Omukekhe na akhetuya saria khukeenda taa. (Bukusu)
Bukusu (
Kenya ) Proverb
Mtoto haogopi kwenda mahali popote kabla hajaumia. (Swahili)
A child (young person) does not fear treading on dangerous ground until he or she gets hurt (stumbles). (English)
Background, Explanation and Everyday Use
In the traditional African community in Kenya this proverb was used to encourage young people to heed the advice from elders. Those who were stubborn and did not listen were told this proverb. So the proverb is a kind of warning on the dangers of not listening to the advice from elders. This Kenyan proverb is part of a large cluster of African proverbs related to elders giving advice to children and youth. It is similar to the Swahili proverb Asiyesikia la mkuu huvunjika guu (The person who does not listen to an elder's advice gets his or her leg broken).
Biblical Parallels
This Bukusu proverb in Kenya is similar to "The Story of the Prodigal Son" in Luke 15:11-32. Experience taught the younger son. He finally came to his senses: " But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger!’ I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.’" (verses 17-19). He was ready to get away from the dangerous ground where he was being hurt and repent. He went back to his dear father who loved him and welcomed him back with a big party.
Contemporary
Use and Religious ApplicationNowadays many youths go astray because they think they know so much and they have no desire to listen to the advice of their elders. To have co-operation and smooth running of society youth should listen to their elders especially their parents and teachers. The problem is complicated these this days because some elders cannot be trusted and are not dependable.
Dr. Monica MweseliE-mail: mmweseli@usiu.ac.ke
Swahili (
Eastern and Central Africa ) Proverb 
Wapiganapo tembo nyasi huumia. (Swahili)
When elephants fight the grass (reeds) gets hurt. (English)
Also Kikuyu ( Kenya),
Kuria ( Kenya/Tanzania),
Ngoreme ( Tanzania)
Background, Explanation and Everyday Use
There are different wordings of this very popular Swahili proverb. For example, the words on a khanga, a colorful African cloth: Ndovu wawili wakisongana, ziumiazo ni nyika (When elephants jostle, what gets hurt is the grass). There are many versions of this proverb in other African languages such as When two bulls [male cows, goats, sheep] fight the grass gets hurt (Kikuyu, Kenya, Kuria, Kenya/Tanzania and Ngoreme, Tanzania), but they all mean the same thing: the feeling of powerlessness in the midst of larger forces. While the mating period could be one of the contexts of the trampling of the grass, it could occur at other times too, for example, when two bull elephants are fighting over a female or over the leadership of the herd.
The proverb is used regularly to describe local officials and leaders whose disputes and divisions end up hurting innocent and powerless people. Village leaders can manipulate and exploit the local people in the name of government policy or ethnic group customs. A related proverb is That which eats you up is your clothes [or the thing nearest to you]. Various practices in the local community itself, such as the practice of witchcraft and the invocation of evil spirits and curses, oppress the people.
In Africa and worldwide this is probably the most commonly used Swahili proverb that is translated into English. It is very relevant in many situations and contexts. Here are some of its many uses:
Another important aspect of African proverbs is their participatory nature that fits in very well with relationship and community values. Sometimes a preacher or teacher gives the first half of the proverb and the congregation or audience responds with the second half: When elephants fight...the grass gets hurt. The second half is the advice that the speaker wants the audience to accept so he or she "maneuvers" the listeners so that the words come from their own lips.
Biblical Parallels
In the Old Testament there are various examples of leaders and important people fighting among themselves and causing suffering to other people especially "little" people, for example, Cain and Abel, Saul and David, etc.
In Matthew 23:1-36 Jesus Christ castigates the scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites, blind guides and blind fools for vying for places of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, but oppressing the ordinary people:
"They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them (4)."
"For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in, you stop them (13, 14)."
Contemporary
Use and Religious ApplicationA visitor to our African Proverbs, Sayings and Stories Website wrote: "When elephants mate, it's the grass that suffers." Humorously appropriate, in this age of mergers, consolidations and takeovers!"
A man from California wrote: "I discovered the 'elephant' proverb in Bartlett's Book of Quotations and it spoke loud and clear to me about a political situation I was witnessing in my own volunteer work where two individuals who were well-endowed with strong personalities were in conflict and making it difficult for the rest of us to do our work. The quotation made me smile and help lighten my attitude toward the, "thankfully," temporary situation.
Applied to Muslim-Christian relationships this proverb reminds us of the fact that often the tensions between Muslims and Christians refer to a power struggle between the religious leaders themselves, a power struggle in which the ordinary faithful are the victims.
People in positions of power and control can do well to examine themselves in relation to the implications of this Swahili proverb. Even when parents quarrel or fight it is the children that suffer.
This famous African proverb was recently restated in a syndicated column in a Tanzanian newspaper in these words: When Northern (Europe and the USA) elephants fight over GMOs (genetically modified organisms), the grass that is African countries gets trampled.
NOTE: See the references to this proverb on pages 36-37 and 42 in Towards An African Narrative Theology and on pages xii and 126 in A Fifth Gospel: The Experience of Black Christian Values.
Rev. Joseph G. Healey, M.M.
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
JGHealey@aol.com
Abema hamoi basindika eitara. ( Haya)
Mikono mingi kazi haba. ( Swahili)
Many hands make light work. (English)
Haya (Tanzania) Proverb
If many people cooperate work that would have otherwise been very heavy for one person becomes light to each participant because each of them does only a part of it. Africans, besides their poverty of not having good technical equipment for everyday activities, culturally depended on one another. This is their culture, collective ethnic and united kingdoms. There are many African proverbs nurturing this concept like Two ants do not fail to pull a grasshopper. An ant is a very small insect, but with the combined strength of two they can pull a grasshopper. The African belief in a collective strength led people to keep close to extended families (polygamy and many children), ethnic groups and a uniform way of life. They built their houses very close, squeezed in one area and cultivated the same crops. These manual works were done together so many hands were needed to make the work light.
The well-organized ethnic groups planned their way of living. For example, men went hunting together and collected firewood in the forest. For security when visiting friends, traveling from one village to the next was done in twos or threes. Women also worked in groups when fetching water from a river, planting crops and celebrating feasts especially weddings. Mikono mingi kazi haba. Many hands make light work. In case of danger every man could come to the scene with a spear to fight against an enemy or kill a lion. There was a high sense of participation and responsibility for the security of the whole ethnic group or a village. They were not spectators, but role-players.
This Haya Proverb in Tanzania teaches our society to adhere to UNITY that is the key to FREEDOM that is the hunger of our time. Every organized society needs a collective power from everybody, which is the root of human development. Nobody is an island. Nowadays we speak about cultural corruptions. It is because everybody wants to follow his/her own way. The sense of togetherness has disappeared from the minds of our youth. Instead the sense of independence, even among children, is the ruling power. Individualism is taking place and weakening unity. People are killed in different circumstances even by wild animals. This is happening partly because the security from the society is no longer there. Instead people are depending on guns and bombs.
Biblical Parallels
One of the outstanding biblical passages is the "Prayer of Jesus" in John's Gospel: "I pray that they may all be one. Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I in you. May they be one, so that the world will believe that you sent me. I gave them the same glory you gave me, so that they may be one. Just as you and me are one and that you love them as you love me." (John 17: 20- 23). In these words Jesus points out the relationship and dependence among the Trinity and his disciples. This is the art of evangelisation to be united with the Trinity through Jesus Christ, Unity of God and his people.
The Bible is full of beautiful passages about helping one another and living in unity and love. To mention a few:
"Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20)In the Bible we can find many examples of this Haya proverb: Many hands make light work. For example, Jesus himself allowed Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross after Him.
Contemporary Use and Religious Application
Small Christian Communities should be a continuation of the life of the first Christians. All believers continued together in close fellowship and shared their belongings with one another, thus strengthening their faith (Acts 2:44 and 4:32). One of the most common Swahili proverbs is Umoja ni nguvu, utengano ni udhaifu (Unity is strength, division is weakness). To end let me quote from the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on The Church in Africa:
In today's world whether we speak about poverty or riches, the whole world needs unity. The world needs many hands to save it from destruction, to make light and dispel darkness. If the elders' sayings are rejected one normally gets into trouble. Let us give a listening ear to what African proverbs say to us. Many hands make work light.
NOTE: See the reference to this proverb on page 194 in E. Neema, Misemo --Book 3, page 1.
Sister Rita Ishengoma, STH
Nyamwirimira kubhibhi, risambu bhandogera. (Kwaya)
Anayelima vibaya husema shamba lake limerogwa. (Swahili)
A person who does not cultivate well his or her farm always says that it has been bewitched. (English)
Kwaya (Tanzania) Proverb
This saying is common among Kwaya-speaking people in Tanzania. Normally the Kwaya use sayings with hidden meanings like proverbs. This saying is usually used by older people to remind or teach youngsters that they have to live according to the norms and virtues of the society. Although there are some other sayings that are closely related to this one, this saying portrays and depicts how Kwaya people live and behave.
Let us look again at the saying, A person who does not cultivate well his or her farm always, says that it has been bewitched. In its literal meaning this is a typical African thinking. Kwaya people look for and blame a witch whenever things do not go well even if they know the cause of the problems that they are experiencing.
In the religious view this saying can be applied to our daily lives. We always think that
we are trapped into sins because some one person or some people have caused us to go astray. We forget that we also trespass on other people. The only way to live is to avoid trespassing on others so that we all live according to God's love.
Biblical Parallels
Let us refer to Romans 6:15-23: It says, "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." In relation to the Kwaya saying it leads us to a new thinking. In these verses we are told that the reward of righteousness is eternal life while the reward of sin is death. This chapter tells us that you either live in a good way so that at the end you will be rewarded with eternal life or you sin and at the end your wage is death.
Here there is no way you can blame anyone else for your end result. It is between you
and your acts. The Almighty God has given us the Ten Commandments as our guidance in life. Also we have the freewill of doing good or bad things. So you do not have to put your burden on someone else. Lift and carry it alone.
Contemporary Use and Religious Application
I am sure that this saying has meaning and purpose in our religious life. Although it might have been coined when Kwaya people were not yet Christianised, it is still relevant today when most Kwaya people are followers of Jesus Christ. This saying is not only good for children who are learning church teachings, but it is also good in sermons. It can be effectively used by government leaders especially right now where there is a deadly pandemic AIDS. Many people in Tanzania still do not believe that HIV/AIDS is a disease that is transmitted from one person to another. So whenever one person in a family or society contacts the disease other members (of the family or society) claim that the victim has been bewitched. It is high time that people learn and understand that the extent of any effect is due to the same extent of its cause.
Veneranda F. Malima and Damas Kagere
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
E-mail: vefla@usa.net
Amaadhi amasabe tigamala ndigho. (Soga)
Maji ya bure hayakati kiu. (Swahili)
Water that has been begged for does not quench the thirst. (English)
Soga (Uganda) Proverb
The Soga people (also known as the Basoga), who number nearly 2 million, mainly live in an environment on and surrounding the north-central shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda. The Basoga have a wealthy tradition of oral literature, although it has not been as well published as that of their more populous Baganda (Ganda) neighbors who live to the west of them. But the two ethnic groups share many of the same proverbs, personal names and words. Fortunately, there has been an increasing drive to document Lusoga language and literature. Lusoga-English dictionaries and a Bible are now in print and lots more is being written. The Ganda equivalent of the proverb above is "Amazzi amasabe tegamala nnyonta."
Begging involves a lot of courage and perseverance, and it can take a while for the person who often begs or unduly asks for help to be given what he or she wants. In most cases the items received that were begged for turn out to be below the standard of what the begging person needs or desires. Something that was asked for is likely to be limited, below what was required or unsatisfactory. Receivers also tend to exercise less care in utilizing things that were given to them free of charge. Begging can indeed worsen the spirit of slothfulness on the beggar's part. It perpetrates a spirit of not having definite commendable goals in life. It is, therefore, best for one to put in adequate effort to achieve and obtain what he or she wants. People who work hard rather than habitually ask for favors turn out to achieve more and be more materially and psychologically contented than those who often look to be pitied and done favors. At the same time those people from whom things are begged are inconvenienced since they may not have enough to give out. They also may have to put in effort on behalf of a person who is simply lazy and unduly dependent. The giver would then not be in a position to give away much to the beggar.
The Judeo-Christian tradition discourages idleness which can perpetrates the spirit of over dependence on others that are not be equipped to always help. Laziness can encourage lots of sinful ways that include stealing and drunkenness. One who habitually begs could likely turn out to be a dissatisfied and brazen soul. The Bible calls us forth to work hard and honestly and to help those who are genuinely in a position of need other than that of needless over-dependence. Those in need can include the sick, the handicapped and those suffering through adverse conditions (such as famine, pestilences, money shortages) that are so overbearing. Rather let the person labor, doing honest work with his or her hands so that he or she may be able to give to those in need (Ephesians 4: 28). By so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus when he said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20: 35) and "Give to him who begs from you" (Matthew 5:42).
None of us can meet all our needs without the help of others. Requesting help is encouraged where appropriate. Indeed this Soga proverb functions to discourage people from becoming over-dependent and exploitative of others. Working hard in a personal effort to gain and achieve is, at the end of the day, psychologically and materially satisfying. People who work hard tend to have commendable goals. It is such hard work that tends to reap significant fruits. One who lives on relying on others not only becomes a dissatisfied soul, but also is a nuisance and a burden to society. The effort that such a person uses to beg for pennies could well be put to use for actual work that pays reasonable dividends. Jonathan Musere
Contemporary Use and Religious Application
USA
Mbaara ti ûcûrû. (Gikuyu)
Vita si uji. (Swahili)
War is not porridge. (English)
Gikuyu (Kenya) Proverb
Background,
Traditionally among the Gikuyu people in Kenya porridge was the main beverage and was usually used to welcome visitors at home. It was also used as breakfast before people dispersed to attend to their various chores. As such porridge taking was a common, everyday experience. Indeed, whenever there was extra left over at any one sitting people were encouraged to take more of it to their fill.
Reflecting on war, the Gikuyu people concluded that unlike porridge war should never be encouraged but be avoided and therefore be made a less frequent affair. This is the moral of the proverb whereby war, a destructive and non-beneficial thing, is contrasted with porridge, a good thing. The proverb is therefore asking people to seek peace which has every benefit and that people living together can enjoy. On the one hand the Gikuyu proverb can be applied to discourage (prevent) people from making war. On the other hand it can be used in efforts to stop (reconcile) warring parties and encourage possibilities for the consideration of peace.
Biblical Parallels
The teaching of the proverb compares well with the message of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount where he says: "Blessed are peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Matthew 5: 9). In other words Jesus, like the Gikuyu proverb, urges the need of peace seeking and the avoidance of mindless, non-beneficial conflicts. In the case of Jesus, the benefits of seeking peace are our heavenly inheritance as God's children.
Contemporary Use and Religious Application
On the secular front the proverb can be applied at almost all levels starting from the family to the community and even internationally among nations. Once again the application here is direct in that it's asking to take the step of preventing potential conflict and also to emphasize the need for seeking resolutions to on-going ones, if only to avoid the obvious costly consequences of war. The Kenyan proverb is talking about the need for human beings to avoid wars and encourage peaceful co-existence. So the proverb can be used in almost all situations warranting comment on non-violence and intolerance.
On the religious level in sermons it can be used to by preachers to (1) encourage cohesion of members where there are schisms in the church and (2) preach values that encourage family unity among members of the church. In everyday conversation it can be used in quarrelsome situations that arise when people are staying together. There are many instances of intolerance when people are together that need to give peace a chance. This can be done by using this proverb. The proverb is telling people to know that they have a responsibility to talk "with" one another rather than talking "at" one another if the culture of peace is to be encouraged. In articles and conferences the proverb can be used to condemn aggressors and their violent tendencies and commend the initiatives of peace seekers. This includes getting concerned about the many innocent people on whom violence is meted.
Other areas where this Kenya proverb can be used are in social institutions like the family and school. These are institutions that are critical in shaping future members of our society through socialization. Here the manner in which we socialize our children will determine what kind of human being they will become after growing up, i.e. peace seekers or aggressors. Therefore the proverb can be used in education for non-violence and the promotion of the culture of peace among all humanity.
NOTE: See the reference to this proverb on page 194 in the section on "Gikuyu Proverbs on Peacemaking and Violence" in Gerald Wanjohi's The Wisdom and Philosophy of the Gikuyu Proverbs (Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa, 1997).
Joseph Kariuki Muriithi
Nairobi, Kenya
E-mail: joekariuki@grapak.africaonline.com
Jirikurun men o men ji la, a te ke bama ye. (Bambara)
Bambara (Mali) Proverb
This Bambara proverb also has versions in other African languages. A proverb in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) says: Wood may remain ten years in the water, but it will never become a crocodile. When you see a log floating in the river, you know it doesn't belong there and that it got there by accident. It can stay in the river for a long time, but it will not become a fish or a crocodile. A log it was and a log it will remain. A black person, even if he spends his entire life around white people, doesn't change color (and vice versa). "Know yourself" is the way or path of the wise.
In daily use this Bambara proverb is used to make the point that you can't be something you're not and thus stresses the importance of just being yourself. I lived in Mali for a little over two years as a Peace Corps worker. This proverb had special meaning when Malians were interacting with a foreigner such as myself. It was their way of saying to me that I could never become a Malian and they could never become Americans. Malians are rightfully proud of their cultural heritage and cling tightly to their traditional customs. I'm sure many Westerners would say that Malians are overly resistant to change, but that assessment merely betrays a different cultural bias.
Biblical Parallels
In certain ways we are called to change our lives. Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3). This change requires a zeal, a commitment, a forward direction. St. Paul says: "But this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14).
Contemporary Use and Religious Application
On one level this Bambara proverb speaks to the importance of being true and faithful to one's heritage and traditions. For example, the whole study of African Oral Literature (proverbs, sayings, riddles, stories, fables, myths, songs, etc.) emphasizes the values in African culture and their enduring richness.
Part of the richness of this Mali proverb is that it can also teach the opposite of its literal meaning, what some call a symbolic reversal. So on another level the proverb teaches that we can change and be transformed, that "metaphorically" a log can become a crocodile. In the political sense we can overcome corruption and bribery in Africa. In the social sense we can create behavioral change to reduce AIDS. In the religious sense we can bring about conversion and transformation in our Christian lives.
This proverb is explained in the book: Sentences et Proverbes Bambara by El hadj Sadia Traore. Published by Editions JAMANA (B.P. 2043 Bamako, Mali). 1989.
Mike McCabe (with material added by Joseph Healey, M.M.)
Madison, Wisconsin
U.S.A.
E-mail: cubswin@itis.com
Edo (Nigeria) Proverb 
Ehemwen wÿÿ iren te gua so ihuan, ren te vbe gua ku, sokpan ukpÿ iye-ÿkhÿkhÿ ÿre ÿ ma gie iren ku iku iren vbe avan. (Edo)
A cockroach knows how to sing and dance, but it is the hen who prevents it from performing its art during the day. (English)
Une blatte sait chanter et danser, mais c'est la poule qui l'empeche de le faire pendant la journee. (French)
The story of a singing and dancing cockroach belongs to the imaginary world of folktale where ants walk erect and spiders hold court. No one has seen a singing and dancing cockroach, but the sight of a hen chasing a cockroach is a common spectacle in many African villages. For the hungry hen, mindless of the plight of the cockroach, it makes a delightful meal. The cockroach is not oblivious to its precarious existence -- that it has an enemy who is mostly alert at daytime. This is inhibiting because it cannot then show what it is capable of doing at a time when all can see. It is forced to perform in the dark for its own safety. It is such a situation that this Nigerian proverb describes.
Biblical Parallels
Beauty and talent are not the exclusive preserve of any one person or group. They belong to the realm of grace freely bestowed. Each person is called to develop these gifts in service of humanity. "You are the salt of the earth... You are the light of the world..." says Jesus of Nazareth. "Your light must shine before others, that they may see your goods deeds and glorify your heavenly Father" (Matthew 5:13-16). In the gospels many things can prevent a person from showing his or her talents: hostility, lack of faith, doubt, etc. See Luke 4:14-30, Mark 6:1-6, Matthew 14:22-32 and Mark 9:14-29. As Jesus asks: "To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn'" (Matthew 11:16-17). What prevents us from singing and dancing?
Contemporary
Use and Religious Application
There abound in our societies here in Africa men and women who can sing and dance to the tune of the finest manifestations of the human spirit. They are those simple men and women struggling to make a life out of difficult conditions in towns and cities, refugee camps, AIDS orphanages, etc. In their own way they constantly struggle to facilitate the advent of the Reign of God here on earth. These people are our contemporary 'cockroaches'. Like the cockroach in this Edo proverb, they are forced to live in the dark, never venturing to bring to light their contributions to the advancement of our humanity. They cannot always sing and dance in the open to the tune of their dream of a renewed humanity. This is because there are also the ravenous hens around in our societies. They are the dictators, oppressors, war-mongers, corrupt leaders, etc. who create unfavorable conditions and who prevent others from realizing their full potential as human beings gifted with beauty, grace and dignity.
Rev. A. E. Orobator, S.J.
London, England
E-Mail: Batorsj@aol.com
Songe (Democratic Republic of the Congo - DRC) Proverb
Explanation
The Songe language is spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) mainly in the Kabinda Zone and eastward into the Kongolo and Kabalo Zones of Shaba Region as well as in Western Kalebwe and the Kasai Oriental Region between the Sankuru and Lualaba rivers. In this proverb the "Kachenche," a type of very small bird, is despised by other birds because of is small size. But in his or her own home the bird is given proper respect and much praise.
There is a true story of two people (a priest and a catechist) who went to a hospital to greet the sick. At the front gate the catechist was let in because his appearance was pleasing - tall and heavy-set. But the priest was refused entry because of his poor appearance and short stature. The guard judged on external appearances only.
The Wasonge people use this proverb to stress the importance of welcoming all people. What are important are not external appearances, but what is inside or the real part of a person: intelligence, wisdom, goodness and fine living. Also this proverb is used every time a person despises another person, especially a person he or she doesn't know.
Biblical Parallels
"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!" (Matthew 23:37). There are various examples where the prophets, the messengers of God in the Old Testament, were not recognized.
He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God" (John 1:11-12). The people in Nazareth judged Jesus Christ on external appearances and considered him an ordinary carpenter. They did not recognize him as the Son of God. Even today we do not recognize Christ present in other people. We do not understand the meaning of Jesus' words. "Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters that you do unto me" (Matthew 25:45).
Religious Use and Application
Jesus Christ was scorned and distained by certain people because they did not really know who he was. They saw only his humanity without recognizing his divinity. But God does not look at the appearance of a person, rather his or her spirit and inner qualities. If we are all children of God then we should resemble him. Similarly if "God is love," by being children of God we should be recognized by our love for others. When we see a person it is necessary to welcome him or her and love him or her as a brother or sister in Jesus Christ.
or
Rev. Edward Makimba Milambo
Kongolo Diocese
c/o Procure de Mission
Roikapelstraat, 20
B - 3052, Blanden, Belgium
Krio (Sierra Leone) Proverb
Explanation
Krio (or Creole) is the "lingua franca" throughout Sierra Leone in West Africa and the formal language for those who do not speak English. This proverb refers not only to the physical height of the okra tree, but also its inability to be superior and greater than its master. It has several interpretations amongst the Creole Ethnic Group in Sierra Leone. Most Creole people have housekeepers, caretakers, office messengers, etc. A houseboy employed by a Creole is subordinate to his master. Consider the example of a youth who has gone abroad and has acquired a Ph.D. degree. After working abroad for some years he returns home with a European wife and much wealth. At the village square he sees the elders gathered in a meeting. Instead of observing the normal decorum that a youth accords elders, he ignores them thinking his wealth and education have made him higher and greater than the whole village. Hence an elder in his semi-tattered dress calls him over and reminds him of his origin by quoting the proverb okro tik nor de grow pas en master.
Biblical Parallels
Take the example of Absalom revolting against his father King David in 2 Samuel 15: 10-29: "But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, 'As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then shout: Absalom has become king at Hebron'…"(2 Samuel 15:10).
Also see the book of Jeremiah: "Thus says the Lord: Do not let the wise boast in their wisdom, do not let the mighty boast in their might, do not let the wealthy boast in their wealth; but let those who boast, boast in this: that they understand and know me, that I am the Lord; I act with steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord" (Jeremiah 9:23-24).
Contemporary And Religious Use
Fourth Commandment: Youth are advised to honor and respect their parents (elders) so that they may a have long life in the land of God (Yahweh).
This Sierra Leone proverb is used in social life to encourage citizens to abide by the rules, regulations, constitutions and laws of their land. This proverb also reminds a proud student that he or she cannot surpass his or her teacher. The saying No servant is greater than his or her master is both Biblical wisdom and human (African) wisdom.
Brother Victor Chambers, S.D.B.
E-mail:
sdbmoshi@africaonline.co.tz
Joki nô ga volo, ni baka ei gpi murtu. (Balanda/Belanda Viri)
(Also in Sudanese Colloquial Spoken Arabic and Modern Standard Written Arabic)
God is a great eye. He sees everything in the world. (English)
Balanda/Belanda Viri (Sudan) Proverb
Sudanese Colloquial Spoken Arabic (Sudan) Proverb
Modern Standard Written Arabic Proverb (Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea and Sudan) Proverb
Explanation
This Balanda/Belanda Viri Proverb is spoken in Southern Sudan especially around the Wau Road. It also is a Sudanese Colloquial Spoken Arabic Proverb used in Southern Sudan and a Modern Standard Written Arabic Proverb. The proverb urges people to always choose good since God is always watching over them. It is used for both children and adults to make them aware of the ever presence of God in their lives and in all the things that they do and in any situation. It does not matter what we do or in what situation we happen to be. God is the one closest to us.
Biblical Parallels
Psalm 139:1-4: "O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely."
Jeremiah 1:4-5: "Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, ‘before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.’"
Matthew 6:6, 8: "But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you...for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."
Contemporary Use and Religious Application
This African proverb can be used in the formation of a good and active conscience. People have to experience the omnipresence of God in their daily life: To inculcate love of God and hatred towards evil. It is the sign of hope and God’s loving care. God sees us, cares for us, and knows our problems. He knows us through and through. Thus we cannot hide anything from Him.
This proverb is currently very applicable to people, for example, people in the Western world and even some in Africa who are busy with many worldly things and forget the omnipresence of God in the things that they are using or enjoying. Youth of today are too much disturbed by external things, especially in the field of media, for example TV, computer, telephone, Internet, today’s music, etc. As a result they have no idea of the omnipresence of God in the things that they are using. So they need to be conscienticised to the ever presence of God in all that they do. This fits adults too. Some adults, especially those who hold high offices and responsibilities, sometimes think that they are above the law, for example, Chiefs, Governors, Warriors, etc. This Balanda/Belanda Viri and Creole Arabic Proverb instills in people the sense of God who sees, hears and feels the cry of the oppressed. This persuades them to make just laws and fair applications of those laws. Also it instills in leaders a sense of responsibility in caring for the poor, orphans, widows and children.
Brother Moses Amadeus, S.D.B. and Brother Stanislaus Bernard, S.D.B.
Don Bosco College of Philosophy And Youth Studies
Moshi, Tanzania
E-mail: sdbmoshi@africaonline.co.tz