Maasai Proverbs

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

KONYAGI--Yes, the drink is a Caipirinha (see archives) with the local alcohol Konyagi.  The place is "Sweet Eazy," not "Sweet & Eazy" as I typed.

O.T.  There is a little elephant keychain here.  It's pretty heavy, and I dropped my keychain and broke the elephant's tusk.  That's a ton of years bad luck, I think.  My group consoled me with their tuskless keychains.
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WISDOM OF MAASAI
by A Ol'Oloisolo Massek and J. O. Sidai
52 pages, paperback
Nairobi: Transafrica Publishers
1974

   I sent a post of this two weeks ago to Jesse Sheidlower, but I don't think it was sent to the list.  The hotel sent the e-mail a few days late, and I sent a near-identical e-mail later without this book's information.
   This book has 279 proverbs, in Maasai and in English, and with explanations.  There are then 75 proverbs collected by A. C. Hollis, from his THE MASAI: THEIR LANGUAGE AND FOLKLORE.  17 proverbs are similar.
   "It takes a village to raise a child" is not here, although pictures of the Clintons were at nearly every stop of my trip.
   The book might be useful to the Fred Shapiro-types out there.  If anyone needs it, I'll copy the pages for you.  A few proverbs/wisdoms:

Pg. 11:
The eye of God is large.

Pg. 13:
Don't pinch the heifer's vagina.
(i.e. Never argue with a new bride.)

Pg. 15:
The neck cannot become the head.
(Told to a disobedient son.)

Pg. 27:
Do not allow the belly to make you useless.

Pg. 28:
One finger does not kill a louse.
(i.e. Co-operation is power.)

Pg. 31:
One house cannot be divided.

Pg. 31:
Lonely is one.

Pg. 38:
The night has ears.
The forest has ears.

Pg. 39:
A particle of goat dung cannot be eaten by a large gourd.

Pg. 40:
The buttocks never mistake the ground (because they are in contact with each other so much of the time.)

Pg. 42:
The cow has no owner.
(i.e. The milk of a cow may be given to anyone.)

Pg. 45:
Hide the mouthfuls of food.
(Don't tell others your secrets.)

Pg. 45:
He is like a hyena's sinew.
(He refuses to admit defeat.)

Pg. 48:
The man does not see the brisket he is eating.

Pg. 51:
It is better to be poor and live long than to be rich and die young.
(Our translation: Trouble is long; happiness is short.)