SOME POPULAR ETHIOPIAN SAYINGS AND PROVERBS WITH THEIR TRANSLATION AND EXPLANATION IN ENGLISH. 7
37."ምከረው:ምከረው:እንቢ:ካለ:መከራ:ይምከረው::" (Mkerew mkerew enbi kale mekera ymkerew.)
[="Advice him, and, advice him. Stubborn? Let trouble advise him."] Minds are different. But, it does not mean sure or better suggestions don’t have to be bought to. Especially when you share what you know for sure, rejection boils your head. So you go further and insist too much. But after you gave it all (be stubborn yourself) and still stubborn is the other person too, this proverb is for you, and it might quench you as it goes with some contextually deserved attitude. It tells that you withdraw the issue and you decided the situation will teach the person. E.g. "I told him much about the transportation problems in A.A and advised him to migrate here only after he buyt that car for 58,000 Birr. But he is still deaf to my words and opted to retain his money. I can't do anything else. It's advice him, and, advice him. If he refuses, let trouble advise him. I say he will buy the car when he understands the problem by himself.”
38"ጉድ:እና:ጅራት:ከወደሁዋላ:ነው::" (Gud ena jirat kewode huala naw.) [="Tails and shocks come at last."]
This is told when you encounter something bad, unbelievable or unexpected, late. A tail of an animal is found at its back. An unexpected shocking surprise also comes late (or at the end of some happenings). e.g. "Last night, my only son took me to a famous bar and restaurant. He ordered a delicious dinner costing 150 birr. We drank twenty beers and pissed. Tails and shocks are at the end! After the midnight, around eight, three policemen showed up. They took my beloved son. They said he has robbed a big supermarket. Thank God they said it is not a big crime"
39."መካሪ:የሌለው:ንጉሥ:ያላንድ:አመት:አይነግስ::" (Mekari yelellaw nigus yalland amet aynegs.) [="A king without advisors reigns no longer than a year.]
This saying is told to encourage people listen what other tell them. Or it is to express a person who was in a good position (status) or wealth has lost his fortune because of his/her naiveness to what they had and lack (absence) of advice. e.g. "It was last year when he won the New Year Lottery, two million birr. But it was like a king who has no advisory never rule except a year. No one was willing to advice him what to do. Rather all who know him befor wasted the money with him. It's bad when you do not know what to do when you can. Even worse is when you have no one to advice you."
40."በባዳና:በጨለማ:አይፈጠጥም::" (Bebada ena bechelema ayfetetm.)
[="You don't stare on darkness and stranger"]
This is clear. People say this when they come across with deception or mistreatment just because they are not relatives or a darkness has done them something wrong. The proverb reminds that one should not always depend on strangers or the dark. If some one is related with you by blood, you would ask for help, since you have one flesh and blood. But in some cases, a person who is never related with you wether by blood or some other way, might not do what you want them to do, while you believe a relative of you would have done it for you. e.g. "Why don't you ask our new neighbour help you get hired in his furniture factory?" "I did, last week. I gave him my CV. But he hired his friend's two sisters. They have only diploma in ICT. I have a degree in that. What can you do of it? You don't stare at darkness and stranger. Come off it!"
41."የጠገበ:ቅማል:ይተኛል:እንጂ:አይባላም::" (Yetegebe qmal yitegnal enji aybalam.) [="A satisfied flea (would rather) sleeps, than suck."]
This one is told when people are happy with their bad situation or difficulties, because it's suffering is adapted to and trying anything new might cause even a worse situation. A flea that is hungry sucks your blood. But already filled one will only sleep in your body (until he gets hungry again). The flea is the difficulty. A filled belly and sleeping (no more sucking for the moment) is to mean the difficulties are now a little bit milder, so get use to them. e.g. "Why don't you divorce your drunkard husband?" "No. No. No. He is drinking only since the time he lost all his property. Now his father and brothers are trying to help him recover. For sure, he will soon restart his business and forget or reduce drinking. He is good to me and better than Abera and Molla, my former husbands who were addicts and also totally poor. So, I would say a filled flea sleeps. And never sucks your blood."
[="Advice him, and, advice him. Stubborn? Let trouble advise him."] Minds are different. But, it does not mean sure or better suggestions don’t have to be bought to. Especially when you share what you know for sure, rejection boils your head. So you go further and insist too much. But after you gave it all (be stubborn yourself) and still stubborn is the other person too, this proverb is for you, and it might quench you as it goes with some contextually deserved attitude. It tells that you withdraw the issue and you decided the situation will teach the person. E.g. "I told him much about the transportation problems in A.A and advised him to migrate here only after he buyt that car for 58,000 Birr. But he is still deaf to my words and opted to retain his money. I can't do anything else. It's advice him, and, advice him. If he refuses, let trouble advise him. I say he will buy the car when he understands the problem by himself.”
38"ጉድ:እና:ጅራት:ከወደሁዋላ:ነው::" (Gud ena jirat kewode huala naw.) [="Tails and shocks come at last."]
This is told when you encounter something bad, unbelievable or unexpected, late. A tail of an animal is found at its back. An unexpected shocking surprise also comes late (or at the end of some happenings). e.g. "Last night, my only son took me to a famous bar and restaurant. He ordered a delicious dinner costing 150 birr. We drank twenty beers and pissed. Tails and shocks are at the end! After the midnight, around eight, three policemen showed up. They took my beloved son. They said he has robbed a big supermarket. Thank God they said it is not a big crime"
39."መካሪ:የሌለው:ንጉሥ:ያላንድ:አመት:አይነግስ::" (Mekari yelellaw nigus yalland amet aynegs.) [="A king without advisors reigns no longer than a year.]
This saying is told to encourage people listen what other tell them. Or it is to express a person who was in a good position (status) or wealth has lost his fortune because of his/her naiveness to what they had and lack (absence) of advice. e.g. "It was last year when he won the New Year Lottery, two million birr. But it was like a king who has no advisory never rule except a year. No one was willing to advice him what to do. Rather all who know him befor wasted the money with him. It's bad when you do not know what to do when you can. Even worse is when you have no one to advice you."
40."በባዳና:በጨለማ:አይፈጠጥም::" (Bebada ena bechelema ayfetetm.)
[="You don't stare on darkness and stranger"]
This is clear. People say this when they come across with deception or mistreatment just because they are not relatives or a darkness has done them something wrong. The proverb reminds that one should not always depend on strangers or the dark. If some one is related with you by blood, you would ask for help, since you have one flesh and blood. But in some cases, a person who is never related with you wether by blood or some other way, might not do what you want them to do, while you believe a relative of you would have done it for you. e.g. "Why don't you ask our new neighbour help you get hired in his furniture factory?" "I did, last week. I gave him my CV. But he hired his friend's two sisters. They have only diploma in ICT. I have a degree in that. What can you do of it? You don't stare at darkness and stranger. Come off it!"
41."የጠገበ:ቅማል:ይተኛል:እንጂ:አይባላም::" (Yetegebe qmal yitegnal enji aybalam.) [="A satisfied flea (would rather) sleeps, than suck."]
This one is told when people are happy with their bad situation or difficulties, because it's suffering is adapted to and trying anything new might cause even a worse situation. A flea that is hungry sucks your blood. But already filled one will only sleep in your body (until he gets hungry again). The flea is the difficulty. A filled belly and sleeping (no more sucking for the moment) is to mean the difficulties are now a little bit milder, so get use to them. e.g. "Why don't you divorce your drunkard husband?" "No. No. No. He is drinking only since the time he lost all his property. Now his father and brothers are trying to help him recover. For sure, he will soon restart his business and forget or reduce drinking. He is good to me and better than Abera and Molla, my former husbands who were addicts and also totally poor. So, I would say a filled flea sleeps. And never sucks your blood."
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