Part 4

[82] Anyone who has ever seen a heap of live crabs in a basket, will comprehend the fun of this saying--intimating that the sinews of the gawkish person are tangled up as hopelessly as crabs in a market-basket.

200. Mégue coment çatte qui manze lérats-misqué. (Maigre comme un chat qui mange des rats musqués.)

“Thin as a cat that lives on musk-rats.”--[_Mauritius._]

201. Même baton qui batte chein nouèr-là, pé batte chein blanc-là. (Le même bâton qui bat le chien noir peut battre le chien blanc.)

“The same stick that beats the black dog can beat the white.”[83]--[_Trinidad._]

[83] As one should observe: “I’ve whipped better men than you.”

202. Menti ça pas si mal conm palé mal moun. (Le mensonge n’est pas si mauvais que de parler mal des autres.)

“Lying isn’t as bad as speaking badly about people.”--Lying is less wicked than calumny.--[_Martinique._]

203. * Merci pas couté arien. (“Merci” ne coûte rien.)

“Thanks cost nothing.”--[_Louisiana._]

204. * Metté milâte enhaut choual, li va dî négresse pas so maman. (Mettez un mulâtre [en haut] sur un cheval--il [va dire] dira qu’une négresse n’est pas sa maman.)

“Just put a mulatto on horseback, and he’ll tell you his mother wasn’t a negress.”[84]--[_Louisiana._]

[84] I usually give but one example of a proverb when it occurs in several dialects; but the Martinique form of this proverb is too amusing to omit. See Prov. 267.

205. Mié vaut mangé lamori ou, qu’codeinne leszautt. (Il vaut mieux de manger [de] la morue [qui est] à vous que le coq-d’Inde aux autres.)

“Better to eat one’s own codfish than another person’s turkey-cock.”--[_Martinique._]

206. Milatt ka batt, cabritt ka mò. (Les mulâtres se battent, ce sont les cabrits qui meurent.)

“When the mulattoes get to fighting, the goats get killed.”[85]--[_Martinique._]

[85] The feeling of the black to the mulatto is likewise revealed in the following dicton:--Nègue pòté maïs dans so lapoche pou volé poule;--milatt pòté cordon dans so lapoche pou volé choual;--nhomme blanc pòté larzan dans so lapoche pou trompé fille. (Le nègre porte du maïs dans sa poche pour voler des poules;--le mulâtre porte un cordon dans sa poche pour voler des chevaux;--l’homme blanc porte de l’argent dans sa poche pour tromper les filles.)

“The negro carries corn in his pocket to [help him to] steal chickens; the mulatto carries a rope in his pocket to steal horses; the white man carries money in his pocket to deceive girls.”--[Louisiana.]

207. Misè fè macaque mangé piment. (La misère force le macaque à manger du piment.)

“Misery makes the monkey eat red pepper.”--[_Martinique._]

208. * “Mo bien comm mo yé,” parole rare. (“Je me trouve bien comme je suis”--ces sont des paroles rares.)

“‘I’m well enough as I am,’ are words one doesn’t often hear.”--[_Louisiana._]

209. * Mo va pas prêté vous bâton pou cassé mo latête. (Je ne vais vous prêter un bâton pour me casser la tête.)

“I’m not going to lend you a stick to break my head with.”--[_Louisiana._]

210. Moin ainmein plis yon balaou jòdi là qu’taza dimain. (J’aime mieux un balaou aujourd’hui qu’un tazard demain.)

“I’d rather have horn-fish to-day, than mackerel to-morrow.”[86]--[_Martinique._]

[86] “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” The translation is not literal. The _tazard_ or _thazard_, although belonging to the scomber family, is not a true mackerel. _Balaou_ is one Creole name for _l’aiguillette de mer_, hornfish [?].

211. Moin pas ka prend dithé pou fiève li. (Je ne veux pas prendre du thé pour sa fièvre.)

“I don’t propose to drink tea for his fever.”[87]--[_Martinique._]

[87] Or better still: “I don’t intend to drink tea just because he has the fever.” In other words, “I don’t intend to bother myself with other people’s troubles.”....The tea referred to is one of those old Creole preparations taken during fevers--the _tisanes_ of the black nurses: perhaps the cooling sassafras, or orange-leaf tea administered to sufferers from _dengue_ in New Orleans.

212. Montagnes zamés zoinde, domounde zoinde. (Les montagnes ne se rencontrent jamais, les hommes se rencontrent.)

“Mountains, only, never meet; men meet.”--We are certain to encounter friends and enemies under the most unlikely circumstances.--[_Mauritius._]

213. Mounn ouè défaut les-zautt, yo pas ni zié pou ta yo. (Les gens voient les défauts des autres, ils n’ont pas d’yeux pour les leurs.)

“Folks see the faults of others; they have no eyes for their own.”[88]--[_Martinique._]

[88] This proverb, not being of true Creole origin, receives a place here as an illustration of effective patois. In Louisiana we never say _ta yo_, but _so quenne_....Were all proverbs used by the Creole-speaking people included in this collection, it would be considerably longer. Nearly all familiar English proverbs have received Creole adoption, with slight modifications; for example, instead of “putting the cart before the horse,” the Mauritian negro _mette çarette divant milét_, puts the cart before the _mule_--an animal with which he is more familiar.

214. Moustique pitit; més lhére li çanté vous zoréye plein. (Le moustique est petit; mais quand il chante, votre oreille en est pleine.)

“The mosquito is little; but when he sings, your ears are full of him.”--[_Mauritius._]

215. Napas éna fromaze qui napas trouve so macathia. (Il n’y a pas de fromage qui ne trouve son pain bis.)

“There’s no cheese but what can find brown bread.”[89]--[_Mauritius._]

[89] That is to say, whoever has a bit of cheese can always find a bit of brown bread to eat with it. There never was a girl so ugly that she could not find a husband.

216. Napas rémié fimié sec. (Ne remuez pas le fumier sec.)

“Don’t stir up dry manure.”--Said to those who desire to resurrect forgotten scandal.--[_Mauritius._]

217. Napas vous sangsie qui a monté làhaut moi. (Ce n’est pas votre sangsue qui montera sur moi.)

“Your leech isn’t going to climb on me.” That is: you shan’t take advantage of me.--[_Mauritius._]

218. Napas vous laliane darzent qui a monté làhaut mo tonelle. (Ce n’est pas votre liane d’argent qui montera sur ma tonnelle.)

“It isn’t your silver creeper that is going to climb over my summer house.”[90]--[_Mauritius._]

[90] Said by young girls to those whose advances are disagreeable. _Khè lanmou pas ka sauté_ (“heart-of-love does not yet leap”) would be the more polite response of a Martinique girl.

219. * Napas zoué av difé; wou a boulé vous çimise. (Ne jouez pas avec le feu; vous vous brûlerez la chemise.)

“Play with the fire and you’ll burn your shirt.” This proverb appears to be current wherever any form of the patois prevails.--[_Mauritius._]

220. Nîon doight pas jamain mangé calalou. (Avec un seul doigt on ne peut jamais manger du calalou.)

“You can’t eat calalou with one finger.”[91]--[_Hayti._]

[91] The West Indian _calalou_ is made almost precisely like our _gombo_-soup. The word is of African origin according to Turiault.

221. Nhomme mort, zhèbes ka lever douvant lapôte li. ([Quand] un homme [est] mort, l’herbe pousse [lit.: s’élève] devant sa porte.)

“When a man is dead, the grass grows tall before his door.”--[_Trinidad._]

222. Nououi chouval pou baille zofficié monté. (Nourir des chevaux pour les donner à monter aux officiers.)

“Feed horses for officers to ride.” To be the victim of one’s own foolish liberality.--[_Martinique._]

223. * Oîmso soulié savé si bas tini trou. (Le soulier seul sait si le bas a un trou.)

“The shoe only knows whether the stockings have holes.”[92]--[_Guyane._]

[92] In the Martinique dialect it is: _C’est soulié qui save si bas tini trou_. In the Trinidad patois: _Cé soulier tout-sél qui save si bas tini trou_ (Thomas). In Louisiana Creole: _C’est soulier nek connin si bas gagnin trou_. “Nek,” compound from French _ne ... que_--“only.”

224. Oti tini zos tini chien. (Où il y a des os il y a des chiens.)

“Wherever there are bones, there are dogs.” Meaning that when one is rich, one has plenty of friends.--[_Martinique._]

225. Ou faché avec gan chemin, que côté ou va passé? (Vous vous fachez avec le grand chemin, de quel côté irez-vouz?)

“If you get angry with the high road, what way will you go?”--[_Hayti._]

226. Ou fait semblant mourir, moin fait semblant enterrer ou. (Faites semblant de mourir, et moi je ferai semblant de vous enterrer.)

“You pretend to die; and I’ll pretend to bury you.”[93]--[_Hayti._]

[93] Said to those who relate improbable stories of woe.

227. Ou sauté, ou tombé la menme. (Vous sautez, vouz tombez tout de même.)

“You jump, but you come down all the same.”[94]--[_Martinique._]

[94] Just so high as you jump, so great the fall. The higher our ambition, the greater the peril of failure.

228. * Où y’en a charogne, y’en a carencro. (Où il a charogne, il y a des busards.)

“Wherever there’s carrion, there are buzzards.”[95]--[_Louisiana._]

[95] This is one of several instances of the Creole adoption of English words. The name “carrion-crow” has been applied to the buzzard in Louisiana from an early period of its American history.

229. Ous pôncor travesser läivïèr;--pas jirez maman caïman. (Vous n’avez pas encore traversé la rivière--ne jurez [maudissez] pas la maman du caïman.)

“You haven’t crossed the river yet; don’t curse at the crocodile’s mother.”[96]--[_Trinidad._]

[96] “Don’t halloo till you’re out of the wood!”

230. Padon pas ka guéri bosse. (“Pardon” ne guérit pas la bosse.)

“Asking pardon doesn’t cure the bump.”[97]--[_Martinique._]

[97] In the Creole of Guyana this proverb exists in a very curious form: _Ago pa guéri maleng_.--“the excuse doesn’t cure the hurt.” M. Alfred de Saint-Quentin in his work upon this remarkably fantastic and melodious Creole dialect, says that _Ago_ is the only word of purely African origin he has been able to find in the Guyana patois. On the Gold coast _ago_! is a warning cry: “Take care!--clear the way!” The Guyana slaves retained the word in a different sense. The negro who accidentally jostles anybody, still exclaims _Ago!_--but it now means “Beg pardon,” or “Excuse me!”

231. Pâlér pas rimède. (Parler n’est pas un reméde.)

“Talking is no remedy.” In Creole the word signifies medicine as well as _remedy_.--[_Trinidad._]

232. Pâler touop ka lever chein nans dômi. (Trop parler [c’est ce qui] éveille le chien endormi.)

“Talking too much arouses the dog from sleep.”[98]--[_Trinidad._]

[98] Talking too freely about our projects helps our enemies to thwart our hopes.

233. Pâoûoles pas tini coulèr. (Les paroles n’ont pas de couleur.)

“Words have no color.”--This is generally said to people who stare a speaker out of countenance.--[_Trinidad._]

234. Pâoûoles pas couté cher. (Les paroles ne coûtent pas cher.)

“Words are cheap.” In Martinique the phrase is _Paoûòles pas châge_: (“Words are no weight to carry.”)--[_Trinidad._]

235. * Parole trop fort, machoir gonflé. (Par la parole trop forte, la machoir est gonflée.)

“By talking too loud the jaw becomes swelled.”[99]--[_Louisiana._]

[99] Literally: “Word too strong, jaw swelled up.” Seems to imply the _indirect_ rather than the direct consequence of using violent language--viz., a severe beating from the person abused.

236. Pas fôte langue qui fair bef pas sa pâler. (Ce n’est pas à faute de langue que le bœuf ne sait pas parler.)

“It isn’t for want of tongue that the ox can’t talk.”--[_Trinidad._]

237. Pas jou’ moin bien changé, moin ka rencontré nénneine moins. (Ce n’est pas le jour que je suis bien changé que je vais rencontrer ma marraine.)

“It isn’t on the day I am greatly changed” [when I am most unfortunate] “that I am going to meet my godmother.”--[_Martinique._]

238. Pas menme jou ou mangé tè ou vini enflé. (Ce n’est pas le même jour que vous mangez que vous vous trouvez enflé).

“It isn’t the same day you eat that you find yourself puffed up.”[100]--[_Martinique._]

[100] That is to say that the worst results of folly do not always manifest themselves when expected.

239. Pauve moune bail déjeuner nans quior. (Les pauvres gens vous donnent à déjeuner dans leurs cœurs).

“Poor folks give breakfast with their hearts.”--[_Hayti._]

240. * Pis faibe toujou tini tò. (Le plus faible a toujours tort).

“The weakest is always in the wrong.”--[_Martinique._]

241. * Piti à piti, zozo fait son nid. (Petit à petit, l’oiseau fait son nid.)

“Little by little the bird builds its nest.”--[_Louisiana._]

242. Piti pas coûté so moman, li ka mori gran solé midi. (Petit qui n’écoute pas sa maman meurt au grand soleil de midi).

“Little boy who won’t listen to his mother dies under the noonday sun.”[101]--[_Guyana._]

[101] All Creole mothers are careful to keep their children from reckless play in the sun, which is peculiarly treacherous in those latitudes where the dialect is spoken. Hence the proverb, applicable to any circumstance in which good advice is reluctantly received.

243. Plis vaut mié vous pitit gagne larhime qui vous arrace son nez. (Il vaut mieux laisser votre enfant morveux que de lui arracher le nez).

“Better let your child be snotty, than pull his nose off.”--[_Mauritius._]

244. Pou manje, tou bon; pou pâlé pas tou parole. (Pour manger, tout est bon; pour parler, pas toute parole).

“Anything is good enough to eat; but every word is not good enough to be spoken.”[102]--[_Guyane._]

[102] In the Martinique dialect: _Toutt mangé, toutt paaule pas bon pou di._--[_Turiault._]

245. Poule pas ka vanté bouillon yo. (Les poules ne vantent pas leur [propre] bouillon.)

“The chickens don’t brag about their own soup;” i.e. _chicken-soup_.--[_Martinique._]

246. Poule qui çanté ça méme qui fine pondé. (La poule qui chante est celle-là même qui a pondu).

“It’s the cackling hen that has laid the egg.”--[_Mauritius._]

247. Poule qui fére dè[103] dizèfs zamés touyé. (La poule qui fait deux œufs n’est jamais tuée).

“The hen that lays two eggs is never killed.”--[_Mauritius._]

[103] The sound of the French _eu_ is rarely preserved in Creole. _L’heure_ becomes _lhère_; _peu_, becomes _pè_. The Creole-speaking negro says, _Yonne_, _dé_, _tois_, _quate_, _nèf_, instead of “un, deux, trois, quatre, neuf.”

248. * Pranne garde vaut miè passé mandé pardon. (Prendre garde vaut mieux que demander pardon.)

“It is better to take care beforehand than to ask pardon afterward.”--[_Louisiana._]

249. Ptit lasoif ptit coco, grand lasoif grand coco. (Petite soif, petit coco; grande soif, grand coco.)

“Little thirst, a little cocoa-nut; big thirst, a big cocoa-nut.”[104]--[_Mauritius._]

[104] Like the old country saying: “Big horse, big feed.” The cocoa-nut shell was formerly the slave’s drinking cup in Mauritius.

250. Ptit mie tombe, ramassé li; Chrétien tombe, pas ramassé li. (Quand une petite mie tombe, on la ramasse; quand un Chrétien tombe, on ne le ramasse pas [i.e., on ne l’aide pas à se relever].)

“If a little crumb falls, it is picked up; if a Christian falls, he is not picked up.”--[_Hayti._]

251. * Quand bois tombé, cabri monté. (Quand l’arbre tombe, le cabri monte.)

“When the tree falls, the kid can climb it.”--[105][_Louisiana._]

[105] This saying has quite a variety of curious applications. The last time I heard it, a Creole negress was informing me that the master of the house in which she worked was lying at the point of death: “_pauve diabe!_” I asked after the health of her mistress. “_Ah! Madame se porte bien; mais . . . quand bois tombé cabri monté_,” she replied, half in French, half in her own patois; signifying that after the husband’s death, wife and children would find themselves reduced to destitution.

252. Quand boudin mòdè, cé pas épi bell plimm[106] yo ka plein li. (Quand le ventre crie, ce n’est pas avec de beaux habits qu’on le remplit.)

“When your stomach gnaws you, it isn’t with fine clothes that you can fill it.”--[_Martinique._]

[106] Literally “feathers”--“_plimm_,” _plumes_. Adopted from a Creole version of one of Lafontaine’s fables.

253. * Quand boyaux grogné, bel évite pas fait yé pé. (Quand les boyaux grognent, un bel habit ne leur fait pas se taire; lit., ne leur fait pas paix.)

“When the bowels growl a fine coat won’t make them hold their peace.”[107]--[_Louisiana._]

[107] The words _pè_, _pé_, in Creole are distinguishable only by their accentuation. _Peur_ (fear); _peu_ (a little); _paix_ (peace, or “hush”); _peut_ (can), all take the form _pè_ or _pé_ in various Creole dialects. _Ipas ni pè sépent_: “he is not afraid of snakes.” Sometimes one can guess the meaning only by the context, as in the Martinique saying: _Pè bef pè caca bef_. “Few oxen, little ox-dung;” i.e. “little money, little trouble.” The use of “_pè_” for _père_ (father), reminds us of a curious note in the Creole studies of the brothers Saint-Quentin (See BIBLIOGRAPHY). In the forests of Guiana there is a bird whose song much resembles that of our Louisiana mocking-bird, but which is far more sonorous and solemn. The Creole negroes call it ZOZO MONPÉ (_l’oiseau mon-père_), lit., “The my-father bird.” Now _monpè_ is the Creole name for a priest; as if we should say “a my-father” instead of “a priest.” The bird’s song, powerful, solemn, far-echoing through the great aisles of the woods by night, suggested the chant of a _monpè_, a “ghostly father;” and its name might be freely translated by “the priest-bird.”

254. Quand cannari pas bouï pou ou, ou donè janmain découvri li. (Quand le pôt ne bout pas pour vous, vous ne devez jamais le découvrir.)

“When the pot won’t boil for you, you must never take the lid off.”[108]--[_Martinique._]

[108] “Watched pot never boils.” The _canari_ was a clay pot as the following Creole refrain testifies:

Ya pas bouillon pou vous, macommère; Canari cassé dans difé (bis). Bouillon renvèrsé dans difé Ya pas bouillon pou vous, macommère Canari cassé dans difé.

[“There’s no soup for you, my gossipping friend; the pot’s broken in the fire; the soup is spilled in the fire,” etc.]

255. Quand canon causé, fisil honté. (Quand le canon parle, le fusil a honte.)

“When the cannon speaks, the gun is ashamed.”--[_Mauritius._]

256. Quand diabe alle lamesse li caciétte so laquée. (Quand le diable va à la messe, il cache sa queue.)

“When the Devil goes to mass he hides his tail.”--[_Mauritius._]

257. Quand diabe voulé prend vous li cause bondié av vous. (Quand le diable veut vous prendre il vous parle de Bon Dieu.)

“When the devil wants to get hold of you, he chats to you about God.” Lit.: “He talks _Good God_ to you.”--[_Mauritius._]

258. Quand done vous bourique vous pas bisoin guétte so labride. (Quand on vous donne un âne, vous ne devez pas regarder sa bride.)

“When somebody gives you a donkey, you musn’t examine the bridle.”--Never look a gift-horse in the mouth.--[_Mauritius._]

259. Quand femme léve so robe diabe guétte so lazambe. (Quand une femme relève sa robe le diable regarde sa jambe.)

“When a woman lifts her dress, the devil looks at her leg.”--[_Mauritius._]

260. Quand gagne larmoire napas quétte côffe. (Quand on a l’armoire on ne regarde pas le coffre.)

“As soon as one gets a clothes-press, one never looks at the trunk.”[109]--[_Mauritius._]

[109] A wooden chest or trunk is the first desideratum of the negro housewife. As soon as the family is able to purchase a clothes-press, or (as we call it in Louisiana) “armoire,” it is considered quite a prosperous household by Mauritian colored folk. The chest, Baissac tells us, is the clothes-press of the poor. “After the bed comes the chest, and next the accordeon!”

261. Quand lamôrt vini, vous pense vous lavie. (Quand la mort vient, vous pensez à vôtre vie.)

“It’s when death comes that you think about your life.”--[_Mauritius._]

262. Quand lébras trop courte, napas zoinde. (Quand les bras son trop courts, ils ne se rejoignent pas.)

“When one’s arms are too short, they won’t go round.”[110]--[_Mauritius._]

[110] It is needless to undertake what we have not ability to carry out.

263. Quand lécie tombé, tout mouces va maillé. (Quand le ciel tombera, toutes les mouches seront prises.)

“When the sky falls all the flies will be caught.”[111]--[_Mauritius._]

[111] Said to those who talk hopefully of impossibilities.

264. * Quand li gagnin kichose dans so latête, cé pas dans so lapiè. (Quand il a quelque chose dans sa tête, ce n’est pas dans son pied.)

“When he gets something into his head, it isn’t in his foot.”[112]--[_Louisiana._]

[112] Refers to obstinacy. A man may be compelled to move his feet, but not to change his resolve.

265. Quand lipièd glissé, restant sivré. (Quand le pied glisse, le reste suit.)

“When the foot slips the rest follows.”--[_Mauritius._]

266. Quand maite chanté, nègue dansé; quand ’conome sifflé, nègue sauté. (Quand le maître chante, le nègre danse; quand l’économe siffle, le nègre saute.)

“When the master sings the negro dances; but when the overseer only whistles, the negro jumps.”--A relic of the old slave-day Creole folklore.--[_Louisiana._]

267. Quand milatt tini yon vié chouvral yo dit nègress pas manman yo. (Quand les mulâtres ont un vieux cheval ils disent que les négresses ne sont pas leurs mères.)

“As soon as a mulatto is able to own an old horse, he will tell you that his mother wasn’t a nigger.”--[_Martinique._]

268. * Quand napas maman, tété grand-maman. (Quand on n’a pas sa mère, on tete sa grand-mère.)

“When one has no mother, one must be suckled by one’s grandmother.”--[_Louisiana._]

269. Quand ou tini malhé sépent mòdé ou pa lakhè. (Quand vous êtes dans le malheur le serpent vous mord par la queue.)

“When you’re in ill-luck, a snake can bite you even with its tail.”--[_Martinique._]

270. Quand ou mangé evec guiabe, quimbé cuillè ou longue. (Quand vous mangez avec le diable, tenez votre cuillère longue.)

“When you eat with the devil, see that your spoon is long.”--[_Martinique._]

271. * Quand patate tchuite, faut mangé li. (Quand la patate est cuite, il faut la manger.)

“When the sweet potato is cooked, it must be eaten.”[113]--[_Louisiana._]

[113] This differs a little from the spelling adopted by Gottschalk in his _Bamboula_--“_Quand patate-la couite ma va mangé li._” The proverb is used in the sense of our saying: “Strike the iron while it’s hot.”

272. Quand poul ou tini zé, pas mette li dans canari. (Quand votre poule pond des œufs, ne la mettez pas dans le pot.)

“When your hen is laying, don’t put her in the pot.”[114]--[_Martinique._]

[114] Like our saying about killing the goose that laid the golden eggs.

273. Quand prend trop boucoup, li glissé. (Quand on prend trop [lit.: “trop beaucoup”], cela glisse.)

“Grab for too much, and it slips away from you.”--[_Mauritius._]

274. Quand vente crié zoréyes sourde. (Quand le ventre crie, les oreilles sont sourdes.)

“When the belly cries, the ears are deaf.”--[_Mauritius._]

275. Quand vente faim, siprit vini. (Quand le ventre a faim, l’esprit vient.)

“An empty stomach brings wit;”--lit.: When the stomach is empty, wit comes.[115]--[_Mauritius._]

[115] _Wit_, that is, “mother-wit”--common-sense.

276. Quand vous guétte làhaut vous liziés vine pitit. (Quand vous regardez en haut, vos yeux rapetissent.)

“When you look overhead, your eyes become small.”--[_Mauritius._]

277. Quand yo baille ou tête bef pou mangé, n’a pas peur zieux li. (Quand on vous donne une tête de bœuf à manger n’ayez pas peur de ses yeux.)

“When you are given an ox’s head to eat, don’t be afraid of his eyes.”--[_Hayti._]

278. Quiquefois wou plante zharicots rouze; zharicots blancs qui poussé. (Quelquefois vous plantez des haricots rouges, et ce sont des haricots blancs qui poussent.)