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 - The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
There was no end to it; tribunes of the commons and patricians could not subsist in the same state; either the one order or the other office must be abolished; and that a stop should be put to presumption and temerity rather late than never. - Livy, History of Rome, Book 4
जब जाति तब सवेरे
Whenever you wake up, that’s your morning
Don't close the stable door after the horse has bolted
Imagine you woke up late for a job interview. What would you do? Would you scramble to get dressed and make it to the meeting as quickly as possible? Or would you think "Forget it, it's not worth going at all now"? Next time you think "It's too late" try telling yourself "Better late than never." For example, this Proverb of the Day was posted late, but at least you're reading it now - Thanks!
We still have judgment here; that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return
To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice
Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice
To our own lips. (Macbeth Act I, Scene 7)
As you sow, so shall you reap (Galatians 6:7)
善有善報,惡有惡報
Good is rewarded with good, and evil with evil.
Wie man in den Wald hineinruft, so schallt es heraus
What you shout into the forest, will echo out again
Ukitaka kwenda haraka, nenda peke yako, ukitaka kwenda mbali, nenda na wenzako
If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together
Rome ne fu[t] pas faite toute en un jour
from Li Proverbe au Vilain, published around 1190
Modern French: Rome ne s'est pas faite en un jour
Rome wasn't built in a day
冰凍三尺,非一日之寒
Three feet of ice is not the result of one cold day
Chan ann leis a’ chiad bhuille a thuiteas a’ chraobh
It is not with the first strike that the tree will fall
Image credit: Screenshot from 3D virtual tour of Kilwa Kisiwani created by Zamani Project
by Magreth Lazaro Mafie 🇹🇿 🏆 Proverb Essay Contest 🥉 Third Place Winner (English translation from Kiswahili)
I fear neither sun nor rain, making my tomorrow
I fear neither injuries nor pain, because all are temporary
Scorching sun and work are my custom, so that happiness comes in life
The street vendor, the farmer, the [port boys] and their fisherman and the sun, in search of tomorrow
One who works in the sun, eats in the shade, I am still searching for shade.
It's noon, the sun overhead, in my head I have the harvest, sweat is dripping,
The sun has set now, the oar on the beach, exhausted in bed, nets in the sea,
At home on fourth street, captain of the family, may I pull happiness from hard labor
Now the sun is rising, walking the path to look for a bite,
One who works in the sun, eats in the shade, I am still searching for shade.