Togo Proverbs (50)

“A cripple does not start a war song.”

A boastful challenge should not come from someone unable to back it up — a warning against empty bravado.

“You change your steps according to the changing rhythm of the drum.”

Adapt your approach as circumstances change; rigid thinking fails in a changing world.

“Tasty soup draws seats to itself.”

Good work and good character need no advertising — they naturally attract recognition and company.

“Every country has its own way of dressing a chicken.”

Different communities have different customs; respect local ways when you are among them.

“The blacksmith of one village becomes an apprentice in another.”

Status and reputation are relative to place; do not assume your standing travels with you unchanged.

“Suffering and happiness are twins.”

Joy and hardship are inseparable companions in life; maturity means accepting both.

“When the crab walks clumsily, it has not lost its way.”

An unconventional method does not mean someone lacks purpose or direction.

“The head of a child wearing an adult's hat is covered down to his chin.”

Taking on a role or burden beyond one's readiness only exposes one's limits.

“The hand can pull down a date-palm branch, but not a fan-palm branch.”

No one has unlimited strength or capability; know where your power ends.

“The man whose life is miserable never tires of living it.”

People endure and adapt to hardship far more than outsiders expect.

“The game that escapes the hunter is always remembered as the biggest one.”

What we fail to obtain often seems greater in hindsight than it truly was.

“A beggar may beg for many things, but never for an ostrich's egg.”

Even in need, there are limits to what is reasonable to ask for.

“A child may swallow a big morsel, but not a big matter.”

Physical capacity is not the same as the wisdom needed to handle serious affairs.

“A kitten can only catch a baby mouse.”

Act according to your true strength; do not claim victories beyond your ability.

“You cannot crack two palm-nuts in your mouth at the same time.”

Focus on one task at a time rather than overextending yourself.

“It is hard to tell whether a swimmer is drowning or merely playing.”

Those who claim moral steadiness should be careful, for a fall can look like composure until it is too late.

“The keeper of a ram does not fall asleep.”

Stay alert and attentive to what truly matters; distraction invites loss.

“It is the living tree that has vines climbing around it.”

People gather around those who still have something to offer; watch whether friends remain when your fortune changes.

“A lazy man does not clear his farm close to the footpath.”

People hide their weaknesses rather than display them for all to see.

“The cat does not enter the meat trade.”

Adopt attitudes and roles that suit your true nature, and stay away from your own temptations.

“You do not rejoice when you see people returning from the farm in tears.”

Understand the full situation before reacting; the same sight can mean very different things.

“You do not welcome eagerly a bundle wrapped only in mats.”

Do not celebrate before you know what something truly contains or means.

“The child who cracks a snail's shell cannot crack a tortoise's shell.”

Small successes do not guarantee readiness for far greater challenges.

“A dog can catch many animals, but never a lion.”

Know the limits of your strength before you choose your battles.

“A dog can break a bone, but never iron.”

Effort alone cannot overcome something built to withstand it; know what you are truly capable of changing.

“The cat never stops crying "miau."”

A person's true nature stays with them; character does not simply disappear.

“A crab does not give birth to a bird.”

Children and results carry the nature of their origin; like begets like.

“A blind man cannot show another blind man the way.”

Someone lacking knowledge cannot guide someone else who lacks it too.

“One bad nut spoils the whole basket.”

A single flaw or wrongdoer can taint an entire group or effort.

La nuit est longue, mais le jour vient.

“The night is long, but the day comes.”

Long years of struggle and hardship eventually give way to hope and a new beginning — spoken as Togo celebrated its independence.

“A single tree does not make a forest.”

True strength and success come only through unity and cooperation, not from standing alone.

“One hand cannot catch a buffalo.”

Great tasks require the combined effort of many; no one succeeds entirely alone.

“A person must first crawl before walking.”

Every skill and achievement is built up gradually, one stage at a time.

“A child who does not listen to advice — the thorn bush grabs his ears.”

Ignoring good counsel leads a person straight into the very trouble they were warned about.

“A child who knows how to wash his hands properly eats with the elders.”

Those who show discipline and competence earn a place among those with greater standing.

“God made the hands, but the fingers are not equal.”

People are naturally different in ability and fortune, even within the same family or community.

“No matter how big a crocodile is, it was still hatched from an egg.”

However powerful or important someone becomes, they came from humble beginnings, like everyone else.

“When a blind man says he will throw a stone, he already has his foot on the stone.”

A person who seems to lack full ability still finds a practical way to prepare before acting.

“It is a strong key that opens the door to riches.”

Wealth and success come only through determined and capable effort, not through weak attempts.

“It is only the one who goes to fetch water that accidentally breaks the pot.”

Mistakes happen to those who are actively doing the work; only inaction guarantees no error.

“It is from the black pot that the white porridge comes out.”

A plain or humble appearance can still produce something pure and valuable.

“The possessor of a big stool is not necessarily a king.”

Outward symbols of status do not by themselves prove real authority or worth.

“A tree that keeps provoking the axe wishes to be cut down.”

Someone who repeatedly courts danger or conflict is inviting their own downfall.

“The downfall of some nations is the upsurge of other nations.”

Fortune is relative — one party's loss often becomes another's opportunity.

“The beard does not build a house for the eyebrow.”

Each person is responsible for their own affairs; no one can permanently carry another's burden for them.

“The food-beggar does not know when it is famine.”

A person consumed by their own need may fail to notice that everyone around them is also struggling.

“An empty stomach cannot be constipated in place of the one who has eaten.”

A person who did not cause a problem should not be made to bear its consequences.

“The foot does not go on a mission and leave the thigh at home.”

Parts of a whole move and succeed together; no single part can act entirely apart from the rest.

“One big cowry cannot buy what two small cowries can afford.”

Size or grandeur alone does not guarantee greater practical value than smaller, combined resources.

“A very experienced hunter will surely meet an experienced wild animal.”

No matter how skilled or confident a person becomes, they will eventually meet someone or something equal to them.