"Dab iyo dawlad lama agjoogsado."
Meaning: Fire and government are not to be stood too close to.
Maahmaahyo
Ancient Somali wisdom categorized for the modern era.
Power
Truth
"Been waa lagu cabbaa ee laguma rakaato."
Meaning: A lie can quench your thirst, but it cannot sustain you.
"Run iyo been kala raad leh."
Meaning: Truth and falsehood have different footprints.
"Run iyo roob lagama raysto."
Meaning: One can never dispense with truth and rain.
"Hadal run baa lagu caddeeyaa ilkana rumay."
Meaning: Speech is brightened by truth, as teeth are whitened by a toothbrush (rumay).
Discretion
"Hadal intuu uurkaaga ku jiro buu amaan kuu yahay."
Meaning: A word is safe as long as it stays in your stomach.
Social
"Doqon iyo naag nimay legdaan kama kacaan."
Meaning: A fool and a woman do not let go of the man they have wrestled down.
"Meel hal lagu qalay ma hilib yara mana hadal yara."
Meaning: A place where a she-camel is slaughtered lacks neither meat nor talk.
Conversation
"Hadal lama agjoogsado ee geed baa la agjoogsadaa."
Meaning: One does not stand by words; one stands by the council tree.
Necessity
"Madax muuqda iyo mindi saawira midna lagama samro."
Meaning: A visible head and a blunt knife are both things one cannot give up on.
Experience
"Nin weyn iyo umuliso siday wax u ogyihiin wax uma sheegaan."
Meaning: An elder and a midwife do not reveal everything they know.
Secrets
"Hadal af dhaafay afaaf dhaaf."
Meaning: Once a word leaves the mouth, it crosses the threshold (of the house).
Communication
"Hadal waa ama dheh ama dhegeyso."
Meaning: Speech is either to speak or to listen.
Decisiveness
"Hadal ama hee ama haah weeye."
Meaning: Speech is either 'yes' or 'no'.
Action
"Hadal haan ma buuxiyo."
Meaning: Words alone cannot fill a vessel.
"Meel hoo u baahan hadal wax kama taro."
Meaning: Where giving (action) is needed, talk is of no use.
Pain
"Far bugta daraha ka dheer."
Meaning: A sore finger feels longer than the others (is constantly noticed).
Sincerity
"Fal aan laabta jirin faro wax uga daran."
Meaning: A deed that is not in the heart is worse than the fingers doing it.
Desperation
"Nin daad qaaday xumbo cuskay."
Meaning: A drowning man clutches at foam.
Wisdom
"Talo adigaa ku nool ee iyadu kuguma noola."
Meaning: You live by counsel; counsel does not live by you.
"Talo waa mar aad garan weydo iyo mar aad gaari weydo."
Meaning: Advice is either when you don't know it or when you can't reach it.
Unity
"Sagaaro labo tun oo lakala qeybiyo ma leh."
Meaning: A dik-dik does not have two necks to be divided.
"Ilko wada jir bay wax ku gooyaan."
Meaning: Teeth can only bite when they work together.
Procrastination
"Gadaal ka gaar waa goob dumis."
Meaning: An afterthought is a destroyer of a site.
Gratitude/Revenge
"Libaax nin ganay iyo nin galladay ma mooga."
Meaning: A lion does not forget the man who shot him or the one who did him a favor.
Efficiency
"Oodi qaadis iyo jiidis waa isla guri geyn."
Meaning: Whether you carry the thorns or drag them, it's all for the same fence.
Warning
"Nin kuu digay kuma dilin."
Meaning: He who warns you has not killed you.
Caution
"Bannaankiis mare maradiis geed ma qabsado."
Meaning: The clothes of one who walks in the open do not get caught in a tree.
"Intaadan falin ka fiirso."
Meaning: Look before you leap (Consider before you act).
"Nin aan baqin waa loo baqaa."
Meaning: One must fear for the man who fears nothing.
Capability
"Laba qaawan isma qaado."
Meaning: Two naked people cannot carry each other.
Hospitality
"Nin soori kaa qaaday waa nin seefi kaa qaaday."
Meaning: A man who denies you food is as if he has struck you with a sword.
Justice
"Miskiin baa miska la fuulo leh."
Meaning: It is the poor man whose shoulder is always climbed upon.
"Gari laba nin kama wada qosliso."
Meaning: Justice (a verdict) does not make two opposing men laugh at the same time.
"Gardarroole ma guulaysto."
Meaning: The unjust (aggressor) never triumphs.
Diligence
"Ninkii seexdaa sicii dibi dhalay."
Meaning: The man who sleeps finds that his cow has given birth to a bull (misses his chance).
Prudence
"Miro gunti kuugu jira kuwo geed saaran looma daadiyo."
Meaning: Do not throw away the fruit in your pocket for those still on the tree.
Clarity
"Hadal iyo hilboba waa la qeexaa."
Meaning: Both speech and meat must be cut into clear portions.
Relationships
"Gacal waa gacmo is dhaafay."
Meaning: Relatives (or loved ones) are those who exchange hands (help each other).
Overconfidence
"Habar fadhidaa legdini la fududahay."
Meaning: To a sitting old woman, wrestling seems easy.
Confidence
"Mukulaal minankeeda joogtaa miciyo libaax bay leedahay."
Meaning: A cat in her own home has the fangs of a lion.
Perspective
"Habar roob hayaa, habar walba inuu hayey moodaa."
Meaning: An old woman caught in the rain thinks every other old woman is also caught in it.
Respect/Hierarchy
"Meel madax ka sarraysa oo la salaaxo ma jirto."
Meaning: There is no place higher than the head to be stroked.
Responsibility
"Gacaniba waxay goysey gudaa."
Meaning: Whatever the hand has cut, it must pay for (Accountability).
Effort
"Fadhi iyo fuud yicibeed la isku waa."
Meaning: Sitting and nut soup (yicib) do not go together.
"Xagla laaban xoolo kuma yimaadaan."
Meaning: Wealth does not come to folded arms (lazy elbows).
"Waxaan dhib loo marin dhayal laguma helo."
Meaning: That which is not gained through hardship is not obtained easily (or by chance).
Integrity
"Hal booli ah nirig xalaal ah ma dhasho."
Meaning: A looted she-camel does not give birth to a lawful calf.
Indecision
"Laabi laba u la’."
Meaning: The heart is divided into two (Inability to decide).
Ignorance
"Xaajo nimaan ogayni indhuhuu ka ridaa."
Meaning: He who does not understand a matter may end up ruining it.
Skill
"Dhul nin gamay ma gefo."
Meaning: A man who knows the land well does not lose his way.
Leadership
"Nimaan talin jirin haddii uu taliyo nimaan tegi jirin baa taga."
Meaning: When one who has never ruled begins to rule, even those who never left will flee.
"Meel maarray xukunto iyo maal dameer la saaray murug maarug baa u dambaysa."
Meaning: A place ruled by a rifle and wealth loaded on a donkey only lead to chaos.
Fairness
"Nimaan qeybin jirin haddii uu qaybiyo nimaan qadi jirin baa qada."
Meaning: When one who has never distributed begins to divide, even those who never missed out will go hungry.
Individuality
"Nin wa la tuur leh nin la toosan."
Meaning: A hunchbacked man and a straight man (Everyone has their own nature).
Consequence
"Hadba sidii loo jabaa loo dhutiyaa."
Meaning: One limps according to how the bone was broken.
Counsel
"Talo walaal diide turaanturo ma huro."
Meaning: He who rejects a brother's advice cannot escape stumbling.
Familiarity
"Naagu nimay taqaan col ma moodo."
Meaning: A woman does not consider a man she knows to be an enemy (danger).
Gratitude
"Abaal raaga rag baa leh."
Meaning: Men are those who keep a long-standing debt of gratitude.
Focus
"Dantii mooge mara duug ah horteed buu dhammaadaa."
Meaning: He who ignores his interest wears out before his old clothes do.
Inadequacy
"Matag meesha aad rabto kuma gaarsiiyo."
Meaning: Vomit (a weak effort) will not get you to your destination.
Honesty
"Sir ma qabe allaa sahan ah."
Meaning: For the honest man (without secrets), God is his guide.
Courage
"Nin aan qooq dilin maroodi ma dilo."
Meaning: He who is not driven by intense passion (or pride) cannot kill an elephant.
Patience
"Samraa sedkiis hela."
Meaning: The patient one gets his share.
Time
"Raad arooryo gadaal looma raaco."
Meaning: One does not follow the morning tracks backward (The past is gone).
Obligation
"Wax rag kaa galay rako kaa gale."
Meaning: What men owe you is firmly held (A debt between men is a serious matter).
Bravery
"Fulay hooyadii ma gablanto."
Meaning: A coward's mother does not lose her child.