PROVERBS - METHALI # 01
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  1. Aachaye kweli huirudia
    He who leaves truth behind, returns to it
    (i.e. A person who does something good somewhere, people receive him/her with gladness when he comes back)

  2. Achanikaye kwenye mpini, hafi na njaa
    He who struggles with the hoe, does not die of hunger

  3. Achekaye kilema, hata kwao hipo
    He who laughs at a cripple has one at home

  4. Ada ya mja kunena, muungwana ni kitendo
    A man talks but a gentleman acts
    Actions speak louder than words

  5. Adhabu ya kaburi aijua maiti
    Only the corpse knows the punishment of the grave

  6. Adhihakiye kovu, hajaona jeraha
    He who trivialises a scar hasn't been injured

  7. Adui aangukapo, mnyanyue (muinue)
    When an enemy falls, lift him up

  8. Adui mpende
    Love your enemy

  9. Adui ya mtu ni mtu
    The enemy of man is man

  10. Afadhali akutembeleaye kuliko akutumiaye salaam
    The one who visits you is better than the one who sends you greetings

  11. Afadhali kuaibika kuliko kufa
    Better ashamed than dead

  12. Afadhali kufa kuliko kuaibika
    Better dead than ashamed

  13. Afadhali kuwa jirani wa mbuga kuliko kuwa jirani wa mwenye mdomo mrefu
    It is better to be a neighbour of a steppe than to be a neighbour of one who speaks badly

  14. Afadhali mchawi
    A witch is better
    (i.e. The enemy you know is better than a friend you don't)

  15. Afua ni mbili, kufa na kupona
    Relief comes in two ways, dying or healing

  16. Ahadi ni deni
    A promise is a debt

  17. Aibu ya maiti, aijuaye mwosha
    The shame of the corpse is known to the mortician

  18. Ajali haina kinga (haikingiki)
    An accident cannot be averted
    (i.e. Whatever can go wrong will)

  19. Ajidhanie kasimama, aangalie asianguke
    One who thinks he is standing, should beware of falling

  20. Ajuaye mengi, hasemi mengi
    Who knows more speaks less
    Empty vessels make the loudest noise

  21. Akiba haiozi
    A reserve will not decay
    Put something away for a rainy day

  22. Akufaaye kwa dhiki ndiye rafiki
    A friend in need is a friend indeed

  23. Apandaye haba, huvuna haba
    He who farms little harvests less

  24. Asifuye mvua imemnyea
    He who praises rain has been rained upon

  25. Akili nyingi huondoa maarifa
    Great wit drives away wisdom

  26. Asiyekubali kushindwa si mshindani
    He who does not accept defeat is no sportsman

  27. Atangaye na jua hujua
    He who wanders in the sun, knows

  28. Asiyekuwapo na lake halipo
    If you are absent you lose your share

  29. Avumaye baharini papa kumbe wengi wapo
    Shark is the famous one in the sea but there are many others

  30. Baada ya dhiki faraja
    After hardship comes relief
    Every cloud has a siver lining

  31. Baba wa kambo si baba
    An adoptive father is not a father

  32. Bendera hufuata upepo
    A flag follows the direction of the wind

  33. Bilisi wa mtu ni mtu
    The evil spirit of man is a man

  34. Cha mlevi huliwa na mgema
    The drunkard's money is eaten by the palm-wine tapper

  35. Chanda chema huvikwa pete
    A handsome finger gets the ring

  36. Chema chajiuza, kibaya chajitembeza
    A good thing sells itself, a bad thing advertises itself for sale

  37. Chombo cha kuzama hakina usukani
    A sinking vessel needs no navigation

  38. Chovya-chovya yamaliza buyu la asali
    Constant dipping will empty the gourd of honey

  39. Dalili ya mvua mawingu
    Clouds are the sign of rain

  40. Damu nzito kuliko maji
    Blood is thicker than water

  41. Dawa ya moto ni moto
    The remedy to fire is fire

  42. Dua la kuku halimpati mwewe
    The prayer of the fowl does not bother the hawk

  43. Fadhila ya punda ni mateke
    The gratitude of a donkey is a kick

  44. Fimbo la mnyonge halina nguvu
    A feeble man's stick has no strength
    Might is right

  45. Fimbo ya mbali hayiuwi nyoka
    A weapon thrown from far away won't kill a snake

  46. Fuata nyuki ule asali
    Follow the bees and you will get honey

  47. Fumbo humfumba mjinga
    A parable mystifies a simpleton

  48. Fumbo mfumbe mjinga mwerevu huligangua
    Put a riddle to a fool a clever person will solve it

  49. Ganda la mua la jana chungu kaona kivuno
    The skin of yesterday's sugarcane is a harvest to an ant

  50. Haba na haba hujaza kibaba
    Little by little fills up the measure

  51. Hakuna masika yasiyokuwa na mbu
    There is no rain season without mosquitoes

  52. Hakuna msiba usio na mwenziwe
    Misfortune never comes alone

  53. Hakuna siri ya watu wawili
    A secret is no secret when it is shared by two persons

  54. Hakuna ukuu wa kunguru panzi zikianguka
    Raven's age matters not when there are grasshoppers

  55. Hapana maji yasiyo na mawimbi
    There is no water without waves

  56. Hapana marefu yasio na mwisho
    There is no distance that has no end

  57. Haraka haraka haina baraka
    Hurry hurry has no blessings
    Haste makes waste

  58. Hasira, hasara
    Anger brings loss

  59. Hata paka ana visharubu
    Even a cat has whiskers
    (i.e. Having whiskers is not a guarantee of masculinity)

  60. Hebu kiishe, huchoma mkia
    He who waits until the whole animal is visible spears its tail

  61. Heri kufa macho kuliko kufa moyo
    It is better to lose your eyes than to lose your heart

  62. Heri kenda shika, kama kumi nenda uje
    Better is nine "take-it" than ten "go-and-come"
    A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

  63. Heri kujikwa kidole kuliko ulimi
    Better to stumble with the toe than with the tongue

  64. Hiari ya shinda utumwa
    Voluntary is better than force

  65. Hucheka kovu asiye kuwa na jeraha
    He laughs at scar who has received no wound

  66. Ihsani (hisani) haiozi
    Kindness does not go rotten

  67. Ikiwa hujui kufa, tazama kaburi
    If you don't know death look at the grave

  68. Jembe na mundu ni baba na mama
    Hoe and sickle are your father and mother

  69. Jina jema hungara gizani
    A good name shines in the dark

  70. Jino la pembe si dawa ya pengo
    An ivory tooth is not cure for the lost tooth.

  71. Jitihadi haiondoi kudura
    Effort will not counter faith

  72. Jogoo la shamba haliwiki mjini
    The village cock does not crow in town

  73. Kaa akiinua gando mambo yamekatika
    When the crab raises his claw, there is an end of the matter

  74. Kafiri akufaaye si Mwislamu asiyekufaa
    An infidel who does you a good turn is not like a Muslim who does not

  75. Kamba hukatika pabovu
    A rope parts where it is thinnest

  76. Kanga hazai ugenini
    A guinea-fowl does not lay eggs in strange places

  77. Kawaida ni kama sheria
    Usage is like law

  78. Kawia ufike
    Better delay and get there
    Better late than never

  79. Kazana kulima, usione wanakula
    Struggle farming, don't see them eating

  80. Kazana kulima, vyakupewa havitoshelezi
    Struggle farming, what's given to you doesn't satisfy your needs




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