64 SPECIMENS OP COMPOSITION. 



57. Ohuq tl i^e ohuq abukuq ki A mdh. se si omo-enik^dii eni. 



Thing which is thing of contempt that we not do to fellow-man of one. 

 A contemptuous action should not be done to one's fellow-man. 



58. AbuM ni mu aso il6 to ; |ni ti k6 ba ^e todiu abul6, yi 8 6e 



Patch it-is makes cloth last long ; one who not * does look-to patch, he will make 

 ard r^ li ofo aso. 

 self his in want oi clothing. 



Patching makes a garment last long ; one who does not attend to patching will come to want 

 clothes. — A man who neglects the little affairs of his business will fail, or come to want. 



59. Bi d ti rag ni ni i^e, li d di;e ; bi iwo ba seni si i, adabowo 



As they * send one on message, it-is we deliver it ; if thou * add to it, responsibility 



ard r|. 



of self thy. 



As one is sent on a message, so he should deliver it ; if thou add anything to it, it is on thy 

 own responsibility, 



60. Addq dorikodo 6 qwo i^e eiye gbogbo. 



Bat hangs-head-down it is-watching work of birds all. 



The bat hangs suspended with its head down watching the actions of all birds. — This proverb 

 is probably designed to teach silent observation. 



61. 6 d^8 aiye diu alaiye 16h. 



ITe eats world more than owner of world going. 



He enjoys the world more than the owner of the world. — Said of extravagant persons. 



62. Dulum6 ekpa li oroq se^e, d d^ebi 6raq w6 ti. 



Slander of ground-pea on neck of white-pea, it condemns the-cause to-enter to-fail. 



The slander of the ground-pea against the white field-pea falls upon itself. — Designed to show 

 that a slanderer may injure himself more than he injures another. 



63. Obdnid^e 6 ba ard r^ die. 



Injurer he * body his injures. 



He who injures another brings injury upon himself. 



64. Abdnidie mdh. bd ni se ifd enia ; eni ti o die did5q ni idie kikaq. 



Quest who not with one is profit oi person ; one who he eats sweet it-is eats sour. 



So is a guest who is no advantage to a person ; he who eats the sweet should also eat the sour. — 

 Said of persons who live on others, and will not assist in the labors of the family. 



57. Ohui) abuMi), a contemptuous action or word ; — ki amah ^e, we should not do (§ 145, 2). 



68. Ba, after eniti (§ 139). 



69. Bi ... ti, as ;— ba, after bi, if (§ 139). 



61. Diaiye (die aiye), to enjoy the world ; — loh, pleonastic. 



62. This proverb is highly idiomatic and therefore difficult : li oroi) refers to an accusation : 6 fi |^e r§ 

 li oroi) mi, he charged his sin upon me ; — ti implies/aiVwre ; 6 ko ile ti, he built a house failed, i. e. began 

 to build and could not finish ; — diebi 6rar) wo ti, means that the condemnation recoiled on the accuser. 



63. ba . . . die, to injure. 



64. The relative is omitted before mdh, not ;-^m idie ; obligation is frequently expressed by the indicative 

 form of the verb. 



