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cre8ivsndz
New Member
since 2003-11-06
Posts 2


0 posted 2003-11-06 07:47 PM


please any help, and i will be grateful.
i just want anybodys interpretation of these african proverbs

1.The child hates him who gives it all it wants.
2.A man alone is no hero
3. A heavy burden does not kill on the day it is carried.
4.Fathers advice is like salt in your food.
5. Numerous calls confuse the dog.
6. Guests are like leaves: they fall off and make room for others
7. People do no count on what they are given, but what is withheld from them
8. Lovers are like 2 turtle doves, always feeding each other.

any input would be great, thank you

© Copyright 2003 cre8ivsndz - All Rights Reserved
Not A Poet
Member Elite
since 1999-11-03
Posts 3885
Oklahoma, USA
1 posted 2003-11-06 11:01 PM


I have moved this thread to the Q&A forum where it is likely to get better response. This forum is for poetry only.

Pete

Severn
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-07-17
Posts 7704

2 posted 2003-11-07 04:36 AM


My interpretations:

One - a child needs discipline and will thank parents for it later on due to the value discipline brings to a child's life

Two - A man may think he's being strong by relying solely on himself, but it's better to rely on others? Maybe something to do with family relationships?

Three - hm. Perhaps, better to share the load because over time it will grow heavier? Not sure on that one.

Four - Well salt adds flavour to food. I imagine this is another way of saying 'listen to the wisdom of your elders'

Five - A dog doesn't know which call to heed. Perhaps something to do with giving clear advice?

Six - There are no limits on hospitality. In most African cultures, hospitality is an intregal part of life. Whoever comes along, is welcome etc.

Seven - grass is greener on the other side?

Eight - Love is for the hungry. Love provides its own sustenance. Two people in love feed off each other.

Hope that helped.

K

greco
Member
since 2003-09-27
Posts 85
buffalo ny
3 posted 2003-11-14 11:37 PM


3. A heavy burden does not kill on the day it is carried.
4.Fathers advice is like salt in your food.
7. People do no count on what they are given, but what is withheld from them

3. this one is an easy one it is saying that after everyhting you do your conscience will take over and you will know right from worng like if you killed a man you wouldnt be to worried about it when you killed him but after a few weeks you wouldnt be able to stop thinking about it and go paronid

4. fathers advide is there to help you like salt is there to make your food better i completly agree with Severn on that one

7. i believe this hits america right on head this is perfect and probably is why this has been around for such a long time this is saying people are greedy and dont care about what they get but what they dont get
radix malorum estcupidas
greed is the root of all evil as chaucer put it

and may i ask what this is for like school ir just for fun

Balladeer
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-05
Posts 25505
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA
4 posted 2003-11-15 12:47 PM


1.The child hates him who gives it all it wants

It is human nature to want to earn...to want to do things to be worthy of reward and recognition. If one is given all he wants without the act of earning it, eventually this will lead to resentment. Point in case a child who is given every toy he wants. Will he be appreciative? No, he will become more demanding and even surly toward the benefactor. He will, at least unconsiously, resent being given all he wants without having had to earn it. That's life...

2.A man alone is no hero

What is a hero? Who is a hero in his own eyes? A heroic act is an act recognized by others. It's the old story of "if a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, did it make a sound?" What heroic act can be done that does not benefit others...and, if there is one, does the doer call himself a hero? It is for one to recognize the actions of another as heroic. A soldier does not consider himself a hero. He simply does what he feels needs to be done. Others proclaim his action as heroic. Hero is a title given by one to another. A man alone is just a man doing what he feels is best.

4.Fathers advice is like salt in your food

Although there are times siblings ask for advise from their parents, I feel this saying refers to the irritation salt represents. Ask the parents of any teenager! LOL! Teens want to know what or how to do something. They do not want that lesson or advice to come from a parent. Watch parents advise their kids on how to dress, which types of friends to choose, what groups to run with, what type to date, how important it is to study, why music advocating killing cops is bad.....and you will find the salt. Kids want to show the parents they know what to do. They don't want the parents to try to tell them what to do. That causes the irritation..

5. Numerous calls confuse the dog

We all need goals. We need to define and set those goals. When we don't have them we are confused, drawn by a variety of things. Look at all the people who go through life with no specific goals or plans, working in a variety of jobs from dishwashers to clerks to factory workers...whatever to make ends meet. They (we) are the dog, confused, not knowing which way to go, lsitening to the alluring calls of life from so many different directions...and we don't know which one to follow.

Another line of thought for this saying is the confusions we are faced with every day. We are told that if one works hard they will succeed yet we see people who have worked hard all their lives and are still poor. We are told that crime doesn't pay and we see O.J. playing golf, politicians and wealthy break the law and get away with it, gangsters die of old age in their mansions. We are told the right way is to find the right mate, raise a family, and make it last - yet we see a divorce rate of over 50%. We see churches filled with people who praise God and proceed to butcher every commandment as soon as the church doors close behind them. Life is filled with these inconsistencies....very confusing to a young mind.

These are my random thoughts.....

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