Proverb of the Day
“Akú, nkò ní omitooro-o rẹ̀ ẹ́ lá; àìkú, nkò níí pè é rán níṣẹ́.”
English
Dead, I will not eat its broth; alive, I will not send it on an errand.
Install Yoruba Wisdom on your device and receive a new proverb every day via push notification. Wisdom, one day at a time.
Works on mobile and desktop. No app store needed.
Yoruba proverbs — òwe — are more than pithy sayings. They are a living repository of Yoruba philosophy, ethics, and worldview, passed down through generations. Many are deeply rooted in Ifá, the ancient Yoruba cosmological system of divination, where Orunmila — the Orisha of wisdom — serves as custodian of divine knowledge from Olódùmarè. Others emerge from everyday life, observation of nature, and the collective experience of Yoruba communities across centuries.
Each proverb encodes layers of wisdom in poetic, metaphorical language — like high-level poetry. The literal translation rarely captures the full meaning. That’s why community interpretation is the heart of this app: people explaining what each proverb actually means, its cultural context, and when and how it’s used.
A new proverb is featured every day. Read, reflect, and share your interpretation with the community.