Traditional proverbs of Comoros in swb and English — each with its meaning and source.
“You can win a woman with lies, but you cannot feed her with lies.”
Deception may attract someone at first, but only real substance and honesty can sustain a relationship over time.
Source: Traditional Comoros proverb, public-domain oral tradition; recorded in "African Proverbs in African Literature" (Comoros country profile, proverbsafricanliterature.wordpress.com)
“If you live in the river, you should make friends with the crocodile.”
Make peace with the powerful forces that share your environment, since you cannot avoid living alongside them.
“A beggar will not mind being insulted; a beggar who cannot take insults will go hungry.”
Necessity requires humility — those in genuine need must set pride aside in order to survive.
“A chicken with beautiful plumage does not sit in a corner.”
Genuine quality or talent naturally draws attention and cannot remain hidden away.
“A fool and water will go the way they are diverted.”
A person without sound judgment is easily led wherever others choose to direct them.
“A nose alone does not lead.”
No single sense or ability is sufficient by itself; sound guidance needs more than one source.
“A slippery person is not a king.”
A leader who cannot be trusted or pinned down does not deserve authority over others.
“A thread follows the path of the needle.”
Followers go wherever their leader goes; conduct and direction are shaped by guidance.
“A whistle will not call back a dog that has escaped from the leash.”
Once trust, control, or opportunity is lost, it cannot easily be recalled by mere words.
“Where there are riches, thieves abound; if the riches are large, the thieves are as big.”
Greater wealth attracts greater danger and larger wrongdoing in proportion.
“If you steal while you carry your son on your back, you teach him to steal.”
Children absorb their morals by observing what their parents actually do, not merely what they say.
“The spider moves only inside its web.”
Everyone operates best, and holds the most power, within their own proper domain.
“The elephant never abandons his tusks on the road, however heavy they may be.”
One should never abandon what truly belongs to them or defines them, no matter how burdensome it becomes.
“Death is like an eagle that snatches away a chick and leaves its mother in tears.”
Death strikes suddenly and without warning, leaving grief behind for those who remain.
Quick Links
Support Center
Help & contact options
Dashboard
Manage your account
4848 Shops
Browse fish, pajama & rabbit shops
System Status
Check service health
Download App
Get the Host App