Oulime kaouna shiba.
“The tongue has no bone.”
Speech is flexible and can be twisted to serve whoever is speaking, so words should be weighed carefully.
— Traditional Mayotte & Comoros Wisdom, Mayotte
Source: Traditional Comorian proverb (Shikomori oral tradition, shared Comoro Islands heritage including Mayotte), as recorded in "Proverbes comoriens (Première série)", YSIA (ysia.e-monsite.com)
More Proverbs from Mayotte
A cow does not eat another cow.
One should not turn against or harm someone of one's own kind.
Whoever cultivates under the sun will eat in the shade.
Hard work done now prepares comfort and reward later.
If you want to milk a cow, scratch its back first.
Kindness and courtesy open the way to receiving favors from others.
It is with water that oil is made.
Nothing valuable is produced without patient, careful effort.
A single fingernail cannot crush a louse.
People working alone accomplish far less than people working together.
The dance step comes with the dancing.
Skill is developed through practice and doing, not by waiting to feel ready.