RENDITION OF PROVERBS AND WISE SAYINGS.

        Rendition is a term used for the delivery or performance. It refers to the use of proverbs and sayings specifically the setting, participants and procedure.

• Procedure.

           Proverbs and wise sayings have no specific formula for their delivery as they are incorporated into normal speech. As such they are very flexible in application since one can throw in a proverb or a wise saying at will as long as it is relevant to the context of the speech.

          They are also informal thus cannot have a formalistic structure. This is mainly to avoid detailed explanation and instead one gives the audience a proverb or a wise saying and leaves them to work out the meaning thus in the end, the audience will have a total picture of what was intended.

Proverbs and wise sayings are also uttered in an instance since they are terse unlike songs and narratives that take a lot of time.

• Performer

         When talking of the performer in wise sayings and proverbs, the focus is not on who monopolizes it because none does so (the rendition is mostly in dialogue where all parties take part)

 but who predominates on their use such as:-

          In traditional African setting, use of proverbs and wise sayings was preserved to the elderly as it was believed that only this class had the wisdom and experience enabling them the use of such.             

      This was and is still done when the elderly were educating the youths for example when a mother could be educating her daughter on the dangers of sexual liaisons, she would incorporate a proverb or a wise saying that discourages the vice e.g.

   Inyende oyiliira mulwoba (luhyia)

   If you eat mushrooms, you are sure to eat mangoes.

          Proverbs and wise sayings were and are still used by public figures in their speeches. Public figures such as leaders, teachers, preachers, politicians and other professionals will always want to create an impression in their audience that they are wise and have good oracy skills. For this reason they will use a lot of proverbs and wise sayings when delivering their speeches.

          The kind of proverbs and wise sayings used by these people will depend on their intention such as to show wisdom, pull crowds, influence/move crowds, instruct, defend themselves and even belittle others

  Example.

Kuri gakua murio ta kigwa (kikuyu).

There are people who like sugarcane and are killed for being sweet.

Can be used by these figures to defend themselves.

Yien motamo onger idho bim diidhi (luo)

A tree that a monkey can’t climb, can a baboon climb?

         This was used by Raila Odinga during the 2002 general election campaign to belittle the then Ugenya M.P. James Orengo who was vying for presidency.

Setting.

         A proverb or a wise saying has no specific time or place in which they should be used as they are open for use whenever two or more people are engaged in communication. For this reason, rendition of proverbs and wise sayings is not possible in the absence of an audience.

FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED DURING RENDITION OF PROVERBS AND WISE SAYINGS

       As much as these forms are informal, certain factors must be looked into especially by the performer for them to be effective. These factors include: –

• Setting.

     Most proverbs and wise sayings touch on sensitive aspects of human life and thus their use will majorly depend on the place and occasion

Example.

Owakania akebirira owakasena sakebirira (luhyia)

The person who excreted it may forget it, but he who sreps on it cannot.

This proverb cannot be used when people are eating.

Rumo kitamo (luo)

Depletion is unpreventable.

Cannot be used where a tragedy involving loss of property has occurred as it will be assumed to be mockery.

• Audience.

      Before one uses a proverb or a wise saying, he/she should consider the composition of the audience in terms of age, gender, tribal background, religious background and even physical ability or disability.                                                                                  For example old people feel uncomfortable when feeble bones are mentioned in a proverb and any other audience will feel offended when a word in the proverb or wise saying seems to touch them in the negative side thus those who use proverbs and wise sayings should not talk of leprosy when a leper is around.

Example.

Kilemba cheupe si kumcha mungu (Swahili)

A white hair dress is not fear of God.]

This proverb should not be used in the presence of Christians who use the white hair dress.