December 8, 2024

Somali proverbs starting with G

This is a list of popular Somali proverbs starting with G:

Gabar guri ha kaa gasho ama god: Only a (timely) marriage or death (a grave) can keep your daughter (from disgrace).

Gaal dil, dartiisana sii. You may kill an infidel (if he deserves it), but be just to him (i.e. be just even to your enemy).

Gacmo is dhaafaa gacalo ka timaaddaa: Love emerges when hands give something to each other.

Gacmo wadajir bay wax ku gooyaan. One can tear something ony with two hands.

Gacantii qaad-qaad barata gummudkeedaa dhaqdhaqaaaqa: If the hand which used to catch (i.e. steal) is chopped off, the stump will twitch (i.e. it will also try to catch something).

Gadaal-ka-gaar waa goob-dumis: He who comes late ruins the gathering ( because his out-of-place judgements prevent it from reaching the already co-ordinated decisions).

Gadhba gadh baa la tusaa: A beard should be shown a beard (i.e. in a dispute an experienced man should be opposed by a man of similar experience).

Gar iyo geeri loo siman
~Death and justice affect all men equally

Gari Ilaah bay taqaan. Justice knows only Allah.

This goes back to a tale about Ina-Sanweyne, known to be a just man, whose wife’s brother appropriated somebody else’s she-camel. The victim asked Ina-Sanweyne to settle the dispute, and the after having examined the case he hold his relative. ” Justice does not know a father-in-low and a brother-in-low, a relative blood and relative by marriage, a son and a daughter, a brother and a sister, a father and a mother, a maternal uncle and a paternal uncle, a distant relation and a close relation. Justice knows only Allah. Man, return the she-camel”.

Gari laban in kama wada qosliyo. A just sentence cannot make happy (make laugh), both sides at once.

Geed walba in gubtaa hoos taal: Under every tree there is something which hampers its growth ( burns it). This means everyone has his own troubles. 

Geeljire geela waa wada jiraa, waana kala jiraa. When the camels graze together each herdsman keeps close to his own.

Geel laba jir soo wada mar. All the camels were two years old (i.e. once upon a time everybody was young).

Geeriyi nin aanad garanayn iyo geeljiray ku roon tahay: Death is good in a man whom you do not know and in a herdsman ( who is likely to be far away).

Geesi Allah ma xilo: Allah does not disgrace a brave man.

Geesi hooyadiis dhaqsay u gablantaa: The mother of a brave man soon loses her son (dies without sons).

Gees lo’aad kulaylkaa lagu gooyaa: Cut off the cow’s horn while (the knife is still hot).

Guri ann hooyo lahayni waa lama degaan
~A home without a mother is like a desert (mother makes home trustworthy, happier and lovable; without her, it’s dark, fearful and very horrible to live in)