Here’s another batch of Haitian Creole proverbs. We’ve included a more dynamic translation to give the sense of each phrase – even though they are flexible and can be used in many situations. These were selected from a family chit-chat session among Estherline and her aunt. Enjoy these pwoveb kreyol
Pwovèb granmoun
Wisdom sayings of the elders
Zafè mouton pa zafè kabrit
The affairs of the sheep are not the affairs of the goat.
Bouch granmoun santi pawòl l nan bouch li pa santi
The elderly have bad breath but their sayings are good.
vant plen pa vle di ou gwòs
Eating too much does not mean you’re pregnant
sak nan kè yanm se koute ki konnen l
What’s inside the yam only the knife can know
tou manti pa fon
Too many lies will dig you a deep hole
zafè kay moun se mistè
The Homelife of others is a mystery
plenn nan kè pa retire doulè
Thinking too much does not make the pain go away
kabrit gade je mèt kay avan li antre
Bad people only take advantage of the vulnerable
ranje kabann ou avan dòmi nan je w
Plan ahead
chen pa janm ale kay bos tayè ,se kay bouche li rete
The dog doesn’t wait around the Tailor’s house, it’s the butcher’s house where he waits
Any questions are welcome in the comment section below. If you are interested in the Haitian proverbs, check out the book called “Hidden Meanings: Truth and Secret in Haiti’s Creole Proverbs” by Wally Turnbull.
Of course we post lots of this wisdom sayings and audio pronunciations here on our blog under the category Creole Proverbs.
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