Wo yire apem a, w’asem apem.

If you have a thousand wives, you have a thousand troubles.

A thousand” is used as a hyperbole to denote an unmanageably large number. There is a gender perspective: wives/women are depicted as a source of problems.

• Postproverbial: Wo yire apem a, wo busa apem.
  Translation: If you have a thousand wives, you have a thousand questions to answer.
  
• Postproverbial: Wo yire apem a, wondi ne ma.
  Translation: If you have a thousand wives, you won’t benefit from their children.
  
• Postproverbial: Wo yire apem a, asɛm nkoaa.
  Translation: A thousand wives, only problems.
  
• Postproverbial: Wo yire apem a, wobua da.
  Translation: If you have a thousand wives, you starve.
  
• Postproverbial: Wo yire apem a, w’ase apem.
  Translation: If you have a thousand wives, you’ll have a thousand in-laws.
  
• Postproverbial: Wo yire apem a, yire kwadu.
  Translation: If you have a thousand wives, always have a back up plan.
  

Ghana (Akan)

Tags

trouble one thousand wives thousand