Proverb: Mọ̀‘jà mọ̀’sá là á mọ akínkanjú; akínkanjú tó mọ̀’jà tí ò mọ̀’sá, irú wọn níí b’ógun lọ.
Translation: Attack and retreat is the stuff of a great warrior; the warrior who knows how to fight but doesn’t know when to retreat will die with the war.

Proverb: Màlúù tí kò ní’rù, Olúwa níí bá a léṣinṣin.
Translation: As for the cow that has no tail, God is its repellant against flies.

Proverb: Kò sí ẹni tí kìí rẹ̀.
Translation: There is no one who is never exhausted.

Proverb: K’ójú má ríbi, ẹsẹ̀ loògùn un rẹ̀.
Translation: That the eyes may not witness calamity, the leg is its solution.

Proverb: Ìyàwó ọ̀lẹ là á gbà, kò sẹ́ni tó lè gba ọmọ ọ̀lẹ.
Translation: It is only the wife of the lazy man that can be snatched, no one can claim the child of the lazy man.

Proverb: Ìwà l’ẹwà.
Translation: Character is beauty.

Proverb: Ìrà á pé, ìranù ni kò suwọ̀n.
Translation: Vanity may pay, vagabondage is not proper.

Proverb: Ilé Ọba tó jó, ẹwà ló bù kún un.
Translation: The palace that is burnt will make a more magnificent edifice.

Proverb: Igi gogoro má gún mi lójú, àtòkèrè latí n wòó.
Translation: So that we may not be blinded by the tall, pointed tree, one must watch it from afar.

Proverb: Ibi pẹlẹbẹ ni a ti ń mú ọ̀ọ̀lẹ̀ jẹ.
Translation: It is from the base that one eats a beans pudding.

Proverb: Ìbàjẹ́ ọjọ́ kan, kì í tán l’ógún ọdún.
Translation: A day of defamation and dishonour never ends in twenty years.

Proverb: Gàǹbàrí pa Fúlàní, kò lẹ́jọ́ nínú.
Translation: If the Hausaman kills the Fulani, it is not actionable.

Proverb: Ẹyin ni ń di àkùkọ.
Translation: The egg becomes the cock.

Proverb: Èṣúrú ṣ’àṣejù, ó tẹ́ l’ọ́wọ́ oníyán; ọ̀dùnkún dùn ládùnjù, ó kọ ilé àna kò lọ.
Translation: Water-yam overreaches its own sweetness, it loses the favour and use of the yam pounder; the potato’s utter sweetness barred it from the familial home of its in-law.

Proverb: Ẹṣin iwájú, ni t’ẹ̀yìn ń wò sáré.
Translation: The leading horse is an example to other racers.

Proverb: Ẹni tó jìn sí kòtò, ó kọ́ ará ìyókù lọ́gbọ́n.
Translation: He who falls into the pit serves as a scapegoat to others.

Proverb: Ẹni tó gbódó mì, ìdúró kò sí, ìbere kò sí.
Translation: [For] he who swallows a mortar or pestle, there is no rest, neither standing nor stooping.

Proverb: Ẹni tó gbépo lájà kò jalè bí eni tí ó gbà á síle.
Translation: He who steals the palm oil from the rafters is no less a thief than his accomplice.

Proverb: Ẹni tó bá forí tì í títí dé òpin, ni à ó gbàlà.
Translation: He who endures (carrying with his head) till the end, shall be saved.

Proverb: Ẹni tó fò sókè, ó bẹ́ ijó lórí.
Translation: He who jumps up, has opened the rhythm of dance.

Proverb: Ẹni tí yóò j'oyin inú àpáta, kìí w’enu àáké.
Translation: He who savours the honey in the rock will not mind what happens to the blade of his axe.

Proverb: Ẹni tí kò mọ ibi t’ẹ́gbẹ́ ẹ̀ ti là, yóò wulẹ̀ sáré kú.
Translation: He who does not know how his mate gets wealthy, will keep running until he dies.

Proverb: Ẹni tí ẹ̀gún bá gún l’ẹ́sẹ̀, níí ṣe lákáńlàká tọ alábẹ.
Translation: He who has thorns in his foot, will limp in need to the physician.

Proverb: Ẹni tí a bá torí ẹ̀ pa adìyẹ, iwe ni ó ń’jẹ.
Translation: The person on whose behalf the hen is sacrificed, eats the gizzard.

Proverb: Ẹnìkan kì í jẹ́ kí ilẹ̀ ó fẹ̀.
Translation: No one eats alone and have the earth open wide.

Proverb: Ẹnìkan kì í jẹ́ “Àwa dé”.
Translation: No single man can claim to the saying, “We have arrived”.

Proverb: Ẹni bá t’ajà èèpẹ̀, yí ò gbowó òkúta.
Translation: He who sells sand shall be paid with stones.

Proverb: Ẹlẹ́nu rírùn ló ni àmù ìyá a rẹ̀.
Translation: He-whose-mouth-stinks owns his mother’s drinking pot.

Proverb: Ẹ̀kọ gbóóná ń fẹ́ sùúrù.
Translation: A hot pap needs patience.

Proverb: Erin kìí fọn, kí ọmọ rẹ̀ fọn.
Translation: The baby elephant does not trumpet when its parent trumpets.

Proverb: Ebi kì í p’agún d’ọjọ́ alẹ́.
Translation: Hunger never kills the vulture till dusk.

Proverb: Bọmọdé bá ṣubú a wo iwájú, bí àgbà bá ṣubú, a wẹ̀ yìn wò.
Translation: When a child stumbles, s/he sets his/her eyes on the destination; when an elder falls, s/he takes a backward glance.

Proverb: Bí wọ́n bá ń tàn mí, mi ò ní tan arà mi.
Translation: Should people deceive me, I won’t deceive myself.

Proverb: Bí òkété bá dàgbà tán, omú ọmọ rẹ̀ ní í mu.
Translation: Once a rodent gets old, it sucks its child’s breasts.

Proverb: Bí olóko bá jágbọ́n ẹsẹ̀ bíbù, olè a sì bá inú omi lọ.
Translation: If the farmer learns how to find the footprints of the thief, the thief makes escape through the swamp.

Proverb: Bí ènìyàn kò bá ṣubú, kò ní mọ ẹrù ú rù.
Translation: If a person does not stumble, s/he will not know how well to carry the load.

Proverb: Bí adìyẹ bá dàmí l’óògùn nù, màá fọ́ ọ l’ẹ́yin.
Translation: If a fowl scatters and destroys my herbs, I will break its eggs.

Proverb: Báwo l’ọ̀bọ ṣe s’orí tí ìnàkí ò ṣe?
Translation: What is the difference between the head of a monkey and the head of a gorilla?

Proverb: Ayé l’ọjà, ọ̀run n’ilé.
Translation: The world is a marketplace; heaven is the home.

Proverb: Àpọ́nlé ni Ìyá Káà, kò sẹ́ni tó wà ní Káà tí ò lórúkọ.
Translation: It’s a sheer honour to be called “Court Matriarch”, there’s no woman who does not have a proper name.