Maahmaah Soomaali
Discover the wisdom of East Africa through traditional Somali proverbs
🌟 Proverb of the Day
Meaning: Bad news doesn't sit still in school
Context: Rumors spread fast — lies travel quicker than truth
Meaning: Lack of news is like being deaf
Context: Awareness keeps one alive — ignorance is blindness
Meaning: News that exists eventually arrives
Context: Truth reveals itself with time — nothing stays hidden
Meaning: The big ram never looks up until slaughtered
Context: Pride blinds — arrogance meets downfall
Meaning: Don't trust only your sister; respect also your in-law
Context: Fairness in relationships prevents family conflict
Meaning: Quarreling brothers lose wealth and fill graves
Context: Family conflict destroys prosperity — unity preserves life
Meaning: Testify truthfully for your brother, and pay his blood debt if needed
Context: Brotherhood means loyalty — stand by kin in both truth and trial
Meaning: Your brother's marrow is brought in a small dish
Context: Family sacrifices for you — kinship brings deep care
Meaning: The time that's gone can't be reached
Context: You can't recover lost time — focus on the present
Meaning: Lost time leaves sorrow behind
Context: Time wasted is life wasted — value every moment
Meaning: The small path leads to the main road
Context: Humble beginnings lead to great destinations
Meaning: Who's mad — the group or the loner?
Context: Sometimes the crowd is wrong — truth isn't always with the majority
Meaning: The sheikh who leaves his herd is helped by another
Context: Brotherhood sustains — those who support others get support
Meaning: The cleric who loses sight of justice is ruined by his own book
Context: Corruption in the learned destroys their authority
Meaning: A religious man is still a man
Context: Even holy people are human — don't idolize them blindly
Meaning: Milk is poured in front of elders
Context: Respect elders in rituals and customs — honor precedes action
Meaning: An elder ends his words with humor
Context: Maturity balances seriousness with lightness
Meaning: Don't separate by age, separate by knowledge
Context: Respect is earned through wisdom, not years
Meaning: You won't live forever, but may your story remain
Context: Good deeds outlive the body — legacy is immortality
Meaning: Advice is harder than childbirth
Context: Giving and accepting wisdom is difficult — truth is painful to hear