proverbs

Pretext
528. “Jàppal, ma yenni la”, du sawar laa yenni, waaye bëgga xam la nga yenu la. (2)
Am na ku la ne “ma yen la” ; booba, la ca ndab la la bëgga gis. (6,13)
Am na ku la ne ma yen la, tey sa ndab la bëgg séet. (4)
“Hold on, let me help you put down the load on your head” does not come from a
desire to help but rather to see what you are carrying.
When some offer their services to help you with what you are carrying on your head, they
are only motivated to see what you are carrying.
Prevention
529. Aar moo gën faj. (20)
Protection is better than treatment or cure.
530. Mag, day fàggandiku. (6)
The wise will take precautions.
531. Ñag, bala ngay ruurle. (2,3,5,6)
Enclose your field before the herds get in and devastate it.
“Prevention is better than cure.”
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
532. Fegoo gën faju. (7,9,11,12)
Fàggoo gën faju. (19,20)
Fàggandiku moo gën a faju. (20)
Fagaru moo gën faju. (20)
“Prevention is greater than the cure.”
It is better to stop bad things from happening than trying to solve problems afterwards.
533. Nég ba jaan dem, nga topp ca watit way dóor. (2,3,6)
Xaar ba jaan dem nga topp ca watit way dóor. (5)
Bàyyi nga jaan dóor watit wa. (15)
Bàyyi ba jaan wéy, nga topp ca watit wa di dóor. (7)
Bul bàyyi jaan ba mu dem, nga topp ca watit way dóor. (9)
Bul xaar ba jaan wéy ngay dóor ci watit wa. (14)
Wait until the snake has left then strike his track.
“It's too late to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted.”
Two friends, Awa and Ndey go to a jeweller. Ndey orders a piece of jewellery and pays a
deposit. Two weeks later she returns to collect her jewellery, and the jeweller tells her he
has no more gold and refuses to return her deposit. She tells Awa of her misadventure who
says to her that she thought he looked dishonest and she should not have paid a deposit.
Ndey exclaims “You could have told me earlier” and quotes this proverb.
534. Xoddiku bala ngay lakkle. (5,2,10,20)
Xoddilu, ca ba nga lakkleegul. (6,11,12)
Clear the dry grass to prevent a fire before there is something burning.
“Prevention is better than cure.”
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