DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0213
THE FOLK-LITERATURE OF THE GALLA
197
77. Sare bisdnfoni mi ’effate'ndubbitu. “ The dog who likes soup does not quarrel.”
Because he fears to lose his dinner. Cf. proverb 65.
78. Namni dufu dubbin dufd. “ If a man comes, a quarrel comes.”
This is almost a literal translation of the Amharic proverb saw mattd ndgar yimatal, “A
man has come; a quarrel will come.”
79. Otu kun si'ngeddn dagese kdn si kadn hinnatu! gette szeren. “‘If thou hadst heard
what (ill) they said of thee, thou wouldst not have eaten what they served up for thee,’
said the gossips.”
For insincere hospitality.
80. Bz~eke bofd mild dowe. “ Wisely He (God) denied feet to the serpent.”
Because, if he had feet also, poisonous as he is, he would have destroyed the world.
81. Otu dulladci giru gorbi duti. “ While the old cow lives, the calf dies.”
Death sometimes spares the old and takes the young.
82. Totten "ntoltu intalli akkaon guddiftu. “ As to being good, the girl brought up by
her grandmother is not good.”
Because the grandmother, left without a daughter, brings up her granddaughter with
too many caresses.
83. Dagae getter'nodz~esini | arge! gette"ndubbdtini | kzesasd otu~nubdtini. “ Do not
speak, saying, ‘ I have seen him,’ if thou hast not first searched his heart.”
One should know things and persons well before speaking of them.
84. Otu^nubatin qubd'ngubbatin. “ If thou hast not examined, do not burn thy finger.”
That is, do not put your finger in the fire; do not undertake an enterprise, without
having first considered well whether it can be successful. Cf. preceding proverb.
85. Goron dubbi'nmargu abbdn ofNnargu. “ Nothing sprouts in the enclosure [if] the
master does not himself watch over it.”
This corresponds to the Italian, “The eye of the master fattens the horse,” Uocchio del
padrone ingrassa il cavallo.
86. Kdn dabd tufate agabu buld. “ He who has scorned the piece of bread will pass the
night fasting.”
87. Guddi gudda! Marqdn bule afdn gubbd. “ 0 great wonder! The cold pudding burns
the mouth.”
When one who is considered cowardly or insignificant vanquishes a valiant man.
88. Namni iggd tokko namni niti tokko tokkumdn dumtu. “ The man who has but one
eye and the man who has but one wife perish in one and the same moment.”
Because, if the one eye is lost or the one wife is lost, it is all over with them.
89. Ati gurbd dubbi Masasa Sayfu sittNndebin. “ 0 youth, do not let the affair of
Masa Sayfu be repeated in thy case.”
Masasa Sayfu, daggac, made an expedition against the Gullalib. Notwithstanding the
thousand boasts made by him before the fight, he, with his whole army, was surrounded
197
77. Sare bisdnfoni mi ’effate'ndubbitu. “ The dog who likes soup does not quarrel.”
Because he fears to lose his dinner. Cf. proverb 65.
78. Namni dufu dubbin dufd. “ If a man comes, a quarrel comes.”
This is almost a literal translation of the Amharic proverb saw mattd ndgar yimatal, “A
man has come; a quarrel will come.”
79. Otu kun si'ngeddn dagese kdn si kadn hinnatu! gette szeren. “‘If thou hadst heard
what (ill) they said of thee, thou wouldst not have eaten what they served up for thee,’
said the gossips.”
For insincere hospitality.
80. Bz~eke bofd mild dowe. “ Wisely He (God) denied feet to the serpent.”
Because, if he had feet also, poisonous as he is, he would have destroyed the world.
81. Otu dulladci giru gorbi duti. “ While the old cow lives, the calf dies.”
Death sometimes spares the old and takes the young.
82. Totten "ntoltu intalli akkaon guddiftu. “ As to being good, the girl brought up by
her grandmother is not good.”
Because the grandmother, left without a daughter, brings up her granddaughter with
too many caresses.
83. Dagae getter'nodz~esini | arge! gette"ndubbdtini | kzesasd otu~nubdtini. “ Do not
speak, saying, ‘ I have seen him,’ if thou hast not first searched his heart.”
One should know things and persons well before speaking of them.
84. Otu^nubatin qubd'ngubbatin. “ If thou hast not examined, do not burn thy finger.”
That is, do not put your finger in the fire; do not undertake an enterprise, without
having first considered well whether it can be successful. Cf. preceding proverb.
85. Goron dubbi'nmargu abbdn ofNnargu. “ Nothing sprouts in the enclosure [if] the
master does not himself watch over it.”
This corresponds to the Italian, “The eye of the master fattens the horse,” Uocchio del
padrone ingrassa il cavallo.
86. Kdn dabd tufate agabu buld. “ He who has scorned the piece of bread will pass the
night fasting.”
87. Guddi gudda! Marqdn bule afdn gubbd. “ 0 great wonder! The cold pudding burns
the mouth.”
When one who is considered cowardly or insignificant vanquishes a valiant man.
88. Namni iggd tokko namni niti tokko tokkumdn dumtu. “ The man who has but one
eye and the man who has but one wife perish in one and the same moment.”
Because, if the one eye is lost or the one wife is lost, it is all over with them.
89. Ati gurbd dubbi Masasa Sayfu sittNndebin. “ 0 youth, do not let the affair of
Masa Sayfu be repeated in thy case.”
Masasa Sayfu, daggac, made an expedition against the Gullalib. Notwithstanding the
thousand boasts made by him before the fight, he, with his whole army, was surrounded