Traditional Bahamas Wisdom

Come see me is nothing, come live with me something.

“To come see me is nothing; to come live with me is something.”

A short visit reveals little about a person, but living together reveals everything.

Follow fashion break monkey neck.

“Follow fashion, break monkey neck.”

Blindly copying trends or others without judgment can lead to ruin.

Goat say him hab wool; sheep say him hab har.

“The goat says he has wool; the sheep says he has hair.”

Everyone claims their own qualities are best, even when the difference is only in name.

Greedy choke puppy.

“Greed chokes the puppy.”

Taking more than you can handle, out of greed, brings harm on yourself.

Have money, have friend.

“Have money, have friends.”

Wealth tends to attract company, warning that such friendship may not be genuine.

Hog run for him life, dog run for him character.

“The hog runs for his life; the dog runs for his character.”

Different creatures, and different people, are driven by different priorities.

Hungry fowl wake soon.

“The hungry fowl wakes early.”

Need and necessity are what drive people into early, urgent action.

If you see fippence you know how dollar made.

“If you have seen a fippence, you know how a dollar is made.”

A small example is enough to reveal how the larger thing works.

John Crow never make house until rain come.

“The John Crow never builds his house until the rain comes.”

Some people only prepare for trouble once it has already arrived.

Lizard no plant corn but him hab plenty.

“The lizard plants no corn, yet he has plenty.”

Some seem to prosper without visible effort, though appearances can deceive.

Man can't whistle and smoke one time.

“A man can't whistle and smoke at the same time.”

You cannot do two conflicting things at once — choose one.

No ebry ting you yerry good fe talk.

“Not everything you hear is good to repeat.”

Discretion means knowing which things are best left unspoken.

No throw away dirty water before clean.

“Don't throw away the dirty water before you have the clean.”

Don't discard something useful until you have a proven replacement ready.

One tief no like see other tief carry long bag.

“One thief doesn't like to see another thief carrying a longer bag.”

Wrongdoers often resent it when a fellow wrongdoer succeeds more than they do.

Parson christen him own pickaninny first.

“The parson christens his own child first.”

People naturally look after their own family and interests before others.

Rain nebber fall at one man door.

“Rain never falls at just one man's door.”

Hardship and misfortune eventually touch everyone, not just a single person.

Stone at sea bottom no know sun hot.

“The stone at the bottom of the sea doesn't know the sun is hot.”

Those sheltered from a hardship cannot truly understand what it feels like.

Shoe know if stocking hab hole.

“The shoe knows if the stocking has a hole.”

Those closest to you are the ones who truly know your hidden truths.

Trouble nebber blow shell.

“Trouble never blows a conch shell to announce itself.”

Difficulties arrive without warning, so it is wise to stay prepared.

Stranger no know when de deep water.

“A stranger doesn't know where the deep water is.”

Outsiders lack the hard-won local knowledge that residents rely on for safety.

Sleep hab no massa.

“Sleep has no master.”

Rest comes for everyone in the end, rich or poor, master or servant.

Spider and fly no make bargain.

“The spider and the fly make no bargain.”

Natural enemies cannot truly negotiate as equals; one will always be at risk.

When a man say him no mind, den he mind.

“When a man says he doesn't mind, that's when he minds most.”

A denial often reveals the very feeling the person is trying to hide.

When hand full, him hab plenty company.

“When your hand is full, you have plenty of company.”

Wealth or abundance tends to draw many companions, genuine or not.

You shake man hand, you no shake him heart.

“You may shake a man's hand, but you don't shake his heart.”

A polite gesture on the surface does not reveal what someone truly feels.

Time longer than rope.

“Time is longer than rope.”

Given enough time, the truth and justice will always catch up, no matter how far someone runs.

When fowl drinky water him lift up him head and say, tank God, but man drinky water and say noting.

“When the fowl drinks water, it lifts its head and thanks God, but when a man drinks water, he says nothing.”

Even a bird shows gratitude for a simple blessing, while people often forget to give thanks.

When eye no see, mout' no talk.

“When the eye doesn't see, the mouth shouldn't talk.”

Don't speak with authority about things you never actually witnessed.

When man no done grown, him nebber should cuss long man.

“A man who isn't fully grown should never curse an old man.”

The young owe respect to their elders, regardless of disagreement.

Cuss cuss no bore hole in skin.

“Cussing and cussing bores no hole in the skin.”

Harsh words alone cannot cause physical harm, however painful they feel.

Cunning better dan strong.

“Cunning is better than strong.”

Wit and cleverness can accomplish what brute strength alone cannot.

De rope you pulling, no de rope I cutting.

“The rope you're pulling is not the rope I'm cutting.”

Different people carry different burdens; do not assume your struggle is the same as another's.

Ebbery day fishing day, but no ebbery day catchy fish.

“Every day is a fishing day, but not every day is a catching day.”

Opportunity may be constant, but success is never guaranteed.

Hot needle burn thread.

“A hot needle burns the thread.”

Rushing delicate work with too much haste ends up ruining it.

Big blanket make man sleep late.

“A big blanket makes a man sleep late.”

Too much comfort can breed laziness and make it harder to get up and work.

When cockroach gib dance, him no ax fowl.

“When the cockroach throws a dance, he doesn't invite the fowl.”

A wise person doesn't invite those who could destroy them into their affairs.

Cockroach nebber so drunk he no crossy fowl-yard.

“The cockroach is never so drunk that he crosses the fowl-yard.”

Instinct for self-preservation persists even when a person is careless or reckless.

Dead hog no fear boiling water.

“The dead hog fears no boiling water.”

Once the worst has already happened, there is nothing further left to fear.

When man dead, grass grow to 'em door.

“When a man is dead, grass grows at his door.”

Once someone is gone, they are quickly forgotten and their place is left untended.

Yer play with puppy, him lick you mouth.

“If you play with a puppy, it will lick your mouth.”

Too much familiarity invites over-familiarity and a loss of respect in return.

Mad dogs bite the hand that feed them.

“Mad dogs bite the hand that feeds them.”

Ingratitude can strike even from those you have helped the most.

A boaster and liar are first-cousins.

“A boaster and a liar are first cousins.”

Exaggeration and dishonesty are close relatives; one often leads to the other.

Fool talk much, wise men talk less.

“The fool talks much; the wise man talks less.”

True wisdom shows restraint, while foolishness reveals itself through excess talk.

Clean you door mouth first, then tell you neighbor 'bout dem own.

“Clean your own doorstep first, before you talk about your neighbor's.”

Address your own faults before criticizing the faults of others.

Some man bu'n dem hand when they only mean to warm dem.

“Some men burn their hand when they only meant to warm it.”

Carelessness, even with good intentions, can cause unintended harm.

In time of prosperity, friends will be plenty; In time of adversity, not one in twenty.

“In times of prosperity, friends are plenty; in times of adversity, not one in twenty.”

True friendship is proven not by good times but by loyalty during hardship.

Don't hang yer basket higher than you can reach 'em.

“Don't hang your basket higher than you can reach it.”

Set goals that are ambitious but still within your own honest reach.

Don't hollow out 'fried fish' til you catch 'em.

“Don't shout "fried fish" until you've actually caught the fish.”

Don't celebrate a success before it has actually been achieved.

Long o' long, short o' short, we die.

“Long or short, we all die.”

Regardless of how long or eventful a life is, death comes for everyone equally.