African Proverbs

When you think of Africa, do you think of dense forests and colorful costumes? A continent as culturally vibrant as Africa would also abound in age-old wisdom, don't you think? Many African countries rely on nature for livelihood; they have developed a unique insight into nature's laws. Read African proverbs to understand the profundities of nature. These African proverbs have been translated from various African languages: Swahili, Zulu, and Yoruba.

African Proverbs Translated From Swahili to English

• A chicken's prayer doesn't affect a hawk.
• The way a donkey expresses gratitude is by giving someone a bunch of kicks.
• An envious person requires no reason to practice envy.
• It's always good to save or invest for the future.
• Hurry—haste has no blessing.
• The water pot presses upon the small circular pad.
• Effort will not counter faith.
• The hen with baby chicks doesn't swallow the worm.
• When elephants fight, the grass gets hurt.
• I pointed out to you the stars and all you saw was the tip of my finger.
• It is only a male elephant that can save another one from a pit.
• A deaf ear is followed by death and an ear that listens is followed by blessings.

African Proverbs Translated From Yoruba to English

• He who throws a stone in the market will hit his relative.
• A person who stammers would eventually say "father".
• One takes care of one's own: when a bachelor roasts yam, he shares it with his sheep.
• When a king's palace burns down, the re-built palace is more beautiful.
• A child lacks wisdom, and some say that what is important is that the child does not die; what kills more surely than lack of wisdom?
• You are given some stew and you add water, you must be wiser than the cook.
• One does not enter into the water and then run from the cold.
• One does not fight to save another person's head only to have a kite carry one's own away.
• One does not use a sword to kill a snail.
• One gets bitten by a snake only once.
• Whoever sees mucus in the nose of the king is the one who cleans it.

African Proverbs Translated From Zulu to English

• No sun sets without its histories.
• A tree is known by its fruit.
• The groin pains in sympathy with the sore.
• You are sharp on one side like a knife.
• The wrong-headed fool, who refuses counsel, will come to grief.
• The lead cow (the one in front) gets whipped the most.
• Go and you will find a stone in the road that you can't get over or pass.
• Hope does not kill; I shall live and get what I want one day.