66 SPECIMENS OF COMPOSITION. 



72. Abo^e ki i^e i6e odi6; i6e babd ni ighk od^o eni. 



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 work claims tlie chief part of 

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

 their master's business. 



73. Adarid^ini ni i^ete edi;o. 



For giver it-is conquers dispute. 



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

 giving spirit. 



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



If God should count sin against us on neck, we perish. 



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 obur) we ohuq, fi 5raq we 6raq ; fi 6raq d^ii), ki d 



Put thing to-compare thing, put matter to-compare matter; put matter to-be-distant, that they 



praise thee. 



Compare thing with thing, and matter with 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; 6raq ba il^, 6 di 



Needle falls in hand of leper, it becomes consideration ; matter comes-upon the-land, it becomes 

 ero. 



thought. 



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. Aditaqmd esuo ti o li 4kulu li o bi iya r^. 

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



It is like the genealogy of the esuo, who said his grandmother was an 6kulu. — Applied to 

 persons who pretend to be related to great families. 



78. Elede kpa Mo tdq, 6 qwd eni r^re ti yi 6 fi ard rh yi. 



Pig wallowing in-mire finished, it is-seeking person good whom he will make body his rub. 

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

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



79. Onifuru 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 owner of the house 

 (before he is saluted). 



72. Odi6 and odi6 are not equivalent terms : odzo, the space of a day ; odzo, time, a day. See Dic- 

 tionary. 



75. Fi . . . we, to compare ; — fi . . . diiq, to forgive. 



11. AditaqmS (da itaq mb), a tracing of genealogy ; — esuo and ekulu, two different species oi antelope. 



79. Onifuru, lit. one who is pale with apprehension ; — se . . . kpele, to deal wtll with, to salute civilly. 



