All Tsumo
Shona Proverbs
- Zvinokona zviine hata / chembere ichikoniwa musoro wenzouOnly after she has tried, head-pad and all, does an old woman concede that an elephant's head is beyond her lifting.
- Zvinonyadza mutauri kuti mbudzi yaba nyama iyo imbwa iripoTo say the goat took the meat when a dog was standing right there brings shame on the one saying it.
- Zvinorema / zvinoda makonoHeavy or dangerous undertakings require strong, courageous people. Taking on something like a lion is not a job for the faint-hearted but for those with a steady nerve.
- Zvirema kusekana mundiro yenhopiCripples sit mocking one another over the same dish of pumpkin mash, though they share the very same condition.
- Zvirevo muto / zvinosevesanaSayings work like relish-gravy, each one seasoning the next; people well versed in proverbs quickly come to an understanding when they talk.
- Zviri kumvana / kubara mwana asina babaIt rests with the young mother herself whether she bears a child who has no father; the matter is hers to decide.
- Zviri musango zvinosekana / pfunye ikaona hoto inosekaThe creatures of the bush make fun of one another: the go-away bird laughs the moment it catches sight of a pelican. Those who are alike are quick to mock each other's appearance.
- Zviri pavanhu / matengu haafambi ogaWhatever occurs has some origin behind it; nothing comes about purely by accident.
- Zvita zvisiye mumera.
- Zviururwi zvinofara kana kondo afa zisoLittle frogs rejoice once the hammer-head bird has gone blind in one eye — those who are preyed upon take delight when the one who threatens them is impaired.
- Zviuya hazvirimisi. (hazviwanane)
- Zviuya hazviwananiTwo good things rarely come together: a woman raised in comfort seldom marries into comfort, and a clever wife seldom gets an equally clever husband.
- Zvoti mwana otsva kudumbu / amai votsva kumusana (muberekero hapachisina)If the child is burnt on the belly and the mother on the back, there is no way left to carry the child. When helper and helped are struck by the same affliction, neither can do anything for the other.