Jamaica Proverbs (50)

Wha sweet nanny goat a go run him belly.

“What is sweet to the nanny goat will end up running its belly.”

A pleasure enjoyed too much now can bring trouble or sickness later.

One one coco full basket.

“One coco at a time fills the basket.”

Small, steady contributions add up to something substantial over time.

Rockstone a river bottom no know sun hot.

“The rock at the bottom of the river does not know the sun is hot.”

Someone sheltered from hardship cannot understand the suffering of others.

Every mickle mek a muckle.

“Every little bit makes a lot.”

Small efforts or savings accumulate into something great over time.

Cockroach no business inna fowl fight.

“A cockroach has no business in a fowl's fight.”

Stay out of conflicts that do not concern you, especially when you are badly outmatched.

Time longer than rope.

“Time is longer than rope.”

Given enough time, the truth and justice will eventually come to light.

Wanti wanti cyaan get it, an getti getti no want it.

“The one who wants it cannot get it, and the one who has it does not want it.”

Fortune is often ironic — desire and possession rarely line up.

Sorry fi mawga dog, mawga dog tun roun bite yuh.

“Pity a mangy dog, and the mangy dog turns around and bites you.”

Kindness shown to the undeserving can be repaid with harm.

Play wid puppy, puppy lick yuh mout.

“Play with a puppy, and the puppy licks your mouth.”

Too much familiarity with those beneath you invites disrespect.

Chicken merry, hawk de near.

“When the chicken is merry, the hawk is near.”

Danger often lurks closest during moments of carelessness or joy.

Every day devil help tief, one day God help watchman.

“Every day the devil helps the thief, but one day God helps the watchman.”

Wrongdoing may go unpunished for a while, but justice eventually catches up.

Yuh cyaan get blood outta stone.

“You cannot get blood out of a stone.”

You cannot obtain something from someone who genuinely has nothing to give.

Duppy know who fi frighten.

“The duppy knows who to frighten.”

Those who prey on others know exactly whom they can intimidate or exploit.

Cuss cuss no bore hole a skin.

“Cursing does not bore a hole in the skin.”

Harsh words alone cause no lasting physical harm, however painful they feel.

New broom sweep clean, but old broom know de corner.

“A new broom sweeps clean, but the old broom knows the corners.”

Newcomers may impress at first, but experience knows the hidden details.

Wha gaan bad a mawnin cyaan come good a evenin.

“What starts badly in the morning cannot turn out well by evening.”

A poor beginning is difficult to redeem by the day's end.

De higher monkey climb, de more him expose.

“The higher the monkey climbs, the more it exposes itself.”

Rising in status or pride reveals more of one's flaws to others.

Empty barrel mek de most noise.

“An empty barrel makes the most noise.”

Those with the least substance or knowledge often talk the loudest.

One han cyaan clap.

“One hand cannot clap.”

Cooperation between people is required to accomplish most things.

Craven choke puppy.

“Greed chokes the puppy.”

Excessive greed leads a person to their own downfall.

If yuh cyaan hear, yuh wi feel.

“If you will not hear, you will feel.”

Ignoring good advice means you will learn the lesson through painful experience instead.

Tek kin teet kibba heart bun.

“Use a bared-teeth smile to cover a burning heart.”

People often hide deep pain or anger behind a cheerful smile.

Every hoe have dem stick a bush.

“Every hoe has its matching stick in the bush.”

There is a fitting match or partner for everyone and everything.

Cow nuh know the use of him tail til fly tek i.

“The cow does not know the use of its tail until the flies take it.”

People often fail to value something until they truly need it.

Wha is fi yuh cyaan be un-fi-yuh.

“What is meant for you cannot become un-meant for you.”

Trust that what is destined for you will find its way to you.

Long mout fish a de one get ketch.

“The long-mouthed fish is the one that gets caught.”

Talking too much or too carelessly gets a person into trouble.

Mawnin sun nuh shine all day.

“The morning sun does not shine all day.”

Good fortune and favorable circumstances are never permanent.

Yuh cyaan fatten fowl inna crocus bag.

“You cannot fatten a fowl inside a crocus bag.”

Some things cannot thrive or succeed without the right conditions.

Ole fire stick easy fi ketch fire.

“An old fire stick catches fire easily.”

Past passions or relationships can be rekindled quickly when revisited.

Every skin teet a no laugh.

“Not every bared-teeth smile is genuine laughter.”

Outward appearances of happiness can hide a person's true feelings.

Little axe cut down big tree.

“A little axe can cut down a big tree.”

Persistent, small, consistent effort can overcome something far larger than itself.

Wha nuh dead, nuh dash weh.

“What is not dead is not thrown away.”

Do not give up on something or someone that still has potential left.

No cuss alligator long mouth til yuh cross de river.

“Do not curse the alligator's long mouth until you have crossed the river.”

Do not criticize someone whose help you may still need.

Sweet mout fly follow coffin go a hole.

“The sweet-talking fly follows the coffin all the way to the grave.”

Flatterers may stay close through good times and bad, but their sweet words cannot always be trusted.

Fire deh a mus mus tail, him tink a cool breeze.

“There is fire on the rat's tail, but he thinks it is a cool breeze.”

A person in real danger sometimes fails to realize the seriousness of their situation.

Trouble no set like rain.

“Trouble does not announce itself the way rain does.”

Hardship can arrive suddenly and without warning.

When ashes cold, dawg sleep in deh.

“When the ashes are cold, the dog sleeps in the fireplace.”

It becomes safe to occupy a place once the danger or difficulty there has passed.

Puss an dog nuh have the same luck.

“The cat and the dog do not have the same luck.”

Different people are destined for different fortunes in life.

Han' wash han' mek han' come clean.

“Hand washes hand and makes both hands clean.”

Mutual cooperation and support benefit everyone involved.

Every day bucket a go a well, one day di bottom a go drop out.

“Every day the bucket goes to the well, but one day the bottom will drop out.”

Repeatedly taking the same risk will eventually catch up with you, no matter how many times you got away with it before.

Rain a fall, but di dutty tough.

“The rain is falling, but the ground is still hard.”

Even when help or good fortune arrives, deep-rooted hardship does not disappear right away.

If yuh cyaan ketch Quaco, yuh ketch him shut.

“If you cannot catch Quaco, catch his shirt.”

When you cannot get exactly what or whom you are after, settle for whatever is closest within reach.

Play fool fi ketch wise.

“Play the fool to catch the wise.”

Pretending to be naive or foolish can be a clever way to learn the truth about others' intentions.

When man dead, grass grow a him door.

“When a man dies, grass grows at his door.”

A person's presence and influence fade quickly from a place once they are gone.

Nuh everyting good fi eat, good fi talk.

“Not everything that is good to eat is good to talk about.”

Some things are best kept private, even if they bring you pleasure or benefit.

Fenky-fenky dog nyam fenky-fenky pork.

“A fussy dog ends up eating scrawny pork.”

Being overly picky often leaves a person with a lesser outcome than if they had been less choosy.

Wha is joke to yuh, a def to me.

“What is a joke to you is death to me.”

What seems trivial or amusing to one person can be a matter of serious harm to another.

Bull horn never too heavy fi him head.

“The bull's horn is never too heavy for its own head.”

A person can always bear the weight of their own family and responsibilities, however burdensome they seem.

Cockroach never right before fowl.

“The cockroach is never right in front of the fowl.”

The weaker or less powerful party is often assumed to be in the wrong, regardless of the actual facts.

Tek bad sinting mek laugh.

“Take bad things and make a laugh of them.”

Facing hardship with humor is a way of enduring and rising above difficult times.