Traditional Martinique Wisdom

Si ou vlé savé koté ou ka alé, gadé koté ou sòti.

“If you want to know where you are going, look at where you came from.”

Understanding your roots and past is essential to moving forward wisely.

Ti pa, ti pa, lapo jibé.

“Little by little, the frog crossed the road.”

Patience and small, steady steps eventually accomplish a large goal.

Sé grenn diri ka plen sak.

“It is the grains of rice that fill the sack.”

Every small contribution adds up to something substantial in the end.

An lanmen ka lavé lot.

“One hand washes the other.”

People need each other; mutual help is what allows a community to move forward.

Sa ki pa touyé-w ka fè-w vansé.

“What does not kill you makes you move forward.”

Hardship, when survived, becomes a source of strength and progress.

Bouch ou sé kannari'w.

“Your mouth is your own cooking pot.”

Think carefully before you speak, because your words are entirely your own responsibility.

Chyen ka aboyé, mé bwa ka rété.

“The dogs bark, but the tree stands firm.”

Idle criticism should not distract a determined person from their purpose.

Sé taw ki taw, sé ta mwen ki ta mwen.

“What is yours is yours, what is mine is mine.”

Respect the boundary of what belongs to each person; do not covet another's property.

Pa mété koko-w an menm panyen.

“Do not put all your coconuts in the same basket.”

Spread your risk and your hopes; do not stake everything on a single outcome.

Si ou fouyé twou ba moun, pa tonbé adan'y.

“If you dig a hole for someone, do not fall into it yourself.”

Wrongdoing planned for others has a way of turning back on the one who planned it.

A fòs makak karésé ich li, i tjwé'y.

“By caressing her child too much, the macaque ended up killing it.”

Excessive indulgence, even out of love, can end up doing serious harm.

A pa lè ou fen pou mété manjé si difé.

“It is not when you are hungry that you should put the meal on the fire.”

Prepare ahead of time; do not wait for a need to become urgent before acting on it.

A pa pou on zo mwen key kryé chyen: 'bonjou bopè'.

“It is not for a bone that I will call a dog "hello, father-in-law."”

Self-respect matters more than any small gain; do not humiliate yourself for a petty reward.

A pa tout pantalon i ni an nonm adan-y.

“Not every pair of trousers has a man inside it.”

Outward appearance does not guarantee real character; actions reveal who a person truly is.

Adan an kalbass i ni dé kwi.

“In one calabash there are two gourd-bowls.”

Some things in life come paired or must simply be accepted as they are.

Adan lavi sé yon a lot.

“In life, it is one and the other.”

People depend on one another; life is built on give and take between individuals.

An ba latè pa ni plézi.

“Under the earth, there is no more pleasure.”

Enjoy and make the most of life now, because such chances do not come after death.

An kay san yich, sé an jadin san flè.

“A house without children is a garden without flowers.”

Children bring joy and life to a household, the way flowers bring beauty to a garden.

An kout lang sé an nich poul bwa.

“A flick of the tongue can nest like a wood-hen and hatch great trouble.”

A careless word can grow into serious consequences, much like an egg hatching.

An manman sé an bol a kouvèti.

“A mother is a covered bowl.”

A mother shields and keeps her children's faults hidden from the outside world.

Lé ou lé dépi ou lé, si ou pa lé pa fè'y.

“If you truly want to, you can; if you do not want to, do not do it.”

Half-hearted effort is worse than none; commit fully or not at all.

Tout bèt kay manjé, mé tout bèt pa gra.

“All animals eat, but not all animals grow fat.”

Equal effort does not always bring equal results; outcomes differ from person to person.

Jik poul ni dan, nou ké wè sa.

“We will see that on the day chickens grow teeth.”

Used of something that will never happen — an impossible condition.

Tout sa ki kléré pa lò.

“Not everything that shines is gold.”

Appearances can be deceptive; something attractive is not always genuinely valuable.

Bonjou pa lajan.

“Saying good morning costs no money.”

Basic courtesy is free; there is no excuse for failing to greet others kindly.

Sé an sel do ki pa ka pòté chay.

“A single back cannot carry the whole load.”

No one person should be expected to bear every burden alone; share the weight.

Sé jou ou malad ou savé ki moun ki enmen'w.

“It is the day you fall sick that you learn who truly loves you.”

Hardship reveals genuine friendship far more clearly than good times do.

Travay sé lajan.

“Work is money.”

Honest labor is the true source of a person's livelihood.

Si ou ka kouwi dèyè sik, ou ké pèd sikré'y.

“If you run too hard after sugar, you will lose its sweetness.”

Chasing something too eagerly or greedily can spoil the very pleasure it was meant to bring.

Mizè pa tini manman, mé i tini papa'y: lajan.

“Misery has no mother, but it has a father: money.”

The root of hardship most often traces back to a lack of money.

Ròch ka woulé pa ka pran limos.

“A stone that keeps rolling never gathers moss.”

Someone who never settles down builds no lasting attachment or accumulation.

Pâlé an mwen sé taks, silans an mwen sé lò.

“My talk is a tax; my silence is gold.”

Speaking carries a cost, while staying silent at the right moment is precious.

Lè savan ka palé, bèt fè silans.

“When the wise speak, fools keep silent.”

Recognize wisdom when you hear it, and know when it is your turn to listen rather than speak.

Gwo boug pa ka pléré, mé dlo ka koulé an zyé'y.

“A strong man does not weep aloud, but tears still flow from his eyes.”

Even those who appear strong and unshaken still feel pain, even when they hide it.

Chyen pa ka fè chat.

“A dog does not give birth to a cat.”

Children tend to take after their parents in character and behavior.

Sé an vyé mamit ou ka fè bon soupe.

“It is in an old pot that you make the best soup.”

Experience and age often produce the finest results, more than novelty can.

Si ou vlé manjé kalalou, fo ou sa chayé dlo.

“If you want to eat kalalou, you must be willing to carry the water for it.”

Every reward worth having requires the effort put in to earn it first.

Fè bon travay lékol, sa ké sèvi-w pli ta.

“Do your schoolwork well; it will serve you later in life.”

Effort invested in education pays off in the years that follow.

Plis ou monté, plis ou ka vwè fon larivyè.

“The higher you climb, the more of the river bottom you can see.”

A higher position or greater experience brings a clearer, wider understanding.

Dòmi bon, mé si ou dòmi tro lontan, ou ka dòmi an lavi'w.

“Sleep is good, but if you sleep too long, you sleep through your own life.”

Rest is necessary, but too much idleness wastes the time and chances life offers.

Travay sé lavi.

“Work is life.”

Purposeful labor gives structure and meaning to a person's existence.

Travay sé twòp djèf.

“Working is too much toil.”

A wry, humorous complaint about the hardship of labor, said in the same breath as praise for work — folk wisdom holds both views at once.

Padon pa ka guéri bos.

“Forgiveness does not heal the bruise.”

An apology cannot undo real harm already done; the damage remains regardless of pardon.

Pawòl an bouch pa chagé.

“A word from your own mouth is no burden to carry.”

Talk comes cheap and costs nothing to say — it is action, not words, that carries real weight.

Lé konséyé pa lé péyé.

“Advisers are not the ones who pay the price.”

Be wary of advice from those who bear none of the consequences of following it.

Ray chyen di dan'y blan.

“You may hate the dog, yet still admit that its teeth are white.”

Stay honest and fair even about people or things you personally dislike.

Bannann jonn pa ka vini vèt.

“Yellow bananas never turn green again.”

What has already happened cannot be reversed; time moves in only one direction.

Débwouya pa péché.

“Making do and getting by is not a sin.”

Resourcefulness in hard circumstances is not something to be ashamed of.

Sa ki la pou-w dlo pa ka chayé'y.

“What is meant for you, water itself cannot carry away.”

What is truly destined for a person will reach them, whatever obstacles stand in the way.