Proverbs (Thimo)

Adū maronana nī marī duīrīro

Submissions needed for translation

Meaning: Simply means people who meet have the opportunity to make a decision

Cia Mūciī ti como

A households affairs should not go out

Meaning: Used to emphasis on the imporance of not airing dirty linen in public

Cia Mūrara nīcio jūru

Going to bed with unresolved issues is bad

Meaning: Used in domestic context, it encourages people to resolve an differences as soon as possible

Ciana cia ithe ūmwe itirūaga

Children of the same father don't fight

Meaning: A rallying call for oneness among families

Gūita na dumo

Leaking from the base of the traditional baskets

Meaning: Means things have gone horribly wrong

Gūthekererwo nī adū ti kūrīrīrwo nī hiti

Peoples laughters are not equalto a Hyenas cries

Meaning: Used to encourage people that their situation is not as dire as they seem to imagine

Gūtirī gware nini mahurianī

There is no small gunuea when dust bathing

Meaning: Used to discourage underestimating anyone in broad contexts but commonly in matters of the bedroom

Gūtirī jūkī ītari ihūa

No bee lacks a flower

Meaning: Used in matters of love to communicate that everyone can have a suitable partner

Gūtirī ngui īrī ūrūme īiyite nyama

Gūtirī ngūkū īkūgaga īthiīte ūgeni

No Cockerel crows in unfamiliar sorrounding

Meaning: Encourages people to be mindful of their behaviour and mannerisms when they are guests somewhere

Gūtirī rīaraga na rītiotwo

No sun lacks baskers

Meaning: Submissions needed for meaning

Gūtirī īkayaga ītarī nūme

No Animal screams without being bitten

Meaning: Used to encourage helping people in distress

Harīa īikagio tiho īgwaga

It doesn’t land where its aimed at

Meaning: Used to broadly mean people who wish you harm will always fail

Hiti cia kūraya itihinyagia mahīdī

Hyenas far away cannot stripmeat in bones

Meaning: Encourages people against relying on promises or help that’s not at hand

Hiti dīrī yarīa Mwana

A hyena has never eaten its cub

Meaning: Submissions needed for meaning

Hiti īkīeda kūrīa mwana īgwatagia aranunga mbūri

A hyena intending to eat its cub accuses it of smelling like a goat

Meaning: Used to refer to betrayal situations where close friends, family , colleagues etc falsely accuse one of their own

Hiti īrī kīnyiria dīnoraga

A hyena with nausea does not grow fat

Meaning: Used to encourage people to work hard and not be chosey when presented with opportunities

Hījio nī maku

Loose weight over you own affairs

Meaning: Directed at people meddling in other peoples affairs. A simple way to say Mind your own business

Ita rītarī dudu rīhūragwo na jūgūma īmwe

An army without a plan is defeated with a single club

Meaning: It encourages people to never overlook preperations and planning especially in joint undertakings

ihu rīgūte nguo rītihithīkaga

Once a pregancy displaces clothing, you can't hide it anymore

Meaning: Used in situations where there is clear evidence to something that has't been disclosed yet, e.g an affair

Ka mūingī koyanagīra ndīrī

Submissions needed for translation

Meaning: Submissions needed for meaning

Kahiū kohīga gatemaga mwene

A sharp knife cuts its owner

Meaning: Used to caution people against over indulging in situations that can come back to bite them

Kanua kaugaga ngemi noko kaugaga mbu

The mouth that allulates is the same mouth that screams

Meaning: Submissions needed for meaning

Kanya gatune nī mwamūkanīro

Submissions needed for translation

Meaning: Submissions needed for meaning

Karothūa

Submissions needed for translation

Meaning: Submissions needed for meaning

Kinya kiri itina nikio kiigaga

Kuna ngū nyama itonekete

Gathering firewood before ascertaining the meat availability

Meaning: Discourages people from hasty decisions

Kī ngoro gītihotanaga

The unspoken never wins

Meaning: Encourages people to speak up and be heard

Kīenyū na Kīenyū cioyanagīra nda

A bite piece and another meet in the stomach

Meaning: Submissions needed for meaning

Kīgoci kīa mūndū tī kīa mutī

A bent person is not a bent tree

Meaning: Urges people to respect and uphold human respect and dignity regardless of perecieved weaknesses and vulnerabilities

Kīnya kīa mūthuuri gītahagio auna ritho

You fetch from an old mans guard when he is not looking

Meaning: Used to encourage young people to respect their elders

Kīrigi gīetagīria mūkwa

Submissions needed for translation

Meaning: Submissions needed for meaning

Kīrimū gītihūragwo

A fool is not beaten

Meaning: Cautions people against wasting time and energy on lost causes

Kīūra kīaringio kiugaga nīkīo kīeringia

When a frog is helped across a river it claims it crossed unaided

Meaning: Brings attention to ungrateful attitudes

Kūaga Mbūrī nī kūaga mūka

Lacking dowry goats is lacking a wife

Meaning: Calls on people to be prepared and to always plan to attain desired results

Kūira nguraro nī kūimbīro

Ignoring the ceremony symbolising full dowry payment is dangerous

Meaning: Encourages people to honour tradition

Kūona ūrirū ti gūkūra

Witnessing the extraordinary doesn’t mean you are old

Meaning: Submissions needed for meaning

Mathanwa me kīondo kīmwe matiagaga gūkomorania

Mbaara ti ūcūrū

Mbūri hīju ndīonaga munīri rūkū

Mucera na mukundu akundukaga otake

Mumagari nī wa Njūa igīrī

Mwana Mūciare ndateagwo

A born child can't be disowned

Meaning: Used to ecourage parents with troublesome children to continue trying to guide and rehabilitate them

Mwarīkī ūrutagia irima thī

Mwere mwega ūmenyagwo na ngetho

Mwīīro wa ngoro ndūkinyaga

Mūcirīri kīrimū ndaigaga Mūthīgi thī

Mūciī urī mūthuri ndūgeragwo rūgito

Mūciī ūmenyagwo nī mūrari ti mūroki

A home is known by who resides there not who visits

Meaning: Used to bring awareness that as an outsider you can never have the whole picture and not to take sides especially in domestic disputes

Mūkui ndarī kūndū athiaga

A deceased goes no where

Meaning: A clarion call to fondly remember people who have passed away

Mūndu aakūra ndatūngaga wandūgū

Mūrega akīrwo ndaregaga akīhītwo

Mūremwo nī kūrūga egwatagia mahiga

Mūrimū wa andū medaine ūtemagwo na mīario

A disease between two lovers is addressed by talking

Meaning: Ecounrages fighting couples to talk it out

Mūruīra kwene ndomaga

He who is circumcised away from home doesn't heal

Meaning: Submissions needed for meaning

Mūthii ndaumbīkaga irigū

Mūthuri aikarīire njūng'wa onaga kūraihu kūrī kīhīī Kīhaicīte mūtī igūrū

Mūthuuri ūtarī kahīī nīwe wīriragīra ngururu

Mūtiga mwaū akoraga irima

Mūtī mūmū ndūciaraga Mūigū

Mūtī ūgwagīra ūrīa arī ikuhī

Ndeto itiikagio ta Njūgūma

Ndia ndiku nī īikagio kamutī

Ndīthīnjagwo kori karīho

Ng'aragu īrīe rūtū

Ngemi ciumaga na Muciī

Njamba iguithagio ni mucakwe

Njigua īrī matū

Njogu ndiremagwo nu muguongo wayo

Njīra ya mūndū ūmwe īthiagīrwo gūtuka

Njīra īkūra īgīaga ime kwī na riūa

Njīīka na njīīka ndīrī marūrū

Nyoongi ndīgimaraga

Nyūmba itirī cīarīmanīra

Nī yūmbūkaga īmbute

Rwī itara rūthekaga rwī riko

Rūūru rūtarī jaū nī rūrathira

Thīga Nīarua marara nja gūtirī

Ti kanua gothe kaugaga ngemi karongoragia ndathimi

Tiga gwītahīra

Wanarumwa ni nyuka arugagio ni kamukwa

Wanaruoana anarūmenya

Warīire ndagathīnie waigire

Watemwo ehera mbere ya rūhiū

Wega ngemi na ndathimi ciumaga na mūciī

Wendo ndūikagīrio ngūrū

wanrwona anarumenya

Ya rwanio īkuaga ona rwanio

īgītunywo mwana nī īikagīrio mūngū

When a calf is being taken away, the cow is given some feed

Meaning: Encourages people to be fair in their dealings

īhītagwo ītenakīra

You chase a cow away before it crosses into the shamba

Meaning: Used to caution people against making decisions too late when damage is already done

īkīhīa mwene nīotaga

The owner of burning house watches on and feels the hear

Meaning: Encourages people to not give up in difficult situations and even it comes to it, to go down fighting

īrī kūrūdwo dīregaga ruorwo

Once its felled, it can't refuse being butchered

Meaning: Used to refer to situations where one is utterly defeated or at wits end and everything is out of their hands

ūtamerithītie ndatigaga kūhanda

ūtarī nī mūigīre