Ẹní bá mọ ayé jẹ, kì í gun àgbọn.

Denotative meaning: He who wants to enjoy life will not climb the coconut tree.
Connotative meaning: He who will live long will not live a reckless life.

Ẹní bá rù ló mọ ohun tó fara ṣe

Denotative meaning: A person that loses weight knows what he or she has done with his or her body.'

The connotative meaning is that only the afflicted knows the cause of the affliction. Most times, human beings are the architect of their misfortune.

Ò nse mí, ò ngbà mí, làá se ndúpẹ́ lọ́wọ́ ẹni tó nse ni.

This means, 'we thank the hypocrite because he or she is as nice as cruel'. This wise saying is used when referring to a person that appears kind but behind the kindness is an ulterior motive. The hypocrite comes to console the victim face-to-face and as well speaks against the victim.

ẸNÌ KAN KÌ Í GBỌ́N TÁN

This proverb means, 'no-one is an island of knowledge.' We all learn one way or the other from the people around us. This is a story-turned-proverb in the Yoruba land.

          It is a story about the tortoise, who thought he was wiser than others. In his supposed wisdom, he arranged a heavy bag, and attached it to his neck in order to climb a tree. With the load in front, he could not climb the tree. He tried to climb the tree all day but could not.

          In the evening, someone came around and saw the tortoise struggling with this heavy bag as he attempted to climb the tree. The person then advised the tortoise to put the bag behind rather than in-front. The tortoise did this and it worked. From this event, the tortoise learnt that he does not have all the knowledge as he assumed earlier.

          This story turned into a proverb in the Yoruba land, and it is used to correct someone that thinks he knows it all.

Ibadan

Ibadan.

Ibadan, where Oluyole was born

The third largest city in Africa

Known for its ancient civilization

As peaceful as anyone could describe

As quiet as the people would like it

I think of Ibadan, I think of tranquillity in a city

I think of Ibadan, I think of country life and city life same time

Ibadan, the city of great warriors,

Ibadan, the town of Ogunmola, Ibikunle, Ajayi and Ojo
The legendary Efunsetan

The kind woman whom by nature’s occurrence turned wicked

A true mother, rich in every way

A woman with the confidence of a man
The great loss turned the tide in her history of good deeds

Ibadan, the home of Latoosa

Hmn, “Are Latoosa” “Are Ona Kakanfo”

The great field mashal

Who travail in the face of war.

Latoosa, the great warrior, valiant in battle and astute in leadership

Can the history of the Kiriji war be complete without Latoosa?

Ija ‘gboro ni’ja Ibadan!

Ibadan that glories in the victories and losses of her valiant ones

Ibadan that learns from the misdeeds of her elders

Bee ba gbo iku Gaa, ki e dawo ibi duro

(If you know the end of Gaa, you will desist from evil)

Ibadan that stands against that which is bad.

Ibadan, with the unique language

Do I hear someone say “shiken” for Chicken?

“Shair,” in the place of Chair, “Sow” for Show

They never meant to bastardize another man’s language

They are simply the Ibadan that they are.

Adugbo bee re bee, Ibadan bee ree bee

(Large land area, many compound houses makes Ibadan)

From Agodi to Dugbe; Beere to Beyeruka;

Mapo down to Gate; Oke Are, Oke Paadi

Ososami, Oke Ado, Orita-merin, Orita mefa

Ogunpa Oyo, Yemetu Aladorin, Challenge

Molete, Oluyole, Bodija, Ashi, Basorun, Eleyele,

Apata-Ganga, Omi-adio, Bako, Bakatari

Owode, Orisunbare, Aleshiloye, Odo-Ona

Ibadan, the town for all

Ibadan to gb’ole, to gb’ole

(Ibadan where both thieves and the lazy dwell happily)

Ibi ole ti n gbe jare ol’oun

(Where the thief is favoured)

Ibadan mesi ogo!

Ebaami ki oke Ibadan o

(I salute the Ibadan hill)

The hiding place of warriors

The deliverer of the warrior of old

No wonder they worship you as a deity

Even as you breed other hills

Oke Are, Oke mapo, Oke Mokola, Olorunkole, Bako...

Ibadan, where civilization crawled in.

The premiere university -University of Ibadan

The first television station in Africa- NTA Ibadan

The first sky-scrapper- Cocoa House

Eba odan (Where bats dwell), the home of innovation.

Ibadan, Ile Aje

(Ibadan the home of merchandise)

I think of Ojoo market, where the fruits are at a give-away price

Hmn, Ogunpa Oyo, where fashion is called home

Agbeni, the place for provisions

Aleshinloye, the market for the upper class

Dugbe, indeed the centre of merchandise

I choose not to offend the traders at Bodija market

Bola Ige International market (Gbagi titun)

Omi- Adio market, orita-merin, Beere, Akilapa

Ibadan, yes I call you again, IBADAN.

Will these lines ever be complete without my ever great Alma Mata?

Queen’s School Apata Ibadan

Indeed the school of charming girls

Do I hear some ladies respond to the

Blue and White! Call

Hmn, Up QSI!!

How can I ever leave out our kings?

The GCI boys, I salute o

The Alma Mata of the living legend, the WS of our time

Many more to the land of Ibadan

The Ibadan Grammar school, the Loyola College

The st Anne’s’ College, St Theresa’s College, Our Lady of the Apostle, Fatima,

Ibadan Boys’ High School, Wesley College of Science,

These are ever green names.

Ibadan, ar’egun jangan

(Ibadan, the home of masquerades)

The town where masquerades are highly esteemed

Ologbojo, ar’egun jangan

(Ologbojo, that rejoices in masquerades)

To the front of the Ologbojo, I see the masquerade’s calabash

To the left of Ologbojo, I see the many masquerades

To the right of Ologbojo, I see many masquerades

Behind Ologbojo, I see many masquerades

Lole b’egun sere o

Lole b’egun sere

A f’omo a bi loje

Lo le b’egun sere

(Only the child born in the Oje’s compound can play with masquerades)

Ibadan, the home of politics

Ibadan will never forget the man at Molete

The confusing personae

Some call him the kind hearted

Others call him the cruel

The great politician cum area boy that controls rulers

The man with the governor’s portfolio

Ibadan gives equal opportunity to all

Just show the will, Ibadan is behind you

Ibadan dislikes cheating and lying

Ibadan, omo ajoro sun

Ibadan, where the corrugated roofing sheets sings ancient civilization

Where the unplanned terrain says, your great- grand parents lived or passed here

Ibadan where the town head is more popular than some chieftain

Ibadan, we can only be proud of our IBADAN.

Yoruba Proverbs, Their Meaning and Origin. (Itan d'owe- Story turned proverb)

Se b'otimo elewa sapon. (  Cut your coat according to your cloth).


This proverb is adapted from a story. Once upon a time, in the town of Abeokuta, there lived a woman who sells overcooked beans popular known as "Ewa Sapon". These form of beans was well appreciated by many especially people at work.

The woman that sold the beans and  made good sales on a daily basis. People ate and asked for more even when they didn't have money to pay. People bought her woman's beans with cash and when they were out of cash, they buy on credit. It got to the point that the beans seller could not handle the credits anymore.

As she could not cook in large quantity as before, she devised a new means of preventing people from buying on credit. Whenever they came to her, she asked for money, if it was 10k they had, she sold 10k worth of beans. If they beg for more on credit she told them, "se b'otimo", that is "cut your coat according to your cloth." With time, people got used to her new style. Before they asked for more, they knew the response she would give. As a result, they nick-named her "se b'otimo, elewa sapon".

This proverb teaches us to cut our coat according to our cloth so as to always keep our heads above troubles.

Yoruba Proverbs, Their Meaning and Origin. (Itan d'owe- Story turned proverb)

A f'ogbon ologbon s'ogbon ko te boro - (He that learns from others will not make mistakes).


This is a yoruba proverb adapted from a story. In a town, there lived two men with unique names. One was called, A f'ogbon ologbon s'ogbon (One that seeks wisdom from others) and the other, A-tikalaare-gbon (One that believes he knows all).

The king of the town heard of their names and invited the two. He told each of them to bring a pot of water to his palace in five days time. The king gave them a condition and the condition was that the pot must neither be full nor half full.

The two men in question were troubled and almost fell sick. They wondered how the pot will neither be full nor half full. Rationally, the pot would either be full or half ful.

A f'ogbon ologbon s'ogbon (One that seeks wisdom from others) decided to seek an advice from an older friend. The older friend advised him to send a message to the king, telling the king to send two guards to assist him in carrying the pot because the pot would be too heavy for him to carry. A condition was attached- the guard should neither be a man nor a woman.

When the king heard this, he respected A f'ogbon ologbon s'ogbon's (One that seeks wisdom from others) wit. He made him free from the impossible assignment.

 A-tikalaare-gbon (One that believes he knows all) on the other hand did not do anything about the impossible assignment. He believed there was no solution to the problem that the assignment was simply impossible. On the due day, the king sent for A-tikalaare-gbon (One that believes he knows all) and asked that he should be dealt with. The king told him that he deserved to be killed, but for God's mercy. The king advised A-tikalaare-gbon (One that believes he knows all)  that he should learn to hear others opinion on issues.

 A man cannot be an island on his own. There is a need to learn from other people's wisdom.

This proverb is used to correct people that think they know it all. I teaches that two good heads are better than one.