Traditional Gabon Wisdom

“You do not teach the paths of the forest to an old gorilla.”

Do not try to instruct someone who already has deep experience in a matter.

“He who is free of faults will never die.”

No living person is entirely without flaws; perfection does not exist among mortals.

“No matter how full the river, it still wants to grow.”

Desire and ambition rarely feel satisfied, however much one already has.

“When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.”

People who are individually weak can accomplish great things by joining together.

“The witness of a rat is another rat.”

Those who share the same interests or faults will vouch for one another, so their testimony should be weighed with caution.

“When the bee comes to your house, let her have beer; you may want to visit the bee's house some day.”

Treat visitors generously, because you may one day depend on their hospitality in return.

“A loose tooth will not rest unless it is pulled out.”

A lingering problem will keep causing trouble until it is finally dealt with directly.

“What comes out of the mouth has lost its master.”

Once words are spoken, the speaker no longer controls where they go or how they are used.

“When a fool is cursed, he thinks that he is being praised.”

A person who lacks judgment cannot tell the difference between criticism and flattery.

“Even if thin, the elephant still remains the king of the forest.”

True worth and status are not lost just because someone is going through hardship.

“A blade will not cut another blade; a cheat will not cheat another cheat.”

People who share the same nature or cunning tend to recognize and spare one another.

“Living is worthless for one without a home.”

A sense of belonging and a place to call one's own are essential to a meaningful life.

“Unless you call out, who will open the door?”

Help rarely arrives unless a person speaks up and asks for it.

“The fool speaks, the wise man listens.”

Wisdom is shown more by careful listening than by constant talking.

“The feathers of a dead eagle would cover you all over.”

What a truly great one leaves behind, even after they are gone, is generous enough to shelter many.

“One who recovers from sickness forgets about God.”

People often lose their gratitude and humility once hardship has passed.

“He who asks questions cannot avoid the answers.”

Anyone who seeks the truth must be ready to accept whatever it turns out to be.

“The cattle is as good as the pasture in which it grazes.”

A person's environment and upbringing shape the quality of their character.

“A fool looks for dung where the cow never browsed.”

Wasted effort comes from searching for results in places that could never produce them.

“A mousetrap cannot kill an elephant.”

The tools and methods used for a task must match the true size of the problem.

“Restless feet may walk into a snake pit.”

Impatience and recklessness can lead a person straight into danger.

“He who conceals his disease cannot expect to be cured.”

Problems cannot be solved unless they are honestly admitted and shared.

“You do not refuse your mother's breast for fear of scabies.”

Do not turn away from something essential and good just because of a small, manageable flaw.

“A man's wealth may become superior to him.”

Riches can end up ruling a person instead of serving them, if greed is left unchecked.

“The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people.”

The health of a whole society reflects the choices made inside its individual families.

“A fool will pair an ox with an elephant.”

Poor judgment leads to mismatched partnerships that cannot work well together.

“A silly daughter teaches her mother how to bear children.”

It is foolish arrogance for the inexperienced to lecture those who came before them.

“A single bracelet does not jingle.”

One person acting alone rarely makes as much impact as people acting together.

“Wood may remain ten years in the water, but it will never become a crocodile.”

A person's true nature does not change no matter how long they stay in a different environment.

“It is easy to become a monk in one's old age.”

Claiming virtue is easy once youth and temptation have already passed; true discipline is proven earlier in life.

“The frog wanted to be as big as the elephant, and it burst.”

Overreaching beyond one's true size or means leads to self-destruction.

“A coward sweats even in water.”

Fear reveals itself in a person regardless of whether real danger is actually present.

“If one is not in a hurry, even an egg will start walking.”

Great patience can accomplish what seems impossible to those who rush.

“One who runs alone cannot be outrun by another.”

A person who sets their own pace and relies on their own resolve is hard for anyone else to overtake.

“The cow's horns are never too heavy for it to carry.”

A person's own natural responsibilities, however great they look to others, are never truly too much for them to bear.

“Rain does not fall on one roof alone.”

Hardship and misfortune are never limited to just one person; everyone shares in life's common troubles.

“What is said over the dead lion's body cannot be said to him alive.”

People often speak boldly about the powerful only once they can no longer answer back.

“Death does not sound a trumpet.”

Death comes without warning, so one should live prepared rather than wait for signs.

“You are beautiful, but learn to work, for you cannot eat your beauty.”

Good looks alone cannot sustain a person; hard work is what truly provides for life.

“To one who does not know, a small garden is a forest.”

Lack of experience makes even a small challenge appear far larger and more difficult than it truly is.

“Termites live underground; if they want to survive, they should stay there, for when they come to the surface, they meet death.”

Know your proper place and environment, for stepping outside of it can expose you to real danger.

“There is no one who became rich by breaking a holiday, and no one who became fat by breaking a fast.”

Cutting corners or breaking discipline does not actually produce the reward one hopes for.

“He who digs too deep for a fish may come out with a snake.”

Overreaching in the pursuit of gain can expose a person to unexpected danger.

“Confiding a secret to an unworthy person is like carrying grain in a bag with a hole.”

A secret shared with the wrong person will inevitably leak out along the way.

“A cat may go to a monastery, but she still remains a cat.”

A change of surroundings does not change a person's underlying nature.

“I have a cow in the sky, but I cannot drink its milk.”

Possessing something that is out of reach or impractical brings no real benefit.

“A too modest man goes hungry.”

Excessive humility can cause a person to miss out on what they genuinely need.

“A fool and water will go the way they are diverted.”

A person without judgment is easily led wherever others choose to direct them.

“Advise and counsel him; if he does not listen, let adversity teach him.”

When guidance is ignored, hard experience will eventually teach the lesson instead.

“Clothes put on while running come off while running.”

Things done in haste or carelessness tend to unravel just as quickly as they were made.