En Afrique, quand un vieillard meurt, c'est une bibliothèque qui brûle.
“In Africa, when an old man dies, it is a library that burns.”
When an elder dies without their knowledge being recorded, an entire lifetime of oral memory and tradition is lost forever.
— Amadou Hampâté Bâ, Mali
Source: Amadou Hampâté Bâ, address to the UNESCO General Conference, Paris (1 December 1960)
More Proverbs from Mali
Little by little, the bird builds its nest.
Patient, steady effort accumulates into something substantial over time.
Everyone's time of rising is their morning.
Each person has their own pace and season for success; do not measure yourself against another's timeline.
Distance from people makes relations pleasing.
A little distance can keep relationships sweet; too much closeness can wear a bond thin.
An empty sack doesn't stand.
Without real substance behind it, a thing or a person cannot hold themselves up.
Beware of the goat that is in the lion's lair.
Danger can hide inside something that looks safe or familiar; stay watchful.
If the hare is your enemy, admit that he can run fast.
Give your rival honest credit for their real strengths, even if you dislike them.