Maahmaah Soomaali

Discover the wisdom of East Africa through traditional Somali proverbs

🌟 Proverb of the Day

Reer guuraa, raac iyo carruurba loo kala sheekeeyaa, is mase arkaan
Among nomads, shepherds and children talk about each other but rarely meet
Separation creates misunderstanding — unity needs contact

Meaning: Camels led by children don't go far

Context: Leadership needs maturity — inexperience limits progress

Meaning: He who predicted the camels' departure isn't a saint

Context: Some "prophecies" are just common sense — wisdom, not miracle

Meaning: What does the camel gain from beads in its eyes?

Context: Decoration without purpose adds nothing — simplicity is better

Meaning: Two-year-old camels travel together

Context: Those of similar age or kind share the same path — peers bond naturally

Meaning: A camel carrying thirty can bear three more

Context: Experience builds capacity — the strong handle more

Meaning: A camel is a camel, and what kills it is also a camel

Context: Sometimes your own kind causes your downfall — beware from within

Meaning: The herdsman's camels live together yet apart

Context: Unity doesn't mean uniformity — even allies have boundaries

Meaning: O yellow camel, you've grazed every tree; only when you graze Ciin will people notice

Context: People overlook you until you succeed at something rare — success attracts attention

Meaning: Death is good for one you don't know and a camel-herder

Context: Loss feels lighter when distant — closeness deepens sorrow

Meaning: Death of a stranger or herdsman is easier to bear

Context: We grieve most for those close to us — empathy comes from connection

Meaning: An ox's horn is cut by heat

Context: Hard things yield under pressure — persistence softens resistance

Meaning: God doesn't bind the brave

Context: Courage is blessed — the bold find freedom and favor

Meaning: God doesn't neglect the brave

Context: The courageous are protected — fortune favors the fearless

Meaning: Nobility means standing firm

Context: True honor requires stability, patience, and dignity

Meaning: Don't dig a trap; if you do, don't make it deep — you might fall into it

Context: Evil schemes backfire — harm returns to the doer

Meaning: Once a pit has covered your shame, don't expose it again

Context: When a wrong is forgiven or hidden, don't bring it back — forget the past

Meaning: The heron, when checked, turned out to be a bird

Context: Appearances can deceive — verify before judgment

Meaning: The vulture is larger than the hawk

Context: There's always someone greater — humility keeps perspective

Meaning: Bargaining recognizes neither friend nor brother

Context: Business and emotion don't mix — trade by fairness, not favor

Meaning: Oh knife, you can't cut me unless part of me is within you

Context: Harm often comes from within, not outside — betrayal is internal