Traditional Suriname Wisdom

Yu abi tu yesi, ma yu no wani yere wan wortu tu leisi.

“You have two ears, yet you never want to hear the same word twice.”

Listen carefully the first time; do not make others repeat good advice.

Sakafasi na a moro moi krosi fu yu skin.

“Humility is the clothing that best suits your body.”

Modesty adorns a person more than any fine garment ever could.

Ibri man e bosi en wefi na tapu en eigi fasi.

“Every man kisses his wife in his own way.”

Everyone manages their own affairs in their own manner; there is no single right way.

Lobi pasi a no fara.

“Love's path is never too far.”

Love knows no distance or boundary; it will always find its way.

Koniman no musu prakseri taki Gado poti tokotoko soso na ini don man ede.

“A clever man should never think that God only put mud in a fool's head.”

Never underestimate someone who seems less clever than you; everyone has hidden depth.

Mi na wan blaka popki, mi lolo na ini ala winkri, ma mi moi no lasi.

“I am a black doll — I roll through every shop, but my beauty is never lost.”

A person's true worth is not diminished by hardship or by being passed around.

Moni no e bay yeye.

“Money cannot buy a good soul.”

Wealth cannot purchase character, kindness, or a good heart.

Ala pikin tifi di e sori a no lafu.

“Not every bared tooth is laughter.”

Not everyone who smiles at you is genuinely a friend.

Te yu abi pasensi, yu sa si mira bere.

“If you have patience, you will see the ant's belly.”

Patience reveals what is hidden from the hasty; it leads to deep understanding.

Pasensi na wan bita bon, ma en froktu switi fu nyan.

“Patience is a bitter tree, but its fruit is sweet to eat.”

Patience is hard to bear, but it produces sweet rewards in the end.

Yu e taki lusu-lusu, mi e taki bori-bori.

“You speak loosely, I speak thoroughly.”

People often misunderstand one another when they do not communicate with equal care.

Panji no mu prati bigi, na fu wi prati en bigi.

“Mend the cloth before the tear grows too big.”

Address problems while they are still small, before they grow beyond control.

Den sma di e anga na yu lontu heri dei, no moksi den nanga den wan di de nanga yu ala dei.

“Do not mix those who only hang around you all day with those who stand by you every day.”

Separate fair-weather company from true, loyal friends.

Tide na tide, no abi sorgu fu a dei fu tamara.

“Today is today; do not carry the worry of tomorrow into it.”

Live in the present; do not burden today with tomorrow's worries.

A moro bun tyarman fu a boto na a wan di e tan na sey liba.

“The best boatman is the one still standing on the riverbank.”

Those who never take the risk are often the quickest to criticize those who do.

Mama mofo na banawatra.

“A mother's word is banana water — it always leaves its mark.”

A mother's words and predictions have a way of proving true.

Mama na sribikrosi. A no e tapu dede, ma a e tapu syen.

“A mother is like a blanket: she cannot stop death, but she can cover shame.”

A mother's protection cannot prevent misfortune, but it shields her children from disgrace.

Tangi fu bun na kodya.

“The thanks you get for kindness is often a slap.”

Good deeds are often repaid with ingratitude rather than gratitude.

Kosi granmama na noti, ma fu begi en baka na wan tra sani.

“Cursing your grandmother is easy; asking her forgiveness afterward is hard.”

It is easy to speak harshly in anger, but far harder to make amends afterward.

Yu kan kibri yu granmama, ma yu no man kibri en kosokoso.

“You can hide your grandmother, but you cannot hide her cough.”

The truth always reveals itself eventually, no matter how well you try to hide it.

Libisma e meki en boto, ma Gado e bow en sipi.

“Man builds his own boat, but God builds the ship.”

People make their own plans, but the final outcome rests beyond their control.

Wan boto sondro kapten no abi lanpresi.

“A boat without a captain never reaches the shore.”

Without leadership, a group cannot reach its goal.

Ongoluku no e bigi leki alen.

“Misfortune does not fall as heavy as rain.”

Bad luck tends to strike in small measures rather than all at once.

Bigimemre wani ondrow.

“Pride wants nothing more than to fall.”

Pride comes before a fall; arrogance invites its own downfall.

Tranga no e tyari kaw go na pen.

“Force alone does not lead the cow into the pen.”

Coercion cannot achieve what patience and persuasion can accomplish.

Pina leki wan kerkirata.

“As poor as a church rat.”

Describes someone who is extremely poor, having nothing at all.

Gado sabi fu san ede a no gi asi tutu.

“God knows why he did not give the horse horns.”

There is good reason certain powers are withheld; not everyone should have every advantage.

Efu sukutu no ben de, ati ben sa priti.

“If sighing did not exist, the heart would burst.”

Expressing grief through a sigh gives relief to a heavy heart.

Ala den meti fu a busi e nyan kasaba, ma konkoni e tyari nen.

“All the animals of the forest eat cassava, but the rabbit gets blamed.”

When wrongdoing is shared by many, it is often the weakest who is punished for it.

Dringi dresi wakti siki.

“Drink the medicine before you wait for the sickness.”

Prevention is better than cure.

Mi na af'sensi, no wan sma kan broko mi.

“I am a half-cent coin — no one can break me any further.”

Having so little already, nothing more can be taken from me — a declaration of resilience in hardship.

Efu yu lobi okra, yu mu lobi en siri tu.

“If you love okra, you must love its seeds too.”

To truly love something, you must accept its imperfections along with its good qualities.

Atibron no e meki bun pikin.

“Anger does not raise good children.”

Acting in anger brings poor results; a hot temper leads to bad outcomes.

Takiman a no duman.

“A talker is not a doer.”

Talk alone accomplishes nothing; actions matter more than words.

Krabita pikin, ma no futuboi fu kaw.

“The goat may be small, but it is no servant to the cow.”

Being smaller or humbler does not mean being inferior or subservient to others.

Efu pikin no frede fu dede na mindri neti, mama no frede fu bari.

“If the child does not fear death at midnight, the mother does not fear to scream.”

A parent's courage mirrors and defends the fearlessness of the child they protect.

Bun no abi tangi.

“Good deeds get no thanks.”

Kindness is often met with ingratitude rather than gratitude.

Gado no meki ala finga langa wan fasi.

“God did not make all fingers the same length.”

People are naturally different from one another, and that is exactly as it should be.

Opo tya, ma no opo suma.

“Lift a burden, but never lift up at the expense of a person.”

Take on hard work willingly, but never take advantage of another human being.

Te yu taki fu alata, yu mu taki fu batyaw tu.

“If you speak of the rat, you must also speak of the fish.”

Always hear both sides of a story before passing judgment.

Alata taki: den koti mi mofo, san meki den no koti mi tere tu?

“The rat says: they cut off my mouth, so why not my tail too?”

Once misfortune has already struck, one may as well brace for the rest of it.

Te yu abi glasi-fensre, yu no e trowe ston go na trawan.

“If you have glass windows, do not throw stones at others.”

Do not criticize others for faults that you share yourself.

Ogri no abi masra.

“Misfortune has no master.”

Bad luck can strike anyone, regardless of status or standing.

Sondro bribi, yu no abi fu meki wan bigin.

“Without faith, do not even begin.”

Nothing worthwhile can be started without belief and confidence.

Asi dede, kaw fatu.

“When the horse dies, the cow grows fat.”

One person's loss can quietly become another person's gain.

Taki reti, a no asranti.

“Speaking the truth is not rudeness.”

Honesty should never be mistaken for disrespect.

Solanga yu no koti udu, span no e fadon.

“As long as you chop no wood, no chips will fall.”

Whoever avoids work also avoids the mistakes that come with it.

Nyanyan pasi no e fara wai.

“The path to food is never too far.”

Necessity drives people to overcome obstacles that would otherwise seem too great.

Te yu yere fluit, yu sabi singi e kon.

“When you hear the flute, you know the song is coming.”

Early signs give warning of what is about to happen.