no kosi kaiman mama fosi yu abra liba
Sranan Tongo
editAlternative forms
edit- no kosi kaiman fosi yu abra liba (“don't curse the caiman before you've crossed the river”)
Etymology
editLiterally, “don't curse the caiman's mother before you've crossed the river”.
Pronunciation
editProverb
editno kosi kaiman mama fosi yu abra liba
- don't insult people who might hurt your interests; don't self-sabotage; don't count your chickens before they're hatched
- 1874, Willem Boekhoudt, Uit mijn verleden. Bijdrage tot de kennis van Suriname [From my past. Contribution to the knowledge of Suriname][1], Winschoten: J.D. van der Veen, page 94:
- So langa joe no koti abra liba, joe no moe kosi kaiman.
- [Solanga yu no koti abra liba, yu no mu kosi kaiman.]
- As long as you haven't crossed the river, you shouldn't curse the caiman.
- 1977, Albert Helman, editor, Cultureel mozaïek van Suriname. Bijdrage tot onderling begrip. [Cultural mosaic of Suriname. A contribution to mutual understanding.][2], Zutphen: De Walburg Pers, →ISBN, page 112:
- Ef joe wani kot' abra liba, joe no moe kosi kaiman mama.
- [Efu yu wani koti abra liba, yu no mu kosi kaiman mama.]
- If you want to cross the rivier, you shouldn't insult the mother of the caiman.
- 2003, Conjunto Pomos (lyrics and music), “No Kosi Kaiman”, in Kula Man:
- Noiti no kosi kaiman mama fosi yu abra liba, a so den bigisma koti den odo, ya.
- Never curse the caiman's mother before you've crossed the river, yup, that's how the old people recite their proverbs.
- 2011, Selectabeats, Kayente (lyrics and music), “Djoegoe Djoegoe”:
- Ei Selecta, mi granmama ben leri mi altèit, "no kosi kaiman fosi abra liba, boi."
- Hey Selecta, my grandmother always taught me: "don't curse the caiman before crossing the river, boy."