The best-known Swahili proverbs (with translations)
The top 3 according to 390 votes from people: Haraka haraka haina baraka. · Pole pole ndio mwendo. · Dua la kuku halimpati mwewe.. (Updated May 4, 2021.)
"Haraka haraka haina baraka" (hurry, hurry has no blessings), "Pole pole ndio mwendo" (slowly, slowly is the way to go) and "Mtu ni watu" (a person is people): the most widely known Swahili proverbs from East Africa, with their English translation, from the Wikiquote collection and the University of Illinois Swahili proverbs archive.
Top 14
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1
Haraka haraka haina baraka.
Hurry, hurry has no blessings.
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2
Pole pole ndio mwendo.
Slowly, slowly is the way to go.
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3
Dua la kuku halimpati mwewe.
The prayer of the chicken does not reach the hawk.
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4
Dhamiri safi ni tandiko laini.
A clear conscience is a soft mat.
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5
Mtu ni watu.
A person is people.
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6
Jogoo mtenda mema kaliwa.
The rooster that does good is the one that gets eaten.
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7
Fadhila ya punda ni mateke.
The gratitude of a donkey is a kick.
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8
Fuata nyuki ule asali.
Follow the bees and you will eat honey.
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9
Ngozi ya chui uzuri kwa macho, ndani adui.
A leopard skin is beautiful to look at, but inside there is an enemy.
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10
Hisani haiozi.
Kindness does not go bad.
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11
Kibarua hulima juani, tajiri hulia kivulini.
The day labourer farms in the sun, the rich man eats in the shade.
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12
Ukijifanya asali, nzi wote watakula.
If you make yourself honey, all the flies will eat you.
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13
Usisafirie nyota ya mwenzio.
Don't set sail by someone else's star.
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14
Msingi ukiinama hauna nguvu; usiushtaki ukuta ukianguka.
A crooked foundation has no strength; do not blame the wall when it falls.
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Comments (2)
"Pole pole ndio mwendo" is the first thing every guide says to you on Kilimanjaro. Turns out they were right.
Mtu ni watu is basically ubuntu in Swahili. Lovely list.