Iṣẹ́ la rí, a kò r’ówó — Yoruba Wisdom on Unrewarded Labour

Yoruba Wisdom

Iṣẹ́ la rí, a kò r’ówó

Literal Translation

We see the work; we do not see the money.

Expanded Rendering

There is visible labour, constant activity, and undeniable effort, yet no income, reward, or tangible return accompanies it.

Interpretation

This is a sharp, sarcastic Yoruba saying used to describe a situation in which effort is undeniable but reward is absent. It names the imbalance between visible labour and invisible compensation.

The power of the expression lies in its blunt contrast: work is evident, money is not. There is no attempt to soften the disappointment or spiritualise the gap. It simply states the frustration as fact.

Unlike proverbs that guide or instruct, this saying diagnoses — often with humour edged by bitterness.

Context & Cultural Meaning

In everyday Yoruba speech, this line surfaces in moments of economic irony: long hours, heavy responsibility, endless movement — yet no financial progress.

It may be spoken jokingly among friends, muttered in self-reflection, or used as social commentary on systems that consume labour without yielding dignity or reward.

Culturally, it reflects a deep awareness that busyness is not the same as prosperity — and that effort alone is not proof of progress.

Moral Reflection

Labour without reward eventually corrodes morale.

This saying quietly questions systems, arrangements, and expectations that normalise exhaustion while withholding compensation. It refuses to glorify suffering and challenges the lie that hard work always pays.

Sometimes, the most honest wisdom is simply naming what is wrong.

Application

The saying resonates widely:

• In employment where the workload expands but wages stagnate

• In entrepreneurship, where effort precedes return for too long

• In a ministry or service where sacrifice is assumed but unsupported

• In relationships where one gives endlessly and receives little

It becomes a mirror, asking whether effort is being honoured — or merely exploited.

Broad Theme

Effort without reward

Supporting Themes

• Economic frustration
• The limits of hard-work idealism
• Invisible labour
• Social satire
• Truth-telling through humour

Closing Reflection

Work that produces no return may still be honest — but it is not sustainable.

“Iṣẹ́ la rí, a kò r’ówó” reminds us that effort deserves outcome, and that naming imbalance is the first step toward correcting it.