Kwéyòl › Proverbs

Proverbs (59)

• Badnen byen épi makak, men pwengad manyen latjé-li.Joke freely with the monkey, but beware of handling his tail.
• Bagay ki fè zyé fè né.Whatever affects the eye affects the nose.
• Bèf pa jamen ka di savan “mèsi.”Ox never tells the pasture, “thank you.”
• Benyen ich moun, men pa lavé dèyè zowèy-yo.Bathe people’s children but do not wash behind their ears.
• Bon bouch ka ganyen chouval a kwédi.Fair words buy horses on credit.
• Dan pa jamen wi bon bagay.Teeth never laugh at things that are good.
• Dan pa ka pòté dèy.Teeth do not wear mourning.
• Dan pa tjè.Teeth are not hearts.
• Dèyè chyen, sé “chyen”; douvan chyen sé “misyé chyen”.Behind dog’s back, it is “dog”; but before dog, It is “mister dog.”
• Dousman dwèt.Slow and straight.
• Fè pou fè pa mal.Do for do is not hard.
• Fo pawòl mò pou moun pé viv.Words must die that men may live.
• Gwès pa tini santiman.Fat has no sentiment.
• Hay moun, men pa bay yo panyen pou chayé dlo.Hate people, but don’t give them baskets to fetch water.
• Jaden lwen, gonbo gaté.The garden far, the ochro spoils.
• Jan bon-tan ka alé di gouvèné bonjou.Idle people go to wish the governor good day.
• Jan fenyan ka mandé twavay épi bouch, men tjè-yo ka pwiyé Bondyé pou yo pa touvé.Lazy people ask for work with their lips, but their hearts beg God to prevent their getting it.
• Jan ki ka ba ou konsèy ganyen chouval gwo bouden nan louvenay, nan kawèm pa ka widé ou nouwi li.They who advise you to buy a big-paunched horse in the rainy season (when grass is abundant) don’t help you to feed him in the dry season (when grass is scarce).
• Kanawai vlé wi chodyè.The clay-pot wishes to laugh at the iron-pot.
• Ki mélé wòz nan paké bwa Jak?What business has a rose in Jacques’ bundle of wood?
• Ki mélé zé nan kalenda wòch?What business have eggs in the dance of stones?
• Kouwi pa lèd, tan lafòs pa la.To run away is not ugly, when one has no strength.
• Kouyonad sé pa limonad.Nonsense is not sugar-water.
• Kozé sé manjé zòwèy.Conversation is the food of the ear.
• Kwab pa maché, li pa gwa; li maché twòp é li tonbé nans chodyè.Crab has not walked, he is not fat; he has walked too much, and has fallen into the pot.
• Kwapo pa tini chimiz – ou vlé li pòté kaneson!Frog has no shirt (the necessary), and you wish him to wear drawers (the superfluous)!
• Lagè vèti pa ka pwand vyè nèg nan kabawé.A war that is threatened does not overtake old Negroes in the grog-shop.
• Liann yam ka mawé yam.The yam vine ties the yam.
• Makak kawésé ich-li twòp, li fouwé dwèt nan zyé-li.The monkey fondling its young too much has (at length) poked her finger into its eye.
• Makak konnèt ki bwa li ka monté.Monkey knows what tree to climb.
• Makak pa jamen ka di ich-li lèd.Monkey never says its young is ugly.
• Malhè pa ka chajé kon lapli.Accidents do not threaten like rain.
• Maman ka fè ich, mé pa tjè-yo.Mothers make (beget) children, but not their hearts.
• Manjé yon fwa pa ka wizé dan.Eating once does not wear out teeth.
• Menm baton ki bat chyen nwè-la pé bat chyen blan-la.The same stick that beat the black dog can beat the white.
• Mizè ka fè makak manjé piman.Want makes monkey eat pepper.
• Nonm mò, zèb ka lévé douvan lapòt-liThe man has died, grass grows before his door.
• Ou ponkò twavèsé lawivyè; pa jiwé maman kayman.You have not yet crossed the river; do not curse the crocodile’s mother.
• Pa fòt lang ki fè bèf pa sa palé.It is not for want of tongue that ox cannot speak.
• Palé pa wimèd.Talking is no remedy.
• Palé twòp ka lévé chyen nan donmi.Too much talking rouses the watchdog from sleep.
• Pawòl pa tini koulè.Words have no colour.
• Sé kouto ki konnèt sa ki nan tjè jiomou.It is the knife that knows what is in the heart of the pumpkin.
• Sé lang kwapo ki ka twahi kwapoIt is the frog’s own tongue that betrays him.
• Sé lè van ka vanté moun ka wè lapo poul.It is when the wind is blowing that we see the skin of a fowl.
• Sé nan tan lapli bèf bizwen latjè-li.It is in rainy season that the ox has need of his tail.
• Sé soulyé tousèl ki sav si ba tini tou.Shoes alone know if the stockings have holes.
• Si koulèv pas té fonté, fanm sé pwend li fè wiban jip.If the adder were not so brazen, (dangerous) women would take it for coat-strings.
• Si kwapo di ou kayman tini malzyé, kwè li.If the frog tells you the crocodile has sore eyes, believe him.
• Si léfan pa té sav boyo-li gwo, li pa sé valé kalbas.Had the elephant not known the size of his intestines, he would not have swallowed calabashes.
• Si zandoli té bon viand li pa sé ka dwivé.If the lizard had eatable flesh, it would not be so common.
• Tan moun konnèt lòt nan gwanjou, nan nwit yo pa bizwen chandèl poû kléwé yo.When a person has known another in the day-time, he does not need a candle to recognise him at night.
• Tanbou tini gwan twen pas andidan li vid.A drum makes a loud noise because it is empty within.
• Tanpé ka ganyen malè sa doublon pa sa géwi.A penny buys troubles which doubloons cannot cure.
• Twavay pa mal; sé zyé ki kapon.Work is not hard; it is the eyes that are cowards.
• Voyé chyen, chyen voyé latjé-li.Send dog, dog sends his tail.
• Wavèt pa jamen wézon douvan poul.Cockroach never is in the right where the fowl is concerned.
• Wazyé tini zowèy.Bush has ears.
• Yon dwèt pa sa pwand pis.A single finger cannot catch fleas.