proverbs

Self-evaluation
626. Bët du yenu, waaye xam na lu bopp àttan. (2,3,5,6,8,9,10,15,19,20)
Bët du yenu, waaye xam na lu bopp antan. (6)
Bët du yenu, wande lu bopp àttan xam na ko. (4,13)
The eye does not carry a load, but it knows what the head is capable of carrying.
Everyone is able to judge for himself what his own capabilities are.
Self reliance
627. Manees na laa takkal jabar, yóbbul la ko ci sa néeg, waaye il ci des, yow rekk a ko mana def.
(6,15)
One can give you a wife, and bear all the costs to bring her to your home, but the
rest only you can do.
One must learn to depend on oneself, because there will always be situations where one is
obliged to deal with a difficulty on one's own.
628. Ku ñaan ñàkk, boo jëndee am. (2,15)
Ku ñaan ñàkk, boo jëndee moom. (11,12)
What you cannot obtain by begging you will be able to obtain if you pay the price.
One should rely on oneself, not others, and maintain one's independence through hard
work. What one earns for oneself is always better than what one is given.
629. Lu la waay maye kon jën, na la ko jàngale napp moo gën. (12)
As good as it is for your friend to give you fish, it is even better for him to teach
you to fish.
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a
lifetime.”
Shame
630. Gàcce bu reyul semmal. (9)
When shame does not kill you, it does at least harm you.
631. Mbañ gàcce. (9)
Avoid shame.
632. Bët bu rusul, toj. (2,7,9,11,12,19)
Bët bu rusul, tuuru. (15)
The eye which is not sensitive to shame will explode.
In Wolof society, shame and scruples are the most important factors which condition an
individual to submit to the moral and social values of the culture. The person who is not
controlled by a sense of shame will inevitably fall in ruin or debauchery.
Sharing
633. Ku amul bopp, na am ay tank. (6,13)
He who does not have the head (of the sheep) should at least receive a foot.
He who does not receive the best parts should at least receive something.
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