Collected by: Don Sybertz,   Scanned by: Cephas Yao Agbemenu

With special thanks to Rev Joe Healey (African proverbs,Sayings and stories)

Oliho munhu usola panga uja ng’wipolu. Aho oshika ng’wipolu ulinha mu linti wandya gutema ilinti, aliyo aho wandya gutema, utema nilitambi ilo aligasijije.

Liza ling’wana limo lyung’wila giki, bhebhe bhabha ulitema nilinti ilo uligisigije ululilatinike, nu bhebhe guko ugugwa. Ngosha ng’wenuyo adazunije wendelea kutema duhu.

Na ng’hana aho lyatinika nu wei guko. Aho ogwa henaho ubhuka kujunchola ungosha ng`wenuyo mpaga umpandika, ugashiga ung’wila bhebhe bhabha niwilage aho naguchila.

Ngosha ng`wenuyo ushosha, ali unene nagumanila he? Ngosha uyo oliogwaga, uhaya bhebhe bhabha oliomanaga ginehe igiki nagugwa? Ngosha ushosha, ganadamanile bhabha. Ungi uhaya bhebhe niniwilage, ngosha ng’wenuyo oganoga ung’wila giki, nalulu nahene, ugugwa ha nzobe ng’hangala idatu, ulokadatu nuloguchila.

Ngosha ng’wenuyo uzunya wandya guja, aho oshiminza shiminza ubhona nzobhe, ujinyama ugashiga ulinha. Aho olinha henaho inzobhe jandya gupela oganoga ugwa, ubuka ulinha hangi, nzobhe yandya hangi gupela yaganoga nayo yumponya hangi ubhuka, ukala gulinha hangi lukangala lo kadatu.

Yagamponya ubhi ocha ufelwa. Ngosha ng’wenuyo aho obhona giki ocha, umana giki umunhu ng’wenuyo agulabhuka wandya gulija mhembe alihaya giki “ilelo ibilingagi abang’wano ilelo luli lushiku lo kuhimbuka pye abo bachile.”

Ngosha ng’wenuyo ubi ofulwa mbeho upimbuka, wandya gweshemagila kunu alihaya hii! “Babehi hii! Nalikule no.”

Kiswahili: Mtu Akachukua Panga

Hapo zamani alikuwepo mtu, alichukua panga akaenda porini. Alipofika porini alipanda mtini akaanza kukata ule mti akiwa amekalia lile tawi analolikata.

Baadaye alikuja mtu mmoja akamwambia, “wewe baba, unakata tawi ambao umelikalia, likikatika na wewe utaanguka.” Aliendelea kukata tu. Na kweli lilikatika pamoja na naye, alipoanguka papo hapo, alikwenda kumtafuta mwanaume yule mpaka akampata.

Akamwuliza, “wewe baba niambie siku zangu za kufa.” Mwanaume huyo alisema, “mimi ninajuaje?” Mwanaume huyo aliyeanguka alisema, “wewe baba ulijuaje kuwa nitaanguka?” “Mimi baba siwezi nikajua.” Mwingine alisema, “ebu niambie.”

Mwanaume huyo mwishoe alimwambia hivi, “kwa hiyo wewe utaanguka kwenye punda mara tatu, safari ya tatu ndiyo ya kufa.” Mwanaume huyo alikubali akaanza kutembea tembea akamwona punda na alipomwona punda alimsogelea. Akamshika akapanda mgongoni.

Punda akaanza kukimbia mwishowe akaanguka, alipoinuka akapanda tena, punda akaanza kukimbia, alipochoka naye akamwangusha tena. Akaamka na akapitiliza kupanda tena. Mara ya tatu alipoangushwa akawa amezimia kidogo.

Mwanaume huyo alipoona kuwa amezimia, akajua kuwa mtu huyo ataumia, akaanza kupiga mbiu huku akisema, “watu wote mkusanyike leo ni siku ya kufufuka kwa watu wote walikukufa.” Mwanamume huyo akawa amepata hewa akafufuka, na kuanza kuhema na huku akisema, “aisi, jamani nilikuwa mbali mno.”

ENGLISH: A MAN WHO TOOK A SWORD

In the past there was a man, who took a sword and went to the wild. When he reached there, he climbed a tree and began to cut off the branch on which he was sitting.

Then came one man and said, “You daddy, you cut off the branch that you had sat on, and when it is gone out with, you will fall.” He just kept cutting. And really it was with him, when it was cut he also fell right away. He went to look for the man till he found him.

“Oh, dad,” he said, “tell me my days of death.” The man said, “How do I know?” The fallen man said, “How did you know that I could fall, Dad?” The man said, “I can not tell you.” “Tell me my father.” He insisted.

The man finally told him, “So you will fall three times on the donkey, and the third trip is that which you will die.” The man agreed and started walking around and saw a donkey and when he saw an ass swim in. He grabbed hold of him climbed on its back.

The donkey began to run away and finally fell, when he got up again, the donkey began to run, when he was tired and he struck him again. He got up and went on growing again. The third time he was squeeze out, he fainted a little.

When the man saw that he was exhausted, he knew that the man had been injured and began to shout, saying, “All the people gathered today is the day of resurrection for all the people who died.” The man got up and started to cry and said, ahh, my fellows, I was far away.