Ọlọ́run kì í ṣe nǹkan kó má fàyè ọpẹ́ sílẹ̀. Tó bá pá baba lórí, a sì fi irun àyà rọ́pò.
What does this mean in Yorùbá?
© Israel Ayanwuyi, 04102018
The major problem we have with Yorùbá is that we see our language primitive, inferior and we birth natural hatred for this language even to render it vernacular, perhaps from the way we've been brought up. I do not say Yorùbá is good or not, but I am trying to tell you english-speaking is not civilization or knowledge.
In Yorùbá land, it has been a trend among us to at turns pass some words we don't know it's foundation wrongly from generation to generation without a diction. Over generalization for some words are so wrong, one of them is the proverb here to be discussed.
In human natural existence, there is hardly a man who has a bald head but has jaw beard. Most of men with bald head are mostly beardless. It is therefore kind of wrong to say—Tó bá pá ni lórí, yó fi irùngbọ̀n di—because the proverb is basically for compensation. It is mostly men with bald head who always have a real chest hair.
Irungbọ̀n kọ́ ni parí òwe yìí—beard is not the end of this proverb— as thousands of people do think and use this daily in their conversations in Yorùbá speaking.
There is also a wrongly quoted proverb that goes in line with this, Àṣejù ni irun àyà—Chest hair is acme.
For men, chest hair is not an acme or superlative, it is rather back hair. Therefore, the right word to say is Àséjù ni irun ẹ̀yìn.
Ọlọ́run kì í ṣe nǹkan kó má fàyè ọpẹ́ sílẹ̀; Tó bá pá baba lórí, á sì fi irun àyà rọ́pò—God can never do something without a justification for Him to be given thanks; If He makes a man bald-headed, He will give a chest hair in replacement [Your pain and talents goes together. Embrace them for your success]
Don't get confused or sad because something happened in a way you do not expect or plan. For whatever you lack, there is a compensation for it.
We are so committed to giving you the right quality of words you need @ YorùbáDùnlÉdè
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