Oriṣiriṣi òwe ni Yorùbá ni lati fihàn pé iwà rere ló ni ayé.  Iwà ni Yorùbá kàsí ni ayé àtijọ́ ju owó ti gbogbo ilú bẹ̀rẹ̀ si bọ ni ayé òde òni.  Fún àpẹrẹ, Yorùbá ni “Ẹni bá jalè ló bọmọ jẹ́”, lati gba òṣiṣẹ́ ni ìyànjú pé ki wọn tẹpámọ́ṣẹ́, ki wọn má jalè.

Ránti Ọmọ Ẹni ti Iwọ Nṣe – Leave a good legacy. Courtesy: @theyorubablog

Ni ayé òde òni, owó ti dipò iwà.  Olóri Ijọ, Olóri ilú àti Òṣèlú ti ó ja Ijọ àti ilú ni olè ni ará ilú bẹ̀rẹ̀ si i bọ ju àwọn Olóri ti kò lo ipò lati kó owó ijọ àti ilú fún ara wọn.  Owó ti ó yẹ ki Olóri Ijọ fi tọ́jú aláìní, tàbi ki Òṣèlú fi pèsè ohun amáyédẹrùn bi omi mimu, ọ̀nà tó dára, ilé ìwòsàn, ilé-iwé, iná mọ̀nàmọ́ná àti bẹ ẹ bẹ ẹ lọ ni wọn kó si àpò, ti wọn nná èérún rẹ fún ijọ tàbi ará ilú ti ó bá sún mọ́ wọn.  Ará ilú ki ronú wi pé “Alaaru tó njẹ́ búrẹ́dì, awọ ori ẹ̀ ló njẹ ti kò mọ̀”.

Owé Yorùbá ti ó sọ wi pé “Ránti ọmọ Ẹni ti iwọ nṣe ” pin si ọ̀nà méji.  Ni apá kan, inú ọmọ ẹni ti ó hu iwà rere ni àwùjọ á dùn lati ránti ọmọ ẹni ti ó nṣe, ṣùgbọ́n inú ọmọ “Olè”, apànìyàn, àjẹ́, àti oniwà burúkú yoku, kò lè dùn lati ránti ọmọ ẹni ti wọn nṣe.  Nitori eyi, ki èniyàn hu iwà rere.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

There are many Yoruba proverbs to prove that good character, is noble globally.  In time past, Yoruba rated good Character/Moral more than riches/money, than as it is being worshipped nowadays.  For example, the Yoruba adage that said “One who steals destroys himself/herself”, is used to encourage hard work rather than stealing.

Nowadays, money has replaced character.  Religious Leaders, Community Leaders and Politicians that stole from the Congregation and the public are being worshipped rather than Leaders who did not use their position to amass wealth for themselves.  Money that was supposed to be used to care for the poor are diverted by the Religious Leaders and public fund meant for the provision of infrastructure such as, public water, good roads, hospitals, schools, power supply etc. are diverted by Politicians into private pockets, while spending crumbs for their close allies.  The public never gave a thought to the adage that means “A Labourer eating Bread, is eating his foreskin without realising”.

The Yoruba proverb urging that “Remember the Child of Whom you are” has a two way connotation. On one hand, the son/daughter of reputable person in the Society would be proud to remember the child of whom he/she is, while the child of a ‘Thief’, killers, witches and other bad character, would not be happy to associate with such.  As a result, people should uphold good character.

Originally posted 2015-10-09 15:29:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter