The Meaning and Use of Sudanese Proverbs
9.5 Silence, speech and the tongue as represented by Sudanese proverbs
In Sudanese culture, silence is preferred to speech and it is regarded as a virtue that is difficult for many people to have. It is preferred to speech in many different ways in Sudanese proverbs. Silence is also praised by religion and there are many Quranic verses and prophetic speeches that praise silence.
a). Silence and Speech
\5I`+ا a 2 09>H 0@' اE9د>H َارEMو َ4DE5q 'y5+ا )A2أر اذإ
Ida raitum al-mumin s’amutan waqoran fa-adnu minho fa-inhu yulaqin al-h'ikma If you see a sedate, silent believer, approach him as he teaches wisdom (615) A silent man is considered a wise man and the proverb advises respect for him.
EVVVVVA M 4VVVVV' kVVVVV +ا kVVVVV X مLVVVVV@D 4VVVVV' EVVVVVA M kVVVVV +ا kVVVVV X مLVVVVV9أ Andam a'la al-gultu ma tandem a'la al-magultu
Regret what you said, but do not regret what you did not say (616)
It is advised by this proverb that it is better to regret not saying certain things to a person than to regret having said something that might harm others or cause problems.
ﺐﻫﺫ ﻦﻣ ﺕﻮﻜﺴﻟﺎﻓ ﻪﻀﻓ ﻦﻣ ﻡﻼﻜﻟﺍ ﻥﺎﻛ ﺍﺫﺇ
Ida kan al-kalam minn fid'ah fa-al-sukoot minn dahabb If speech is made of silver, silence is of gold (618)
This proverb is used to advise people that silence is a sign of respect. Silence is encouraged by Sudanese proverbs to avoid problems and unnecessary arguments with fools.
اEVVVV 5ه EVVVV 5ID ,VVVV2اد EVVVV+ م%VVVVI+ا
Al-kalam lao dair tikamlu hamilu
If you want to put an end to talk, ignore it (619)
This proverb urges that to end unnecessary conversations you should not respond to the person who is speaking with you. It encourages people not to indulge in fruitless arguments.
Silence may be considered as a type of communication, especially when parents consult girls about their marriage. If parents do not hear any response from their girls, they consider that as a positive sign that their daughters have no objection. The following proverb notes this meaning of silence.
4VVVV.,+ا \VVVV'%X تEIVVVVW+ا Al-sukut a'lamat al-rid'a
Silence is a sign of consent (620) 0VVVVVVVA M GVVVVVVVH 0VVVVVVVAآ,3 م%VVVVVVVI+ا
Al-kalam barakkto fi gilato
The blessing of a conversation is in its shortness (621)
Speech is the cause of many problems as viewed by Sudanese proverbs. It is considered better for the speaker to be brief. One of my informants quoted the above proverb to me when he realized that I wanted to talk to him; then he asked me what I wanted. The proverb may be used by an older person to a younger person, or by a person to a group of people in a discussion to make it short.
Many proverbs deal with the effect of soft words on people's relationships:
ﻩﺮﺤﺟ ﻦﻣ ﻥﺎﺒﻌﺜﻟﺍ ﻕﺮﳝ ﲔﻠﻟﺍ ﻡﻼﻜﻟﺍ
Al-kalam al-liyyean yamrug al-thua'ban min juh'ro Soft words get the snake out of its hole (622)
This proverb advises that harshness and severity are not effective policy. Whether you are of higher status or lower status, you cannot gain others' trust by strength or force.
Therefore, lenience and kindness are required in dealing with some matters.
لEVVVV`A3 4VVVV' لوا م%VVVVآ
Kalam awal ma bith'aowal
The first word uttered cannot be changed (623)
The teaching of this proverb is that one should stand by one’s word. It encourages people to be honest and not to change what they first said under any circumstances.
تا,IH ُ,Fأو تا,I7 0+وأ م%I+ا
Al-kalam aowlo sakkarat wa akhro fakkarat
Talk is inebriety at the beginning and thought at the end (624)
The point of this proverb is to warn that a person should think about his words before he talks and about to whom he is talking and why. You might talk to someone without thinking about the consequences and regret it in the end. According to many informants, it is possible for any person to use this proverb to any other person regardless of age.
l4VVVVVV;+ا رEVVVVVVn3 EVVVVVV `+ا م%VVVVVVI+ا
Al-kalam al-h'ilo bakhoor al-bat'inn Sweet talk is incense for one's inside (625)
The lesson of this proverb is that soft talk relieves and comforts the hearer. One of my informants described it as a message to people to consider their words and correct them before they utter them. It is usually used when a person talks in a harsh way; an old person might quote it to a young person, but it is difficult for a young person to say it to the elderly.
,VVV5N+ا VVV' لEVVVlا \VVV5 I+ا
Al-kalma at'wal min al-u'mar
One's word lasts longer than one’s life (626)
Reminiscences remain after one's death, whether they are praise or criticism. It is believed by the people of the Sudan that when people praise you after your death God and his angels will confirm it. The purpose of this proverb is to remind people memories of the good and bad things one said will remain after their death.
b). The Tongue
The tongue is viewed in Sudanese proverbs as an organ that strongly affects human relationships. It is used as a metaphor for speech. The following proverbs show how the tongue causes trouble and harms others:
=VVVVV94ه 0VVVVVA@ه ناو =94VVVVVq 0A@VVVVVq نا =94VVVVVQR =94VVVVVW+
Lisanak h'us’anak inn s'unto s'anak wa inn hinto hannak
Your tongue is your guard, if you preserve it, it preserves you and if you humiliate it, it will humiliate you (629)
This proverb comments that if you mind your words before you utter them; people will respect you and be careful when they talk to you; if you harm people by using hard words, they will do the same to you. This proverb is a classical proverb used by Sudanese without any changes in its standard form. It is used to encourage people not to talk about unnecessary matters or to cause troubles through what they say.
وLVVVVVV7 \VVVVVVHz ن4VVVVVVW +ا Al-lisan affatt siddo
The tongue is an epidemic to its owner (630)
Your tongue might cause you big problems, like an epidemic disease that you cannot control. This proverb is used to warn people against the negative situations caused by the use of their tongues. It advises them to be aware of this when they talk to each other.
}VVVVVVa5+ا يز 094VVVVVVW+
Lisano zai al-magass
(His) tongue is like scissors (632)
The metaphor of the tongue as sharp scissors embodies its potential as a dangerous tool that can be used to harm people's feelings. This proverb criticises by metaphor, as the following one does.
TVVVVV2El 094VVVVVW+
Lisano taweel
(He) has a long tongue (634)
‘Long tongue’ is a metonymical expression to describe a person who harms others for simple reasons or even without any reason.
0VVVVVV;+4b 094VVVVVVW+
Lisano ghalbo
(He) is controlled by his tongue (635)
This proverb is used to describe a person who talks too much about others' affairs without being asked, or cannot keep secrets. It is believed that a wise person is controlled by his mind, unlike the ignorant one who is controlled by his tongue.
)VVVVvX 0VVVVH 4VVVV' 0VVV5`+ ن4VVVW +ا
Al-lisan lah’mah ma fiho a'd’um
The tongue is a piece of meat: it has no bone (636)
This proverb vividly comments that it is easy for a person to move his tongue, so it is up to him to use it for good or evil.
ZVVUF VV' LVV2و ZVVlر VVV' ن4VVVW+
Lisano min rotab wa ieado min khashab
(He) has a tongue of mist and a hand of wood (637)
The proverb describes a greedy person who talks softly, but never gives or spends when help is needed.
ا,;VVVVV3 4VVVVV' ن4VVVVVW +ا ح,VVVVV" VVVVVI+ ا,;VVVVV3 pVVVVVW+ا ح,VVVVV"
Jarih' al-seaf bibra lakin jarih' al-lisan ma bibra
The wound of a sword will heal, but not one caused by a tongue (638)
The point of this proverb is that the harm caused by words lasts long. Words can be more painful than the wound from a sword.
=94VVVVVVVW 3 ,AVVVVVVVND 4VVVVVVV' =VVVVVV ",3 ,AVVVVVVXأ Aa'tar birijlak ma ta'tar bilisanak
Stumble with your foot; do not stumble with your tongue (640)
The teaching of this proverb is to be careful about your words. Stumbling with your foot may cause personal pain, but stumbling with the tongue will cause pain to someone else.