Maahmaah Soomaali
Discover the wisdom of East Africa through traditional Somali proverbs
🌟 Proverb of the Day
Meaning: Evil enters you silently
Context: Trouble comes unnoticed — stay vigilant
Meaning: A promise is harder than iron
Context: A repetition of the earlier saying emphasizing the strength of a vow
Meaning: A looter is an enemy of peace
Context: Greed and theft destroy harmony — peace requires fairness
Meaning: Three months after marriage, your wife leaves your clan but doesn't join another
Context: Marriage changes loyalties — it bridges but doesn't erase identities
Meaning: Iron cuts iron
Context: Only strength can match strength — equals contend equally
Meaning: Hard iron is softened by fire
Context: Tough people or situations yield under pressure — patience and firmness win
Meaning: Between ripeness and rawness lies confusion
Context: Growth stages bring uncertainty — maturity takes time
Meaning: Adultery leads you to men, but no man will save you
Context: Immorality brings shame and isolation — actions have consequences
Meaning: Water that rises is waited for
Context: Patience brings results — good things take time
Meaning: Water swallowed carelessly and words spoken thoughtlessly both hurt the ribs
Context: Rash actions and careless speech cause pain — think before acting
Meaning: If the beginning of the water is muddy, how clean can the end be?
Context: Bad beginnings lead to bad outcomes
Meaning: Flowing water gathers in a low place
Context: Wisdom and wealth flow to the humble
Meaning: Water gathers where the ground is low
Context: Humility attracts goodness — pride repels it
Meaning: One drinks water only with their own hands
Context: Everyone must take responsibility for themselves — self-reliance
Meaning: Flowing water stirs stagnant water
Context: Active people inspire the idle — progress influences others
Meaning: A hundred years of bad government is better than one night of anarchy
Context: Order, even if poor, is better than chaos
Meaning: Don't dig a trap — you might fall into it yourself
Context: Evil schemes backfire — harm returns to the doer
Meaning: The buoy jumps only on the water's surface
Context: Some people only act on appearances — shallow and noisy
Meaning: Even the gazelle seeks the grassy hill near water
Context: Everyone seeks comfort and survival — needs are universal
Meaning: When people meet, problems appear
Context: Human interaction always brings some form of conflict or difficulty