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Muayad Jajo Posted 20 years ago
Vocabulary

When two elephants fight

0An online article says that there is a Swahili saying that goes: “When two elephants fight, the grass suffers; and, when the same two elephants make love, the grass also suffers.”02br
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00The saying is used to refer to the suffering of a feeble or helpless country when two superpowers engage in warfare or amity.02br
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00My question I: is it really Swahili?0-
  

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5 Answers
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0Do you have reason to believe that its origin is otherwise?0-
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0Hi,02br
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00I googled 'When two elephants fight' + Swahili, and got 84 hits, including this comment from02br
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01font00www.project-syndicate.org/ article_print_text?mid=1168&lang02font02br
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01font00Because the thousand-year-old city of Mombasa historically had a s
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I'm not sure of the origin, but I know the saying is used in the Republic of the Congo. In addition to the meaning you gave (also accurate), it is used to refer to the suffering of the people when their local governments engage in warfare or ally themselves.

Again though, as far as the origin goes, I'm not completely sure. Although given a lot of the suffering in most African countries
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it isn't really swahili, it is an African saying including Ghana, Nigerian,etc. They use this proverbs for advice.
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Wapiganapo tembo nyasi huumia.

Should be Swahili
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