Tigre proverb

THE PROVERB THAT GAHAD WAD AGGABA MADE.

Gahad was wayfaring with his company. And while they were travelling, one of the men stumbled and fell down. And the others said to him: "Conquer!" 3 ) But 6ahad said to them: "Do ye not say unto him: 'Rise, that thou mayest not die'? Is he perhaps a conqueror?" That is to say, the man who had fallen down was not brave and courageous. "It is impossible that he conquers", this is what he meant
when he spoke thus. And this has become a proverb until the present day: "Do ye not say unto him: 'Rise' that he may not die? Is he perhaps a conqueror? said (jahad Ab-Bafta.)" [This is what] they say.

THE PROVERB THAT ADEG WAD FEDEL, A MAN FROM BELEN, MADE.

Adeg wad Fedel fell sick; and in his sickness he grew very thin. Being weak he had no desire for food, but he used to swallow milk with difficulty. And one day [he wished] to drink milk [and] asked for it. But his attendants said to him: "To-day thy son drank it: there is no milk. He went to the Barka country; and thinking that he had a long journey before him we gave it to him." Said Adeg: "Is the journey on which I am starting not longer?" And this has become a proverb until the present day: "'Is the journey on which I am starting not longer', said Adeg wad Fedel." [This is what] they say.

THE PROVERB THAT THE PEOPLE OF AD TAKLES MADE.

Once some people of Ad Takles came as strangers into the Belen country. And Adeg wad Fedel received them and entertained them well. Afterwards when they were joking with each other, the people of Ad Takles said to Adeg wad Fedel: "O son of Fedel, how is it that thou being a prominent and honored man hast been called by this name Adeg (i. e. donkey) ?" And he answered and said to them : "My mother was losing [her children] by death; thereupon when I was born she called me Adeg lest I should die (away from her)." Said they: "And does not the disease of animals attack the donkey?" And they all laughed together. And now they say as a proverb: "'And does not the disease of animals attack the donkey?', said the Ad Takles."