Une parole est comme un fil de raphia; si vous le tirez de la natte, vous ne pourrez le remettre à sa place.
“A word is like a thread of raffia; once you pull it from the mat, you cannot put it back.”
Spoken words cannot be taken back once released, so they must be chosen with care.
— Traditional Chad Wisdom, Chad
Source: Traditional Bornu proverb (Chad), public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Chad
A child's maternal uncle is, in truth, a second mother.
A mother's brother owes his sister's children the same care and closeness a mother would, reflecting how deeply family duty runs through the maternal line.
If you respect your friend, together you will build the village.
Mutual respect between companions is the foundation on which a strong, lasting community is built.
Listen to what is said of your friend, and listen for yourself as well.
Criticism spoken about someone else is often a lesson worth applying to oneself, since the same faults rarely belong to only one person.
First the child sets out on the road, and only then does he come to know the stranger.
Real understanding of other people and customs comes only through the experience of traveling and meeting them, not by staying home.
Death is like the game of méndé: if your friend plays, play beside him.
In hardship and mourning, as in a shared game, true friends stand together and take their turn at each other's side.
The rain can stop falling, but hunger never stops.
Basic needs such as hunger allow for no pause, so the work needed to meet them must continue whatever the weather brings.