A kò lè tìtorí pé omi pá ẹnìkan lórí, kí a má mu omi mọ́. /
We cannot cease from drinking water simply because someone choked on it.
[One isolated incident should not decide the fate of a crucial matter; avoid hasty and sweeping generalisations.]
Àṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀ dáyé ológbò ni í jẹ kísà níyà, bó bá dàgbà tán, a máa tó ọdẹ ẹ́ ṣe. /
A cat is only needy as a kitten; once fully grown it can do its own hunting.
[The period of growth and of dependence is a phase: it is not permanent; the best is yet to come; keep hope alive.]
Bí màlúù tó màlúù, ọ̀pá kan ni Fúlàní fi ńdà wọ̀n.
No matter the sizes of the cows (in a herd), the herder directs them all with one baton.
[One effective leader is enough, no matter how big or complex the group; not the scale or diversity of the challenges that matters]
Ẹnu tó bá ti jẹ dòdò, kò ní lè sọ òdodo. /
A mouth that has tasted fried plantain's sweetness can hardly speak the truth.
[Guard your integrity from compromise - it erodes your strength; a tainted tongue can hardly be trusted.]