Arungún àgbẹ̀ ni í jẹ èbù iṣu. /
Only a wasteful farmer eats his yam seedlings.
[Be strategic: don't compromise the future for the present; don't choose short-term gains to end up with long-term pains; you can't harvest what you are unwilling to plant.]
Ẹyẹ tó bà lórí igi àgbọn, eré ló lọ ṣe, kì í ṣe omi àgbọn ló fẹ́ mu. /
A bird that perches on a coconut palm is not out to drink coconut water, but simply to while away time.
[Don't waste resources pursuing what you can never achieve; it's futile engaging in potentially fruitless pursuits.]
Àǹfàní ò nírù, bó bẹ́ wọ igbó, kò sí ohun táà á fi fàá /
Opportunity has no tail, once it dashes into the forest, there's nothing with which to pull it out.
[Promptly take advantage of opportunities; make hay while the sun shines; procrastination can be costly]
A kì í sòótọ́ inú, kí ọ̀rọ̀ ẹni má d'ayọ̀, báyé ẹni bá dojúrú, ìwà èèyàn ló yẹ ká wò /
A honest life cannot but end well; if a life remains unpleasant, the person's character should be examined.
[Our character often determines our experience; tweak it for a better life.]
Ọmọ aráyé ńp'àtẹ́wọ́ fún yànmùyánmú, inú ẹ̀ ńdùn; kò mọ̀ pé òun ńfi ikú ṣeré ni. /
People clap for the mosquito and it is happy, not knowing the clapping is meant to kill it.
[Be perceptive: don't mistake threat for praise or notoriety for fame; arrogance fused with ignorance is a fatal flaw]
Ẹni tó mu ẹ̀kọ tán tó tún ńta eyín, tó bá jẹ ẹran, ṣé a ṣe iṣẹ́ abẹ ni? /
If you are picking your teeth after drinking pap, will you need surgery after eating meat?
[Avoid overreaction: don't make a big deal of a trifle; don't make a mountain out of a mole hill]
When people respect you after first knowing your financial worth, political high office, or corporate title, that is not really respect. That is a calculation. And the thing is that calculation hardly leads to genuine admiration. In life, those you need around you as your core, and even in marriage, are people who respect, admire and are most civil to you before knowing your level. Position based respect eventually results in opposition!
#RenosNuggets
Ojúbọ̀rọ̀ kò ṣeé gba ọmọ lọ́wọ́ èkùrọ́. /
Extricating the kernel from the palm kernel nut is not an easy task.
[Good things don't always come easy: be willing to pay the price; looking for the easy way can be inefficient: meaningful gains would involve labour.]
Olókùnrùn tó máa jẹ ẹyin ejò, abarapá ló fẹ́ fi kóbá. /
A sick person who craves snake's eggs simply wants to put the healthy person (who'sto get them) in trouble.
[Help others, if you can, but don't take on too high a risk; some demands are traps for the helper; beware of requests of those who have nothing to lose.]
Àparò lóun ò lóògùn, ìfura lòun ní; ó ní tí olóko bá bẹ̀rẹ̀ òun mọ̀ pé òkò ló ńmú. /
The partridge says 'I have no charms, I'm simply vigilant; I know that when the farmer bends down, he is reaching for a stone to pelt me'.
[Be vigilant and perceptive: trust your eyes and instincts, not spurious tales; prioritise your observations and gut feelings over external fluffs.]