Source: South African Folk-lore Journal, published in 1879. Online at the Internet Archive. The book includes the Tswana and Ovaherero text plus the English translation.
You can find out more about the Tswana and Herero peoples 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.
Sechuana Proverbs contributed by Mr. S. H. Edwards.The baboon climbs, but doesn't forget that he may fall.
(The baboon is a climber, but does not forget that he may fall.)
There are many dawns.
The lion who kills is the one who doesn't roar.
(The lion which kills is the one which does not roar.)
~ ~ ~
Proverbs of the Ovaherero by Cornelius Zeraus.
The world is always twisting and turning, like the horn of the kudu.
(The world is something turning or changeable like the horn of the koodoo.)
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