1. Moun ki ba ou konsèy achte kabrit nan lapli, se pa li ki ede w pran swen li nan lesèk
Translation : People who advise you to buy goats during the rain are not the ones who will help you feed them during the drought
Meaning : People around you may give you advice, but you will be the only one responsible for your actions if things go wrong.
2. Bel dan pa di zanmi
Translation : Beautiful teeth do not mean we are friends
Meaning : just because one person smiles at you in the good times, does not mean that he/she will remain your friend in the bad times.
3. Sa ki pa touye ou, li angrese ou
Translation : What does not kill you, fattens you
Meaning : Every failure is an opportunity to become stronger.
4. Twò prese pa fè jou louvri.
Translation: being in a hurry does not make the day come any faster
Meaning: We also say this proverb to encourage people to go through the process in doing something. Skipping necessary steps is fatal to quality and sustaining results.
Let us take the time to enjoy the process, to pause, and sometimes relax, in our endeavours.
Translation: What God has for You , floods cannot take it away
Meaning: This proverb teaches us about the faithfulness of God and His providence in that what God has for you, nothing can prevent it from happening and nothing can take it away.
Translation: One who keeps on searching does not sleep without dinner.
Meaning: This teaches us to be patient and keep hope in our venture knowing that one day we will have the result of our hard work and dedication. But it is also a blame to someone who gets the results of his/her poor action.
We should remember that any choice that we make, anything that we dedicate ourselves to either good or bad, we will find the result.
7. Bat fé à pandan li cho
Translation: Strike while the iron is hot
Meaning: while your idea is fresh and you have the energy, that is when you need to take action. Once the iron cools down, it becomes harder.
Translation: The literal translation for this proverb would be: “A dog has four legs, but cannot run on four different paths/roads.”
Meaning: Haitian people say this proverb to show the importance of being focused on doing one thing at a time to succeed, to take the time to give 100% of ourselves to it to get the best of it. We also say this proverb as a warning when someone is trying to do well in several different things that have nothing to do with one another. We might also give this advice to help someone accept the reality of choosing to do one thing first when they already have their hands full.
A literal translation for the proverb would be “Nose is hit. Water flows through the eyes.”
Meaning: Haitians say this proverb to show how what happened to someone affects this person’s parents, family, friends, and community. Sometimes something happens to somebody, and the consequences are painful for his/her entire circle.
This proverb could be literally translated: “To light a lamp for a blind person is to waste gas.”
Meaning: Proverbs 27:12 tells us that a prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions, while the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. Let us be wise and open to learning and ready to give up an endeavor/action/idea if it reveals itself to be wrong or erroneous.