Friday, October 8, 2021

Bantu proverbs from Cameroon (2).

Source: Proverbs from West Africa by C. J. Bender, 1924. Online at the Internet Archive. The book includes only the English text, and nothing more specific than "Bantu" for the source (there are several Bantu peoples who live in Cameroon). See more proverbs from this collection. I've made a slideshow just of this collection also (adding new slides gradually):

Bender was a missionary in Cameroon, and you can find out more about the peoples of Cameroon at Wikipedia.

Below are the proverbs I chose from this book; when I've rephrased, I've included the book's version in parentheses. If there is no version in parentheses, that means I didn't make any changes. You can see the whole slideshow here: African Proverbs.


Don't despise the old hoe before you've tried the new one.

(Never despise the old hoe, before you have tried out the new one.)


I scratch with both feet, said the chicken; if I don't find anything with one foot, I will with the other.


If you're going to sweep, you can't sit on the broom.

(He who would sweep the hut must not sit on the broom.)


It rained on the mountain, but the valley was flooded.

(It rained on the mountain-top, but the valley below was flooded.)


The poor man's back benefits the rich man's stomach.









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