, Dios le ayuda.

“God helps the one who rises early.”

Diligence and an early start toward a goal tend to be rewarded.

Al mentiroso le conviene ser memorioso.

“A liar had better have a good memory.”

Those who tell falsehoods must keep careful track of them to avoid being caught in contradiction.

Hechos son amores, que no buenas razones.

“Deeds are love, not fine words.”

Actions prove devotion and care far more convincingly than words alone.

No hay mal que por bien no venga.

“There is no bad from which some good does not come.”

Even hardship and misfortune often carry within them some hidden benefit.

Perro que ladra no muerde.

“A dog that barks does not bite.”

Loud threats and bluster are often empty and less dangerous than they sound.

En boca cerrada no entran moscas.

“Flies do not enter a closed mouth.”

Staying silent at the right moment avoids unnecessary trouble.

Más vale prevenir que curar.

“Prevention is worth more than cure.”

It is wiser and easier to prevent a problem than to fix it after it has happened.

Quien mucho abarca, poco aprieta.

“He who grasps too much holds little of it tightly.”

Trying to take on too much at once spreads your effort too thin to succeed at any of it.

Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres.

“Tell me who you walk with, and I will tell you who you are.”

A person's character is often judged by the company they keep.

Agua que no has de beber, déjala correr.

“Water you will not drink, let it flow on.”

Do not interfere in matters that bring you no benefit and are not your concern.

No dejes para mañana lo que puedas hacer hoy.

“Do not leave for tomorrow what you can do today.”

Avoid procrastination; handle what you can today instead of delaying it.

A caballo regalado no se le mira el diente.

“Do not look a gift horse in the mouth.”

Do not criticize or find fault with something that was given to you freely.

No por mucho madrugar amanece más temprano.

“The sun does not rise any sooner no matter how early you get up.”

Forcing or rushing a natural process will not make it happen any faster.

El que no arriesga, no gana.

“He who does not risk, does not win.”

Meaningful reward requires the courage to take on some risk.