Zambia Proverbs (50)

Mayo mpapa, na ine nkakupapa.

“Mother, carry me, and I too will carry you.”

The young have a duty to care for their elders just as they were once cared for in infancy.

Uwawa, taimina.

“He who falls does not rise on his own.”

A person in difficulty needs the help of others; community support is essential in hardship.

Akaboko, kakonka akabiye.

“One arm follows the other arm.”

Kindness shown to others tends to be returned in kind, in due course.

Apali umunwe, e pali ibala.

“Where there is a finger, there is a cultivated field.”

Success and abundance are the result of dedicated effort, not chance.

Abalya imbulu, balapalamana.

“Those who eat water monitor lizards are found sitting close together.”

People who share the same tastes and interests naturally gather and stay close to one another.

Imbwa ya mukali, taicenjela.

“A dog belonging to a harsh master does not grow wise.”

Excessive harshness in discipline is counterproductive and fails to build real understanding.

Mumuchima wamukwenu munkundwe.

“Your friend's heart is a wilderness.”

No one can ever fully know what truly lies within another person, however close the friendship.

Kanwa kaalobeele mutwe.

“The mouth puts the head in trouble.”

Careless or reckless speech brings problems down upon the speaker.

Bichi biji pamo byobishenkana.

“Trees standing close together brush against each other.”

It is natural for friction and disagreement to arise among people who live closely together.

Imiti ikula empanga.

“Growing trees make a forest; today's seedlings are tomorrow's forest.”

The young, if cared for and nurtured, grow into the strength and future of a community.

Akantu kantu ukwete kuminwe.

“A thing is what you hold in your hands.”

Value what you actually possess now rather than relying on promises of what may come.

Beshiba ekowafuma tabeshiba ekoleya.

“Where a person is coming from is known; where they are going is not.”

Plan with what is certain today, since the future can never be fully foreseen.

Icikalipa cumfwa umwine.

“Pain is felt by the one who suffers it.”

Only the person going through hardship truly understands its weight; judge others with compassion.

Ishuko lyamunobe talyendelwa.

“Your friend's luck does not walk your road.”

Each person follows their own path; another's fortune cannot simply be copied.

Ukutangila tekufika.

“To go first is not the same as to arrive first.”

A head start does not guarantee success; steady effort matters more than an early lead.

Umunwe umo, tausalula.

“One finger cannot pick lice from the head.”

Certain tasks cannot be done alone; cooperation is necessary to accomplish them.

Umupama pamo watulile ing'oma.

“He who stays and works steadily in one place finishes carving the drum.”

Consistency and patience, more than talent alone, are what allow a person to achieve their goals.

Kolwe uwakota asabilwa na bana.

“When a monkey grows old, it is fed by its own children.”

Children have a duty to care for their aging parents, just as parents once cared for them.

Ifyakulya ubushiku fitulikila kumalushi.

“Whatever you eat in the darkness of night will be seen in your vomit.”

Wrongdoing done in secret is eventually exposed, however carefully it was hidden.

Ukuteke mbwa mano.

“To take good care of even a dog requires wisdom.”

Leading and caring for others well takes intelligence and skill, not force alone.

Ndi mwina mpanga, mwilanjipusha pa fya mukalale.

“I am a bushman who knows nothing about city life; leave me be.”

A person should not be blamed or questioned harshly for lacking experience in matters outside their own world.

Impande yalubile mukwalaula.

“Do not let just anyone handle your valuables; they may get lost.”

Be careful who you trust with what is precious to you, or it may not come back.

Ndi musunga wa mpundu, nyambalala pa mûlu.

“I seem harmless, but provoke me and I turn dangerous.”

Do not mistake a calm, quiet nature for weakness; it can hide real strength.

Kolwe angala pa musambo anasha.

“A monkey plays only on a branch it trusts.”

People feel free to relax and be themselves only among those they truly trust.

Umwina musunga talamba minwe.

“The true owner is never at fault.”

If something truly belongs to a person or is truly meant for them, it will eventually come to pass.

“One Zambia, One Nation.”

Zambia's founding national motto, calling on the country's many ethnic groups to set aside division and build unity as a single people.

Akalimbaka kwashima takapwisha misango.

“A borrowed radio does not break a habit.”

A habit is not undone by a single change of circumstance; real change must come from within, not from a temporary condition.

Akamuti ukwete eko bominako imbwa.

“The stick you are already holding is the one used to beat the dog.”

Make use of what you already have rather than waiting or hoping for something better to come along.

Akacila kambushi kasengula epo.

“A goat's tail cleans only the place where it is seated.”

Attend first to your own home and immediate responsibilities before concerning yourself with matters elsewhere.

Akoni kakela umutika temenwe.

“A bird sits only on the tree that it likes.”

Every person makes their own choices in life, for good or ill, and must live with where those choices lead.

Amenshi yakutali tayashinya mulilo.

“Water that is far away cannot put out the fire that is here.”

Help or knowledge that is too far removed from a crisis is of no use in the moment it is actually needed.

Amashiwi yamuketa yapusakebo yapusa akabwe.

“An elder's thrown stone may miss its target, but their words never miss the mark.”

An elder's advice, however plainly spoken, is reliably accurate even where their physical strength has faded.

Amano mambulwa yafuma mwifwesa ya yamuculu.

“Wisdom can be found in anyone; it is shared, not the monopoly of a single person.”

Good counsel should be listened for in everyone, regardless of their age, status, or standing.

Bakolwe basekana utupato.

“Monkeys laugh at each other's red backsides.”

People are often quick to mock the faults of others while remaining blind to the very same faults in themselves.

Cimbwi pakulila ninshi pali eka shitintilile.

“The hyena cries out only while it is leaning against something.”

Speak up only when you truly have something useful to contribute; complaint without substance or support helps no one.

Cipata mukaya umwenu akaya ukashala ucimona.

“Turning away an old friend because of a new visitor will bring regret once the visitor has gone.”

Long-standing friendships should be valued and maintained, since new acquaintances eventually move on but old bonds endure.

Cumbu munsho lolwa.

“A sweet potato can never be straightened.”

Some people will never accept correction or change no matter how much effort is spent on them; their nature must simply be accepted.

Icalo lifupa bakolokota kofye washa.

“The world is a bone: you gnaw around it a little, then you leave it behind.”

Life on this earth is brief, so it should be lived usefully and without excessive attachment to worldly things.

Ici twate sembe mutima.

“It is the heart that fells a great tree; the axe is only its instrument.”

Courage and will matter more than the tools at hand; without resolve, even the best equipment accomplishes nothing.

Iciku pempula ecikulya.

“What comes to visit you is often what consumes you.”

Be watchful even among those closest to you, since harm can come from those who seem friendly and are welcomed in.

Impupu mpaku boko.

“A thief is only the one you actually catch with your own hands.”

No one should be accused of wrongdoing without real evidence; suspicion alone is not proof of guilt.

Imbila yamushi tabaya sukila.

“We are not obliged to personally answer a message meant for the whole village.”

A public statement addressed to the community at large should not be taken as a personal accusation by any one individual.

Ilyashi lyakukati telyakutwala pacibwanse.

“What happens in the bedroom is not carried outside.”

Private matters between a married couple should be resolved between themselves, not aired publicly or discussed with outsiders.

Ifishiku mana fiwa.

“Only ghosts never meet each other again.”

Treat everyone with fairness and respect, since in this life paths cross more than once and you may need each other again.

Kabusha takolelwe bowa.

“He who asks questions never eats a poisonous mushroom.”

Seeking information before acting protects a person from unfortunate mistakes; knowledge gained in advance keeps one safe.

Kwenu ni kwikoshi balenda enda wacebako.

“There is no place quite like home.”

People feel most comfortable and do their best where they are familiar, among their own, surrounded by what they know.

Mwenda mfula taceba kwiulu.

“One who journeys during the rains does not keep looking up at the sky.”

Once you have committed to a difficult task with full knowledge of its challenges, stay focused and do not let the difficulty discourage you.

Muli seka seka emufuma lila lila.

“Where there is too much laughter, tears often follow.”

Excess in anything, even joy, can tip over into trouble; moderation guards against the sorrow that often follows overindulgence.

“For a long time I have led my people in their shouts of Kwacha, the dawn. We have been shouting it in the darkness; now there is the grey light of dawn on the horizon, and I know that Zambia shall be free.”

Kaunda's closing declaration in his 1962 independence-era autobiography, using the Bemba/Nyanja word "kwacha" (dawn) as a rallying cry that Zambia's freedom from colonial rule was finally within reach.

“Africans are people, not cattle, to be herded together and driven here and there.”

A rebuke of colonial-era policies that treated Africans as a mass to be relocated and controlled rather than as individuals with dignity and rights.