Isithukuthuku senja siphelela oboyeni.
“A dog's sweat is entirely absorbed by its own fur.”
Sometimes hard work goes unnoticed and its reward is barely visible to others.
— Traditional Zimbabwe Wisdom, Zimbabwe
Source: Traditional Ndebele proverb, public-domain oral tradition
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When the beard catches fire, men help put out one another's.
In times of real trouble everyone needs help from others; no one manages a crisis entirely alone.
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What has horns cannot be wrapped up in a bundle of grass.
The truth cannot stay concealed forever; sooner or later it reveals itself.
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The little dish that is sent out returns from the very place it was sent.
Kindness shown to others tends to come back to the one who gave it first.
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Pumpkins fall to those who have no pot to cook them in.
Good fortune sometimes lands on people who are not prepared to make the most of it.
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A poor man never manages to kill an animal with a fine hide.
Poverty has a way of reinforcing itself, denying the poor even the rare stroke of luck.
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One who has already died no longer fears decay.
Once a person has committed fully to a course of action, there is no turning back from its consequences.
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