ZAMBIAN PROVERBS.
A while back, it hit me just how little I knew about the culture and history of Zambia. Yes, civics and social studies class provided the basics, but basic just isn't good enough.
I wanted to know more than :when this political party was formed and you do that in preparation for marriage. I was after the way life, the songs our ancestors sang, the stories they told, the games they played etc.
Before I get carried away, it must be said that the purpose of seeking out this information was not practice but preservation.
It always fascinates me how easy it is, to talk about Greek or American history but almost impossible to talk about Zambian history and culture, other than in the context of marriage. The reasons why are numerous but one that stands out is, lack of information.
Using the Greek example, everything from books, to movies, to documentaries, to cartoon series have been made based on that way of life. Courses about it are available at university level and whole careers have been made in the pursuit of that knowledge.
But when it comes to us ( Africa in general ), there is a reluctance, almost a shame that is associated with our history and former way of life. This does not mean the information isn't out there, but after a closer look at who documented this information and when it was put together creates the need for an update.
As the title states, this post will focus on the proverbs that helped guide our ancestors. The advice given in these creative one liners is solid and still be used today.
Above is the first and a personal favorite, in English it says, "mother carry me and one day I will call you." This simple saying speaks directly to every child's ambition to one day make their parents proud.
The sacrifices parents make daily for their children are of superhero propositions and I'd like to take this moment, on behalf of all of children, to thank our parents for letting us live rent free all these years (lol).
Next we have, "sunga umokoshi, ubulungu tabwashupa. Translated to English it says, "keep your neck, jewelry isn't hard." This reminds me of "what does it profit a man if he gains the world, yet loses his soul." Now this doesn't mean material success is evil, what it does say is that it should never take the front seat from the things that really matter.
Another way of saying this on is,"ibala lyakale talyshupa ukulima." This one talks about how much easier it is to plough an old farm as compared to a new one. Advice like this is good, but there are cases where one has to risk it all and try their luck with a new farm.
The masuku fruit is one of the sweetest wild fruits you will ever taste. Unfortunately, if the tree they grow from goes bad, it produces a smell so bad, the forest around it suffers.
This saying much like the one before it, has an easier way of phrasing it. Embarrassingly this blogger forgot how it goes in Bemba, but in English it talks about spitting out a bunch of groundnuts because one of them is bad. I guess this agrees with ideas like "birds of a feather" and "show me your friends and I'll tell you who you are."
On one hand, it can be argued that the company we keep does reflect on who we are but on the other hand, that reflection is only a small part of a very beautiful and complex picture.
People are so multifaceted and getting to know them is honestly one of the most eye opening and satisfying experiences one can enjoy.
Lastly we have, "umwana ushenda, atasha nyina ukwipika." It means the child who does not travel will only praise his mothers cooking. Now the argument can be made, that maybe the mother is just a bad cook (lol) but I don't think that's the point. The point is, the world we live in is so beautiful and diverse, it would be shame to not experience as much of it as we can.
There are many more proverbs and saying and they are not just in Bemba.
Take the time to talk to your parents and grandparents about things like this and use your platform to paint a positive picture about your cultural heritage.
Lastly, I advise again, that the purpose is not to practice but to preserve.
