“Ẹni tí ìbá hùwà ipá ò hùwà ipá; ẹni tí ìbá hùwà ẹ̀lẹ̀ ò hu ẹ̀lẹ̀; ọ̀kùn tó nígba ọwọ́, tó nígba ẹsẹ̀ ńhùwà pẹ̀lẹ́.”
English
The person one would expect to be reckless is not reckless; the person one would expect to be cautious is not cautious; the millipede with two hundred arms and two hundred legs behaves very gently.
Yoruba proverbs encode layers of wisdom in poetic, metaphorical language. Share what this proverb means to you — its cultural context, when it’s used, and what the metaphors signify.
🗣️
Community interpretations coming soon
Sign in to share your interpretation of this proverb — explain its meaning, cultural context, and the wisdom it carries.