66 SPECIMENS OF COMPOSITION. 



72. Abose Id ise ise odio; ise baljA ni igbt\ qdi.6 eiii. 



Job-work not is work of day ; work of master it-is receives day of one. 



A job (done for oneself) is not the day\s work ; the master's tvork clai/ns th-c cliief part of 

 one's time. — Said of slaves, who may perform little jobs fur themselves, but must not neglect 

 their master's business. 



73. Adaridiiui ui isete odzo. 



Forgiver it-is conquers dispute. 



He that pardons the aggressor gains the victory in the dispute. — Designed to inculcate a for- 

 giving sjiirit. 



74. Bi Oloruq ba k^ ese si ni li oroq, a gbe. 



If God should count sin against us on neck, we p)erish. 



If God should compute our sins, we would perish. — I have heard this remark made by hea- 

 thens in attempting to settle disputes, but am not sure that it is a national proverb. 



75. Fi olinq we oliui), fi 5raq we oraq ; fi oraij diig, ki d 



Put tiling to-compare thing, pmt matter to-conipare matter ; 2>'ut matter to-bc-distant, that they 



praise thee. 



Compare thing u'ith thing, and matter ieith matter ; forgive the matter, that thou mayest 

 be praised. — Inculcates, as praiseworthy, the duty of examining into the facts of a dispute and 

 exercising a forgiving disposition. 



76. Abere bo li owo adete, 6 di ete; orai] lia ile, 6 di 



Needle falls in hand of kper, it becomes consideration ; matter comes-upon thc-land, it becomes 



ero. 



though t. 



If a needle fall from the (mutilated) hand of a leper, it requires consideration (how to pick 

 it up); if a difficult matter come upon the country, it requires thought (how to avert it). 



77. Aditaqmo esuo ti o li ekulu li o bi iya re. 

 Genealogy of esuo who he said ekulu it-is she bore mother his. 



It is like the genealogy of the esuo, who said his grandmother teas an ekulu. — Applied to 

 persons who pretend to be related to great families. 



78. Elede kpa ^fo tdq, 6 ijwd cni rere ti yi 6 fi ani re yi. 



Pig ' wallowing in-mire finished, it is-sceking 2>crson good whom he will make body his rub. 

 The pig, having done wallowing in the mire, is seeking some clean jierson to rub against. — 

 Said of disgraced persons who attempt to intrude themselves upon good society. 



79. Ouifuru ti itete ise onile kpele. 

 Suspicious-character who first does master-of-house gently. 



A suspicious character (being found in a house) immediately salutes the oivner of the house 

 (before he is saluted). 



72. Odio and odzo arc not equivalent terms: odzo, the space of a day ; odio, time, a day. Sec Dic- 

 tionary. 



75. Fi . . . wc, to comp)are ; — fi . . . dziq, to forgive. 



77. AditaqmS (da itai) mo), a tracing of genealogy ; — esuo and ekulu, two diflercnt species o^ antelope. 



79. Ouifuru, lit. one who is pale with apprehension ; — so. . . kpele, to deal well with, to salute civilly. 



