“Before eating, open your mouth.”
Nothing can be accomplished without first taking the basic, obvious step needed to begin.
— Traditional Mauritania Wisdom, Mauritania
Source: Traditional Mauritania proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Mauritania
A stone from the hand of a friend is an apple.
A gift or hard truth from a friend, however rough it seems, is given in goodwill and should be received as such.
Traditional Mauritania Wisdom
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One must talk little, and listen a lot.
Wisdom favors those who listen more than they speak.
Traditional Mauritania Wisdom
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He who has no spoon will burn his hands.
Without the right tools or preparation, a person suffers avoidable harm.
Traditional Mauritania Wisdom
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A donkey which goes to grow horns returns with its ears cut off.
Chasing after something beyond one's nature can cost what a person already had.
Traditional Mauritania Wisdom
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Not all the flowers of a tree produce fruit.
Not every promising beginning or beautiful appearance leads to real, lasting results.
Traditional Mauritania Wisdom
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It is only the water that is spilled; the bowl is not broken.
A setback is not always a disaster — what is truly lost may be far less than it first appears.
Traditional Mauritania Wisdom
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