proverbs

469. Lu Naar gis ci mbuusam, ba sànni ko, ku ko for it du am njeriñ. (20)
What the Mauritanian has seen in his bag, and has thrown away, whoever picks it
up again, will have no benefit.
A comment on the perceived stinginess of Mauritanians.
Means
470. Bala nga ne “naam”, ne fa. (2,6,8,9,14,19,20)
Bala nga wuyu nekk fa. (4,13)
Bala nga naan naam, ne fa. (7)
Before you answer “yes”, you must be there.
To do something one has to have the means.
471. Saaku bu deful dara du taxaw. (18,19)
Saaku bu deful, du taxaw. (11,12)
An empty sack cannot stand upright.
One cannot put a lot of energy into a project without the means. Without a good material
foundation any project is bound to fail.
472. Yërmande day wàññi doole. (14)
Mercy makes one weak.
Mercy
Merit
473. Bu ñépp yemee, am ñu gedd seen cër. (7,9)
Bu ñépp yemee, am ñu gedd seen wall. (15)
If one divides equally between all, there will be those who refuse their share.
One cannot put on the same level the worker and the idle; those who are knowledgeable
and those who are ignorant; the traitor and the hero. Justice demands that each receives
according to his merit.
Miserliness
474. Kuy aaye xobu màngo, doo ca mayeeb doom. (2,6)
The person who does not permit you to touch the leaves of the mango tree will not
give you its fruit.
475. Sakkantal du la taxa texe. (13)
Being miserly will not cause you to be saved.
One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes
to poverty. (Proverbs 11:24 NIV)
Misfortune
476. Dereti bopp du moy mbaggum boroom. (11,12)
Deretu bopp, du moy mbagg. (20)
Deretu bopp, du moy mbagg moy baat. (2)
The blood which runs from the head will inevitably fall on the shoulders.
A misfortune which afflicts those close to us will also affect us.
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