Majambo ya binadamu yana kujaa na kupwa, Yakidakwa yamejaa huongoza ushindini; yakipuuzwa, safari yote ya maisha yao haiachi maji mafu, na hujaa madhilifu.
- BURUTO katika Juliasi Kaizari, na William Shakespeare (ilitafsiriwa na Mwalimu Nyerere)
KiChina: 趁熱打鐵
KiThai: ตีเหล็กเมื่อแดง
KiHindi: लोहा गरम हैं. मार दो हथौड़ा.
KiGaelic (Ireland): buail an t-iarann te
Kiingereza: Strike while the iron is hot.
‘Anichaguaye mimi atakuwa amepata kile wanaume wengi wakitamanicho sana.’
‘Anichaguaye mimi apate astahilicho.’
‘Anichaguaye mimi itambidi atoe, na pia ahatarishe chochote alicho nacho.’
‘Anichaguaye mimi itambidid atoe na pia ahatarishe cho chote alicho nacho.’
‘Anichaguaye mimi apate astahilicho’.
‘Anichaguaye mimi atakuwa amepata kile wanaume wengi wakitamanicho sana!’
Kila kitu king’aacho usidhani ni dhahabu,
umekisikia hicho ni kiambo cha mababu.
Kuniona kwa nje tu, wengi wameuza utu;
Makaburi ya dhahabu yana mafunza ajabu.
Ungekuwa na werevu ulivyo na ushupavu,
kijana kiwiliwili na mzee kwa akili,
usingelistahili kulipewa jibu hili:
Basi buriani dawa; pposa umefarikiwa.
by Ibrahim Nyanda 🏆 Proverb Essay Contest
One man's meat is another man's poison
Nyama na mtu mmoja ni sumu ya mtu mwengine
Ukitaka uvunguni sharti uiname
If you want something underneath [the bed] you must bend down
Mulla [Nasreddin] had lost his ring in the living room. He searched for it for a while, but since he could not find it, he went out into the yard and began to look there. His wife, who saw what he was doing, asked: “Mulla, you lost your ring in the room, why are you looking for it in the yard?” Mulla stroked his beard and said: “The room is too dark and I can’t see very well. I came out to the courtyard to look for my ring because there is much more light out here.”
- Retold by Houman Farzad, Translated from Persian by Diane L. Wilcox (1989)
[A police officer encountered a man groping about on his hands and knees]
“I lost a $2 bill down on Atlantic avenue,” said the man. “What’s that?” asked the puzzled officer. “You lost a $2 bill on Atlantic avenue? Then why are you hunting around here in Copley square?” “Because,” said the man as he turned away and continued his hunt on his hands and knees, “the light’s better up here.”
This picture was created using AI. What do you think?