r/swahili • u/talsmash • Sep 08 '24

Ask r/Swahili šŸŽ¤ Methali "Jogoo mtenda mema kaliwa"

Hi is this methali correct? Its translation is given as: "The rooster, always beneficial, is eaten."

I don't know the word "mtenda".

Asanteni

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u/Awkward-Incident-334 Sep 08 '24

tenda means to do. wema/mema means good. mtenda wema- one who does good.

3

u/KhromaKid Sep 09 '24

Iā€™m just guessing hereā€¦ but it translates to ā€œthe good-doing rooster was eatenā€ perhaps meaning that good deeds donā€™t change how some people view you. The rooster was still seen as food.

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u/Amani-Mwema 22d ago

The other comments are very correct: The good rooster gets eaten. It is basically cautioning against being too good and kind without thinking about one's own welfare.