No por mucho madrugar amanece más temprano
(Kuamka mapema hakufanyi jua kuchomoza mapema)
Tout vient a point a qui sait attendre
(Everything comes to those who wait)
Pole pole ndio mwendo
欲速则不达
Tsz-hiá alipokuwa Mkuu wa Mkoa wa Kü-fu, aliomba ushauri wa Konfusio juu ya serikali, Konfusio akajibu "Usitamani matokeo ya haraka. Usiangalie faida ndogo. Ukitaka matokeo ya haraka, hayatakuwa ya mbali; na ukizingatia faida ndogo huwezi kukabiliana vizuri na mambo muhimu."
Kwa mujibu wa tarehe/historia, yaelekea kuwa mithali zilitangulia tungo za ushairi, na watungaji wa Kiswahili walikuwa na fursa ya kutumia hazina kubwa ya mithali zilizohifadhiwa na wakuzaji wa masimulizi na mapokeo ambao wengi wao walikuwa wanawake. Mithali za hapo mwanzoni bila shaka zilitungwa kwa mitindo ya ushairi ambayo polepole ikatakata na kuweka imara miundo ya arudhi/prozodi zilizokubaliwa kuwa za kawaida. Mithali za Kiswahili za kawaida mno, na zilizo fupi pia, ni zenye mizani 6, 8, 12 au 16. Nyingi zao hutumika katika tunga kama mistari, vipande au mikarara/vipokeo. Kuna mifano ming i ya mashairi yanayoanzia na mithali fulani na pia ni maelezo marefu ya mithali yenyewe.Katika mifano ifuatayo kutoka mashairi mbalimbali kuna ikaa (mwendo wa ulinganiful ya 3 + 3, yaani mizani 6 parnoja na kituo cha kati na mkazo kwenye mizani ya mwisho ila moja: [Mifano:] Akili ni mali. Mahaba ni haba. Mapenzi majonzi.
Kituo katika mithali na fumbo kisababishacho vipande 2, 3 au 4 ni sawa na kituo chenye ikaa/mwendo katika mashairi ya vina yenye mizani kamiIi zinazolingana. Vina vyenyewe vinaweza kuelezwa kama ifuatavyo. [Mifano]:
Haraka haraka / haina baraka (aaba, 3+3/3+3)
(Kwa) haba na haba / hujaza kibaba. (aaba, 3+3/3+3)
Kuweka Mipango: Kabla ya kuanza kazi/mradi, chukua muda wa kuweka mipango. Gawanya kazi kubwa katika hatua ndogo zinazoweza kudhibitiwa, na ujipe muda wa kutosha kukamilisha kila hatua vizuri.
Kufanya Maamuzi: Usifanye maamuzi kwa haraka na ya haraka, hasa kuhusu mambo muhimu. Orodhesha chaguzi zako zote, pima faida na hasara, tafuta ushauri, kisha ufanye chaguo sahihi.
Kujifunza: Badala ya kujaribu kusoma kitabu, darasa au zoezi la nyumbani kwa haraka, nenda polepole, jiulize maswali, soma tena na tena hadi uelewe nyenzo kikamilifu. Kwa njia hii utajifunza kweli na kukumbuka habari, badala ya kuisahau haraka. Pia utafurahia kujifunza mengi zaidi!
Mahusiano: Kujenga mahusiano imara huchukua muda. Iwe na marafiki, familia, au mapenzi, usikimbilie. Wekeza muda katika kumfahamu mtu, kumwelewa, na kujenga msingi imara.
Kazi: Zingatia ubora kuliko kasi, na uchukue muda wako wa mapumziko ili kuepuka uchovu. Epuka kuharakisha kazi zako ili kuzimaliza haraka. Ukienda haraka hautafanya kazi yenye ubora wa juu, lakini pia kufanya kazi kwa makini hukusaidia kujifunza na kukua.
Afya: Usitafute suluhisho la haraka wala njia za mkato katika masuala ya afya yako. Mazoezi, chakula safi, na mapumziko ni muhimu, na yote yanahitaji muda.
Kujiboresha: Ukuaji na maendeleo ya kibinafsi ni mchakato wa muda mrefu. Usiharakishe. Weka malengo yanayoweza kufikiwa, yafanyie kazi hatua kwa hatua, na uthamini ushindi mdogo unaoendelea.
Mindfulness (uwepo wa kiakili): Kuwa makini na mahali ulipo na kile unachokifanya. Wakati wa kula, furahia ladha kile unapotafuna. Unapozungumza na mtu, mzikilize kwa makini. "Haraka haraka haina baraka" inatufundisha maisha ni safari.
Better than never is late
“Bora kuliko kamwe ni kuchelewa
-The Canterbury Tales, The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
Lilatini: potiusque sero quam numquam
Bora kuchelewa kuliko kukosa kabisa
- History of Rome, Book 4
It's never too late
Hakuna kuchelewa
Don't close the gate after the horse has bolted.
Usifunge mlango baada ya farasi kukimbia
जब जाति तब सवेरे
Wakati wowote unapoamka, ndo asubuhi yako
Fikiria kama umechelewa Mahojiano ya Ajira. Ungefanyaje? Next time unapofikiri "Nimeshachelewa" jiambie "Bora kuchelewa kuliko kukosa kabisa." Kwa mfano makala hii ya Methali ya Siku ilichelewa, lakini sasa unaisoma - Asante!
One man's meat is another man's poison.
Haba na haba hujaza kibaba
Little by little fills up the jar
Little drops of water,
Little grains of sand,
Make the mighty ocean
And the pleasant land.
Thus the little minutes,
Humble though they be,
Make the mighty ages
Of eternity.
A penny spar'd is twice got.
- Outlandish Proverbs by George Herbert (1640)
Necessary Hints to Those That Would Be Rich
The use of money is all the advantage there is in having money. For six pounds a year [interest] you may have the use of one hundred pounds [a loan], provided you are a man of known prudence and honesty.
He that spends a groat [4 pence] a day idly spends idly above six pounds a year, which is the price for the use of one hundred pounds.
He that wastes idly a groat's [4 pence] worth of his time per day, one day with another, wastes the privilege of using one hundred pounds each day.
He that idly loses five shillings' worth of time loses five shillings, and might as prudently throw five shillings into the sea.
He that loses five shillings not only loses that sum, but all the advantage that might be made by turning it in dealing, which by the time that a young man becomes old will amount to a considerable sum of money.
Again, he that sells upon credit asks a price for what he sells equivalent to the principal and interest of his money for the time he is to be kept out of it, therefore, he that buys upon credit pays interest for what he buys, and he that pays ready money might let that money out to use, so that he that possesses anything he has bought pays interest for the use of it.
Yet in buying goods it is best to pay ready money, because he that sells upon credit expects to lose five per cent by bad debts; therefore he charges on all he sells upon credit an advance that shall make up that deficiency. Those who pay for what they buy upon credit pay their share of this advance. He that pays ready money escapes, or may escape, that charge.
"A penny saved is twopence clear;
A pin a day's a groat a year."