Proverbs of Haile Selassie I first edition, July 2012 (Hamle 2004 E.C.) This scripture contains selected proverbs delivered by His Imperial Majesty Emperor Qädamawi Haile Selassie of Ethiopia (QHS) which were published by the Imperial Ethiopian Ministries, through the Berhanena Selam Printing Press and the Commercial Printing Press, in following books: Selected Speeches of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I. (1918-1967) originally published by the Imperial Ethiopian Ministry of Information 1967, republished by One Drop Books, New York, U.S.A.
Important Utterances of H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I. (1963-1972) originally published by the Imperial Ethiopian Ministry of Information 1972 republished by One Drop Books, New York, U.S.A.
Speeches delivered by His Imperial Majesty 1st Emperor of Ethiopia on various occasions (May 1957 – December 1959) originally published by the Imperial Ethiopian Ministry of Information 1967 republished by Debre Zeyt Books, Italy
My Life an Ethiopia’s Progress–Volume I (1892-1937) originally published in 1972/73, translated and annotated version by E. Ullendorff, 1976
My Life an Ethiopia’s Progress–Volume II (1966 E.C.) originally published in 1973/74, translated by E. Gebissa, G. Gemeda, T. Ta’a, D. Kendie, H. Marcus and A. Raven Roberts, 1999
His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I. in the Soviet Union published 1959
The Seventeenth Anniversary of the Coronation of H.I.M. Haile Selassie Ministry of Information, 1947
The quotes in this scripture are grouped in three chapters: Faith & Religion, Education and Peace & Unity., each with a chronological order. For an effective and consistent quotation it is recommended to use the abbreviation QHS for Qädamawi Haile Selassie. — e.g. QHS 1:13 for chapter 1 proverb 13.
Proverbs of Haile Selassie I
Chapter 1 (Faith & Religion) 01
All the Christians in the world, although they may be divided in some minor matters, yet in essence there is no-one who does not know that there is one Christ. 02
God is Our fortress and Our defence. 03
Whatever the task may be, man may begin it but he cannot complete it, unless God sustains and supports him. If he fails to accomplish the task on which he has set out, having worked to the best of his ability, he is not to be maligned by being called lazy. 04
Shame on those of us who are Christians and do not follow the way of the Savior of the World, whose life was filled with kindness, humility, and martyrdom! If we lived by the laws he gave us
and were worthy of being called Christian, peace would have reigned on this earth. 05
Men were supposed to be equals of the living angels who unceasingly sang praises before the eternal God. 06
Now, however, it has become your fate to obey the order of the great and merciful Lord, a lot that befalls each and everyone of us in our turn. 07
We seek God’s guidance in Our search for true justice. 08
This is the day that God has willed. 09
But the hour of judgment of death decided upon by the power of God cannot be postponed, even by the love of many – let alone by Proverbs of Haile Selassie I | 01
the love of one father and son. 10
No human lips can express the thankfulness which I feel to the merciful God who was enabled me to stand in your midst on this day of which angels in heaven and the creation on earth could neither have thought of nor known. 11
Today is a day on which Ethiopia is stretching her hands to God in joy and thankfulness and revealing her happiness to her children. 12
Therefore, when we say let us all rejoice with our hearts, let not our rejoicing be in any other way but in the spirit of Christ. Do not return evil for evil. Do not indulge in the atrocities which the enemy has been practising in his usual way, even up to the last moment. 13
As St. George who killed the dragon is the patron Saint of our army as well as of our allies, let us unite with our allies in everlasting friendship and amity in order to be able to stand against the godless and cruel dragon which has newly risen which is oppressing mankind. I charge you to consider them as a brother and a friend and to show them kindness and consideration. 14
Our Salvation is the Lord. Who here can fail to trust in God, whose judgments are all righteous and who fails not those who put their faith in Him. 02 | Proverbs of Haile Selassie I
15
We will now turn to the period of peace at which we have by the Grace of God, at least arrived. 16
The catastrophe which was brought about by human hands during the past years can be avoided in the future by religion and hope in God which should be in the heart of the people. 17
Progress without religion is just like a life surrounded by unknown perils and can be compared to a body without soul. 18
It is only when the human mind is guided by religion and morality that man can acquire the necessary vision to put all his ingenuous inventions and contrivances to really useful and beneficial purposes. 19
Spiritual power is the eternal guide, in this life and the life after, for man ranks supreme among all creatures. Led forward by spiritual power, man can reach the summit destined for him by the Great Creator. 20
We believe that the spiritual and moral welfare of Our people is as important as their material well-being. 21
Our happiness today must not be based primarily on material things or it would not be different to animal satisfaction. 22
Should you recognise that like Us you have been chosen to serve
Us, you will do your duty to God and Country, lest your conscience condemn you. 23
We must save ourselves so that we may be of service to others. 24
The labour of man is in vain without Divine aid. 25
We have seen from the happenings of history how God in His profound justice, never fails to execute righteous judgment, and for this our thanksgiving and praise to him is unbounded. 26
In these circumstances, if man has not sought out the protection of God as well as prepared himself for his self protection, the havoc and ruin that can be brought down upon the race of human beings is beyond the bounds of imagination. 27
Place your faith and trust in Almighty God; for, without His assistance and guidance, man is but a weak and puny creature. 28
Our admiration for the Creator’s handiwork should not be limited to those things He has provided us with for our daily needs, but should include all that is good and beautiful. 29
He who would efface the sacred work of Almighty God, he who would abuse the mysteries of God’s creation and discriminate between man and man, whom God created equal, on the basis of
colour, race or creed, calls down upon himself disaster and ruin. 30
Beware that if you stop to look you will cast a shadow upon your fair name. 31
God’s word is a unifier and a bridge that leads to harmony and peace. 32
Man, who is by nature selfish, must learn, that only in serving others can he reach the full stature or attain the noble destinies for which God created him. 33
The Church which, through centuries of struggle and martyrdom, has pursued its task of evangelism and education, has Our continued support. 34
For a person who claims to know everything, as the Scriptures say, is like sounding brass and tinkling cymbal. 35
Happiness so signifies different things to different people. There is happiness that is of a momentary nature and happiness that lives for ever. 36
All the ancient Scriptures were written for Our instruction, in order that through the encouragement they give Us, we may maintain Our hope with fortitude. Because We desire that the light which comes from the Scriptures may shine to all, this Bible by Our command and will has been revised and printed in Proverbs of Haile Selassie I | 03
the Thirty-First year of Our reign. 37
However, since religion and work go hand in hand, it should be understood that the laws should be practiced in a method not detrimental to the unity of a nation. 38
It is only with God’s will that man can reach his ends. 39
Now is the time when the sincere belief in man’s kinship to God must be the foundation for all man’s efforts for enlightenment and learning – the basis for all understanding, co-operation and peace. 40
You, who are listening to Us now, the old, the young and those in school out in the country, since it is We who are bearing the responsibility of guiding the present and coming generations on the right path, it is imperative that we all should serve our country and people dedicatedly and according to God’s wish. 41
To live a full life and to be thankful for the blessings of God nothing is more rewarding than after having learned to teach your fellow-man, using your talent to teach others. 42
How can We pay Our gratitude to God but by thanking Him? 43
Broadly speaking, the power belongs to God the Almighty. 44
Our Armageddon is past.
04 | Proverbs of Haile Selassie I
45
Let us be true to what we believe, that our beliefs may serve and honour us. 46
Laziness is the sole breeder of sin, poverty and discontent. 47
We must look, first, to Almighty God, who has raised man above the animals and endowed him with intelligence and reason. We must put faith in Him, that He will not desert us or permit us to destroy humanity which He created in His image. 48
We must look into ourselves, into the depth of our souls. We must become something we have never been and for which our education and experience and environment have illprepared us. We must become bigger than we have been, more courageous, greater in spirit, larger in outlook. We must become members of a new race, overcoming petty prejudice, owing our ultimate allegiance not to nations but to our fellow men within the human community. 49
The man who sets his goal too low and who accepts too little as enough, squanders the talents and abilities with which Almighty God and nature have endowed him. 50
Praise without any evidence of deed is of no value either to the giver or to the recipient.
51
Power belongs to God.
52
In doing so, We are confident that you shall be the hope for your brothers and sisters living in the darkness at the remote corners of the earth. 53
The will of God will be realized and humanity can achieve progress in both the spiritual and material fields in a healthy society. 54
For world peace can only be made abiding by the Grace of God, through the prayers of the Holy Fathers. 55
Once we are able to do what is humanly possible, the rest could be left to the Almighty God. So that man whom He has created in his own image may not be destroyed, let us repose our faith in God. 56
Yet, however precise these instruments, including computers, may be in their service, they obviously lack those perfecting human characteristics of sympathy, goodness, generosity and selflessness – all of which God in His ultimate wisdom granted only to human beings. Although man has found assistance for himself in these machines, his superiority lies in the fact that he is their inventor and he himself is the instrument of God. 57
Religion has long taught to have no grudges against others.
58
Join Us today in praying to God to give Us further strength to proceed along this useful course. 59
We should be careful that the results thus achieved by mankind should not meet with the fate of the Tower of Babel, the handwork of those people of old which came to pieces in their hands. 60
It is Our conviction that all the activities of the children of men which are not guided by the Spirit and counsel of God will bear no lasting fruit, they will not be acceptable in the sight of the Lord and will therefore come to nought as the Tower of Babel came to nought. 61
However wise or however mighty a person may be, he is like a ship without a rudder if he is without God. 62
A rudderless ship is at the mercy of the waves and the wind, drifts wherever they take it and if there arises a whirlwind it is smashed against the rocks and becomes as if it has never existed. 63
When God created the earth for men it was for its use and not for its misuse. 64
Inquiry is a magical power that opens the door to hidden rewards and must be pursued calmly, diligently and intelligently to achieve this goal. 65
Man’s egoistic motives and his Proverbs of Haile Selassie I | 05
selfish desire to pursue exclusively his own individual interests, thus failing in his God-given task of following the goal of the unity of all, is witness to the feebleness of human nature, and constitutes the major obstacle to the unity of all Christians towards which we strive. 66
We Christians living by the faith of Christ, the head and Pillar on whom the Church is founded, cannot escape the responsibility to work for peace of the world, and to ensure equality for all human beings created by God, lest we fail in our duty by being mere passive witnesses to the gruesome spectacle of human beings, created in the image of God, being deprived by virtue of their colour or their poverty, of the benefits and blessings that are the birthright of every man and all man, and suffering in agony, cast forth from the pale of full human existence. 67
Since We acceded to the Throne of Ethiopia by the Grace of God, We have always striven to improve the standard of living of Our people, to expand and strength the educational programme of the youth of the country, and uphold the faith of Our church. 68
Work should progress like the branches of a tree along a river bank, and among the numerous foundations We laid for Ethiopia’s 06 | Proverbs of Haile Selassie I
overall development, attaining an autocephalous status for the Ethiopian Church is one of the most important. 69
When We say religion, it is not restricted to the professed faith. In this connection no one should question the faith of others, for no human being can be judge of the ways of God. 70
The Grace of God is eternal.
71
It would be inconceivable for a person to appreciate the meaning of life and living itself without education. It would be even impossible for a person to utilize his God-given gifts. 72
We are gratified that the Ethiopian Orthodox Church has finally become master of its own destiny and the spiritual life of Our people is keeping pace with the material advancement of the nation. 73
It is vital and useful for church leaders to meet from time to time to discuss out-standing international issues. 74
Man proposes and God disposes, and we are commanded to work diligently, for aspirations bear fruit when followed up with deeds and it is therefore necessary to translate wishes into actions.
Chapter 2 (Education) 01
Nobody will fail to appreciate that law is the greatest benefit to every man. It is from the equality of law that honour and advantage arise; it is from the deficiency of law that distress and damage result; it is through failure to set up law that violence and injury grow. 02
When one gives such a baby any sort of food, it will not wish to eat it, unless one shows it to the child and lets it taste it. 03
Although the toils of wise people may earn them respect, it is a fact of life that the spirit of the wicked continues to cast its shadow on this world. 04
Humanity by nature is gifted to think freely, but in order that
his free thought should lead him to the goal of liberty and independence, his way of thinking must be shaped by the process of education. 05
It must not be forgotten that to love sport and to safeguard the national prestige, it is indispensable to have nothing to do with alcohol and avoid all base things against which conscience speaks. 06
If you spend the time for attendance at night school in other unworthy places, understand that you are chasing phantoms and following an illusive dream. 07
To be able to say that there are one hundred thousand students, one has to start with one. Proverbs of Haile Selassie I | 07
08
Born to struggle in this world, man gradually realizes the miracles of light and harnesses this knowledge to be his first instrument of defence against the trials of life, never thereafter preferring to travel in darkness. You boys to whom We have handed the powerful weapon of light must exert your utmost to carry the torch of light, sternly refusing to be turned to darkness. 09
If you are kind and tolerant and courteous you make people think well of us – if you are arrogant and proud and unfriendly you discredit us in the eyes of others. 10
Since the larger the number of a people, the less they are vulnerable to aggression, We are proud to know that the people of a former province once torn away from the Motherland are now restored Us. 11
Wise men have always known the deep and pervading truth that it is better to give than to receive, for even as it conflicts with selfish and ambitious desires, it moderates and controls them. Giving always demands sacrifice. 12
Education has value as it is established in individuals of good character with respect for God. 13
Knowledge paves the way to love, and love in its turn fosters understanding, and leads one along the path of great common 08 | Proverbs of Haile Selassie I
achievements. 14
If a man has a particular aim he must work diligently to attain it. 15
An enterprise can only proceed satisfactorily if there is mutual confidence. 16
Loyalty being as praiseworthy as it is, you should strive to maintain it as principle. 17
Specialisation tends towards diversification and division among human beings; spiritual and cultural education leads them back into unity, on the national as well as on the personal level. 18
Knowledge which cannot be used for practical purposes is like a flower which bears no fruit. 19
To be chosen to pursue further studies is not enough; to be able to accomplish the task for which one has been chosen should be considered the crowning jewel of such a choice. After the accomplishment of your goal you will surely be in a better position to exercise your capabilities, to fulfil your ambitions and to render the type of service required of you. 20
There is nothing that tends more readily to induce in Our heart feelings of joy and solace, than to see the youth of Our land growing up and maturing through education, in whatever sphere it may be.
21
It is by the strength of the knowledge gained from education that man develops his ideas and brings his labours to success. 22
No personal feelings, no concern for the narrow advantages for the few must ever be permitted to sway your judgment. 23
The foundation of your calling is to serve, as dedicated and faithful servants, the common interests of your country. 24
Those who look only at the past without also thinking of the future cannot be considered to have fulfilled their duty towards their country. 25
It is communication that relates and binds people together by ties of friendship. 26
To improve conditions of life is by itself to benefit present and future generations, and however high the cost, this work must be accomplished. 27
The satisfaction of man’s basic needs, food, shelter and clothing, have in all times and in all nations been considered as of the highest priority. 28
As we all know, disease is one of the deadliest enemies of mankind. 29
He who suffers, conquers, and in the final resort, wins the crown of victory. 30
A fully-educated man, closely
linked to his profession and to the people whom he serves, must put aside the desire to acquire wealth and refuse to be swayed by the attractions of easy life. 31
The truly educated man is endowed with a sense of obligation to society. 32
The potentialities of Education are unlimited. 33
In the hands of those whose minds are not guided by a basic concern for humanity, however, education can become a dangerous and destructive weapon. 34
Learning without moral education is fruitless and students must be taught that the true measure of value is not material advantage. 35
Be intelligent and loyal servants, men of honour, fully conscious of the value of time, wise and humble, ever aware of the burden of your responsibility, willing to forget yourselves for the sake of your fellowmen. 36
If the product of your labours is not commensurate with the advantages you have received from education, your efforts thus far will be judged futile and worthless. 37
Throughout your life, your mettle will be tested by the work you do, and your reputation will depend on the outcome of this Proverbs of Haile Selassie I | 09
test. 38
Be unswerving in your loyalty to your country which has given you so much and to which much is due. 39
A purely materialistic art would be like a tree which is expected to bear fruit without flowering, and to sacrifice grace and beauty for mere utility. 40
Strength may be useless where skill is required. 41
Students are the leaders of the future and are not bound by the past. 42
A good educational background will enable one to help himself and his people. The uneducated, on the other hand, spends his life under the perpetual guardianship of others, just like children in their earlier years. 43
But the attainment of any one goal is never more than a temporary achievement. A mountain top is reached, beyond, on the far slope, there are new lands to explore, and new peaks to scale. 44
It is indeed, an immutable law of life that man’s striving can never end, that to pause in life’s struggle is to slip back along the road to progress. 45
Man is born in sorrow, and in the sweat of his brow must he earn his bread. 10 | Proverbs of Haile Selassie I
46
Today, a goal is reached, but it is for you only a way-station along a road which will make increasingly greater demands of you as each succeeding stage is reached. 47
You must always remember that to lead, one must first learn to follow, you must obey the rules and regulations by which your conduct is be governed. 48
Strive always to bring credit upon yourself and your motherland. 49
No gift will gratify the man, who, untrue to this noble cause, serves for riches alone. The love of money can determine a man’s price. So beware of this trap. 50
Prosperity comes not from the mere wish but from the proper utilisation by each one of you of the talents bestowed on you by Providence. 51
To preserve the heritage of one’s honour and culture is praiseworthy, but to exceed the limits may prove detrimental. 52
Learning never ceases.
53
Today new trails are facing us.
54
It is said that it is better to see than to hear. 55
One of the joys of man is to have children, to bring them up, to guide them through the hardships of life, to take care of them.
56
We all know that the need for good leadership on every walk of life is much greater today than ever before. 57
It is important, however, to remember that leadership does not mean domination. 58
Leaders are people, who raise the standards by which they judge themselves – and by which they are willing to be judged. 59
A love of high quality, we must remember, is essential in a leader. 60
Dependability is requirement in a leader.
another
61
One mark of the great leader is that he feels sufficiently secure to devote his thought and attention to the well-being of his subordinates and the perfection of his task, rather than being constantly worried about the approval or disapproval of others. 62
The true leader is one who realizes by faith that he is an instrument in the hands of God, and dedicates himself to be a guide and inspirer of the nobler sentiments and aspirations of the people. 63
It is better to till the land rather than to bicker on trivial matters. 64
Just as one cannot harvest unless he cultivates his land, so also one cannot expect good results from his livestock unless he tends them
carefully. 65
Know how to use your money wisely and effectively. 66
Just as a farm that is not taken care of cannot be free of weeds, so is also the development of a society. 67
If the wealth of a person cannot be for the general welfare, what would he gain for himself and his offspring but grudge and hatred? 68
Plan your time and use both your physical and mental powers purposefully and productively. 69
As a father should be bequeath not only wealth to his children but also provide them with proper education so that they may have a richer and fuller life, so should it be the duty of those for whom much has been done to show gratitude. Therefore, let us unite Our efforts to show in deeds what We profess in words. 70
There is no rose without thorns, there is no profit without labour. 71
However, there is no scientist on earth who could control, even for a second the flow of time. For this reason never idle away your time, however, briefly. 72
Every structure must be built on a solid foundation, for those constructed otherwise would soon collapse. Proverbs of Haile Selassie I | 11
73
For a man to remain isolated and separated from his neighbours and to have no access to the sources of knowledge and education is to remain prey to the ills and plague which afflict mankind in its primitive state. 74
However, since religion and work go hand in hand, it should be understood that the laws should be practised in a method not detrimental to the unity of a nation. 75
Who would not be pleased to see his baby born as a five or ten years old youngster? But this is contrary to nature’s plan. 76
Learning and technical training must be nurtured by faith in God, reverence for the human soul, and respect for the reasoning mind. There is no safer anchorage for our learning, our lives, and our public actions than that provided by Divine teachings coupled with the best of human understanding. 77
Mere talk is the instrument of the lazy and would not take us anywhere. 78
The aim of those leaders that is based on ambition for power and personal gain is one with no firm foundation and will, consequently, crumble easily. 79
However, and as much as you have been given sound education and a good start, you can fulfil 12 | Proverbs of Haile Selassie I
your obligations only if you strive for higher and better endeavours. This must be your aim and goal in life. 80
Your guide should therefore be the apostolic saying: study and examine all but choose and follow the good. 81
A teacher is no mere instructor of letters; he should be one who has properly ordered and controlled his manner and character and be an exemplary and who shoulders a heavy responsibility. May God the Almighty make you leaders as well as followers. 82
The community development worker’s task is unique. We must be prepared to work late at night, on official holidays or any odd hour, if the need arises. 83
Our endeavour to help the people also presupposes that the people should help Us. 84
There is no one who does not feel happy and experience satisfaction in being able to surmount all difficulties and obstacles in the way to progress and being able to achieve one’s goal. 85
The greatness of a leader may be estimated in the first instance by the improvement of his country – his contribution to the prosperity of his own people – and, furthermore, to that of neighbouring lands.
86
Man desires many things, but it is the individual’s duty and responsibility to desire the proper things. 87
Anyone who makes the wrong choices will be a burden, not only to himself but to future generations. 88
Education is a means of sharpening the mind of man both spiritually and intellectually. It is a twoedged sword than can be used either for the progress of mankind or for its destruction. 89
Simply watching other people’s achievements is a characteristic of the lazy man. 90
It is only when man becomes master of his fate – able to determine his destiny – that he can be free from fears and inferiority. 91
But, “Man cannot live by bread alone.“ Man, after all, is also composed of intellect and soul. 92
Let us now, as we plan for the coming year, set our goals too high; let us demand more of ourselves than we believe we possess. 93
You must place principle above all else. 94
You must avoid the least thought of personal gain or position in reaching your decisions. 95
It is important to remember that a big edifice needs a strong foundation.
96
A work that takes three or four years cannot be completed in a few days. 97
One who undertakes any venture is not able to accomplish it alone. Unless one is assisted by others, the effort will end up in mere wishful thinking. 98
We are not strangers to what has been accomplished in the world. 99
Furthermore, education is not merely restricted to one department but many and varied. 100
Education is an ongoing task. The obligation to improve oneself does not cease simply because one has a regular job. 101
As the years wear by, man’s horizon grows wider and the vistas multiply. 102
The task of nation-building is one that involves generations – the duty of each succeeding to consolidate the gains made by its predecessor. 103
Much has been accomplished, but more remains to be achieved. 104
We would remind you, however, that iron discipline is not alone sufficient to meet the future. 105
In this new epoch your energy and courage will be tested in new and unfamiliar ways. 106
The reward for the job well Proverbs of Haile Selassie I | 13
done is not in the recognition of others, nor in public praise. 107
But the man, whatever his task, who has spent his time in idleness, whose hand has been turned to little of profit or value during his waking hours, has earned only the scorn and disdain of his fellowmen whom he has thus cheated. 108
Only through dedication and sacrifice can one truly help and benefit his country. 109
Teach, learn and thereby extend increasingly the frontiers of your knowledge. 110
Education moulds human elements in man. It develops him from adolescence to manhood. Let usefulness be your hallmark today, not adolescence. 111
Greatness cannot be achieved without great accomplishments. 112
The basic needs of everywhere are the same.
men
113
A nation can achieve a healthy and full growth, provided balanced measures are taken in all fields of activity. 114
Progress and work have no boundaries. 115
Although you have approached the end of your goal, you have not finished it yet. 116
To do one’s job is one thing
14 | Proverbs of Haile Selassie I
and to be indifferent in general and be critical of the work of others another matter. 117
But what you have here begun, remains to be finished, and he who gives up before the whole task is accomplished reserves for himself not joy and reward, but despair and blame richly deserved. 118
You have still far to go.
119
The lesson of life, if once they are missed, are missed forever. 120
Development is the accumulated result of intensive long-term efforts. 121
The child must first crawl, then walk, before it can run. 122
There is no room for irresponsible action. There is no room for heedless or reckless decisions. There is no room for lawlessness or defiance of constituted authority. 123
Development is by its very nature dynamic: it generates its own internal momentum, as the chain reaction of growth is released. 124
When a man is engaged in useful projects, he will not be the only beneficiary. 125
Your achievement will no doubt set the pattern for your successors. 126
Time may pass before justice
prevails. 127
Though the translation of formal education into practice is in itself one aspect of education, it is also the scale by which the achievement of each on of you can be judged. 128
Lack of responsibility, destructiveness and over and above all lawlessness, it must be know, will not be tolerated. 129
The merit of a proposal should not be influenced by the prestige of the author but rather by its depth and significance to the national interest. 130
Progress demands farsightedness, diligence, sound judgment, and unflinching dedication to hard work. 131
It is more the inward eye than the possession of eyesight which is necessary for the acquisition of education. 132
Education is the gateway of everlasting enlightenment. 133
We have said many times that simply admiring others’ achievements is not only playing the role of a mere parasite but is also the practice of idlers. 134
It is easy to see today that knowledge can be used both to build and to destroy. 135
Generations come generations pass, but
and only
through lasting contributions can one generation’s contribution to another be considered a lasting heritage. 136
Technical education should not be looked down upon as not befitting one’s dignity when it prepares one for such jobs as farming, carpentry and masonry. 137
If education is to promote the progress of the nation, it must be coupled with the desire to do useful and creative work which is not only confined to clerical or administrative jobs. An educated person can benefit his society when he shows beneficial results without discriminating between jobs. 138
Mature views based on inquiry and supported by good morals and self-discipline, apart from producing the desired results, will protect one from making errors or being judged wrongly by others. 139
National development can be secured only through the labour and determination of the people which make up that nation. 140
Good health is not only necessary for the well-being and happiness of man but it is also a fundamental prerequisite for the progress and prosperity of a nation. 141
Disease which knows no boundary, has always, throughout man’s chequered history, been his Proverbs of Haile Selassie I | 15
deadliest enemy. 142
Life is full of trials and tribulations and man in his struggle to survive and guide his own destiny has to be prepared to meet its many challenges, particularly in our modern world. 143
In order to advance in our respective undertakings and set ourselves on the right path we have to learn and draw abundantly from the great spiritual heritage which our fathers and forefathers have bequeathed to us. 144
The harvest of life is character which grows with time and it is this very factor that determines one’s destiny and future. 145
The young and the adult will not be a burden to their country, if they strive for education and that is why all should eagerly seek learning. 146
There is nothing as precious to man as a sound mind in a sound body. And it is essential that the physical well-being of our people merits much attention as its spiritual welfare. 147
Consequently, as you carry out your daily share of duties, you have to think of the kind of heritage you will hand over to the coming generation, and also to ask yourselves whether or not you have done a worthwhile job for the day.
16 | Proverbs of Haile Selassie I
148
Time waits for no one, whether one takes advantage of it or not. 149
As time passes so does man, and it is therefore essential that he leaves behind lasting achievements in his life for generations to come. 150
It is not sufficient to enable the individual to read and write if he is to revert back into illiteracy. 151
Teaching, learning and research should all be characterized by a genuine search for truth, untrammeled by illinformed emotional distractions. 152
One can only reap what one has sown. 153
Growth and development can only be attained through proper planning, diligence and the will to work. 154
History repeats itself. What is true today may be applicable tomorrow. History can be instructive only if, in a way, one surmounts its changing phase and dominates it. One can make history only if one avoids being thrown in its trap.
Chapter 3 (Peace & Unity) 01
Soldiers! Businessmen! Farmers! Young and old, men and Women! Unite! Together fight for the defence of your country! 02
That is why I decided to come myself to bear witness against the crime perpetrated against my people and give Europe a warning of the doom that awaits it, if it should bow before the accomplished fact. 03
Apart from the Kingdom of the Lord there is not on this earth any nation that is superior to any other. 04
In truth there is no legitimate reason or good cause which justifies war. 05
But there are different ways to maintain peace; there is the maintenance of peace through right, and there is peace at any
price. 06
To win the War; to overcome the enemy upon the field; cannot alone ensure the Victory in Peace. The cause of War must be removed. 07
If the condition of the peace is such as will satisfy the conscience and sense of justice of men, if it is assured to human kind that they shall toil and live happily under a just system in which no discrimination will be made between small and great, then the peace system that shall be laid down can leave a heritage for the coming generation which will be full of happy life and boundless prosperity. 08
As you know, the military, civil, peasant, commercial and industrial classes of the population are all part of the same Proverbs of Haile Selassie I | 17
body politic. They are similar to the parts of the body, such as the hands, the feet, the eyes and the blood, and they are dependent on each other and must work together in helping each other for the proper health of the body. 09
Happiness shared with many creates a source of permanent affection and understanding. 10
You are departing on a long crusade in defence of that very principle for which we have so long fought – freedom and respect for the freedom of others. 11
What makes a people great and testifies to its greatness is its aspirations for the wellbeing of its country, and the practical achievement of the same aspirations for its own benefit and for that of future generations. 12
The glories and advantages of freedom cannot be purchased with all the world’s material wealth. 13
But man is not meant to live for himself alone. He exists with others and for others, and it is this sense of social consciousness which distinguishes him from all other beings. 14
First is Our deep conviction that where there is no lack of good will, all international disputes can be resolved through peaceful negotiations, without recourse to violence. 18 | Proverbs of Haile Selassie I
15
Second is Our unswerving devotion to the principle of Collective Security. 16
The cultured are able to make their own decision thus avoiding domination by others. 17
And there is nothing on earth more precious than individual freedom and community independence. 18
The value of unity can be best assessed by those who are enlightened; for such persons it is not easy to destroy their oneness, because their minds are matured by education. 19
Our poverty need not cover us with shame. 20
The value of a flag springs from the sacrifices made to defend it as the symbol of independence, otherwise there is no difference between a flag and any other piece of cloth. 21
Independence cannot be a simple word devoid of meaning, it must remain a principle admitting of no compromise or suspicion, a principle demanding respect for self and at the same time equal respect for the right of others. 22
We now have our destiny in our own hands, but we must never slacken in our determination never to allow new forms of colonialism, whatever their guise may be, to take hold of any of
us, in threat to the hard-won independence and, indeed to the stability of the world. 23
Educated for war, you must strive to preserve peace. 24
Use your knowledge for good, to preserve peace among men. 25
It is well known that no life is possible without water but may not always be so widely known that if water is not of a good quality it may spread disease and thus impair the health of the people who utilize it. 26
Woman’s role has never been so demanding, and you can be proud to answer this call for the betterment and future of mankind. 27
You all realize that it is necessary to have a sufficient number of men who would courageously and honestly accept responsibility and act under it, and, not counting the cost, discharge their duties to the Ethiopian nation. 28
Henceforth, you shall work in your Ministers and Departments and administer your own programs there. 29
Since in the scale of creation all men are born equal, it is imperative that all laws should be equitable in their application. 30
He who seeks justice knows the value of justice too.
31
As unfairness and loss of faith in justice torments both the body and the soul, we urge you to keep yourselves away from befalling such a calamity. 32
To be neutral is to be impartial, impartial to judge actions and policies objectively, as we see them either contributing to or detracting from the resolution of the world’s problems, the preservation of peace and the improvement of the general level of man’s living conditions. 33
If we raise our voices against injustice, wherever it be found, if we demand a stop to aggression wherever it occurs and under whatever guise and brand the aggressor is such, and if we do so a wholly impartial basis, we can serve as collective conscience of the world. 34
But when We speak of the betterment of man’s life, We mean not merely the economic improvement of living standards; We refer, in addition, to the spiritual conditions in which man lives, for just as a man without means to feed his hunger and to clothe his nakedness can take no pride in his existence as a human being, so, also is one who reviled and discriminated against because of his race or religion robbed of his self-respect and human dignity.
Proverbs of Haile Selassie I | 19
35
Let us not recoil in hatred against those who, even while protecting their freedom from bias and prejudice, reveal by their actions that the poison of discrimination has left its lasting effects, and by this reaction reveal that we, no less than they, are prey to unreasoning emotion, that we, no less than they, are susceptible to that virus which is called intolerance. 36
Peaceful co-existence is not merely the absence of war. 37
Men will die in defence of principle; men will sacrifice their all rather than compromise themselves and renounce that which distinguishes them from the beasts – their moral faculty. If this force in men can be awakened and focused on the problems of each day, we shall, God willing, survive each day to the dawn of each tomorrow, and in this survival guarantee to our children and our children’s children a lifetime of peace and security, under justice and right, and under God. 38
The fruits of the farmer’s labour must be enjoyed by him whose toil has produced the crop. 39
The way will be perilous, sacrifices will be demanded of us, our labours may go unobserved and our triumphs unnoticed expect to ourselves. And, in the ultimate sense, this is wholly as 20 | Proverbs of Haile Selassie I
it should be, for we are men, and this is man’s lot. Let us work together, arm in arm as brothers, that our progeny may live in peace and well-being, that posterity will honor our names and our achievements. 40
Proud of her cultural heritage, Ethiopia has made it her policy to distil from other cultures that which is beneficial, and to blend it with her own so as to develop a way of life suited to the times yet anchored to the renown history of the nation. 41
A country belongs to both – leaders and people. 42
However, as members of the human race increased in number, attacks on one another began out of jealousy and malice. 43
It has been said death comes as a pleasure to the hero. You have fallen for a noble cause and in so doing have lived up to what is expected of a good, solid soldier. This immortalizes your names in the pages of history. You are dead but the service you have done will live after you, and would keep you in the memory of the living. It has been said that dust shall return to dust. You sons of Adam have fallen for the honour of your country and for the pride of your people. History shall preserve your names. 44
We must act, to shape and
mould the future and leave our imprint on events as they slip past into history. 45
Unity is the accepted goal.
46
Let us take action now, action which, while taking account of present realities nonetheless constitutes clear and unmistakable progress along the course plotted out for us by destiny. 47
We must speak out on major world issues, courageously, openly and honestly, and in blunt terms of right and wrong. 48
It is by the combined use of the mind and of the hand that crude material is changed into an article of beauty and value. 49
The preservation of peace and the guaranteeing of man’s basic freedoms and rights require courage and eternal vigilance: courage to speak and act – and if necessary, to suffer and die – for truth and justice; eternal vigilance, that the last transgression of international morality shall not go undetected and unremedied. These lessons must be learned anew by each succeeding generation, and that generation is fortunate indeed which learns from other than its own bitter experience. 50
Peace is not an is, it is a becoming. 51
You should have the sense to
feel the needs of others more than your own. It is far wiser for one to realize that the same applies to him too. 52
Our desire to encourage outstanding contributions transcends the boundaries of Our Empire. 53
For strength can be achieved through unity, and success is the fruit of co-operation. 54
National progress requires concrete and active national participation, and it is a matter of great pride and satisfaction for Us to see Our people sharing in our ideas and working more and more diligently. 55
With the raising of all men to their rightful dignity and honour as individuals, they will be able to regard their fellows, of whatever nation, of whatever race, of whatever religious, linguistic or historical tradition, as equals, without jealousy, without fear, without undue pride. 56
Co-operation and understanding are basic to the maintenance of world peace; therefore it is the duty of the international community to endeavour so that this spirit be strengthened and made universal among all nations who hold the responsibility of safeguarding world peace. 57
The untenable doctrine of Proverbs of Haile Selassie I | 21
racial supremacy, being a threat to the maintenance of international peace and security as well as a serious set-back for establishing a salubrious atmosphere of understanding and co-operation in the world, we must work together against the philosophy of racism. 58
Unless the desire for peace is expressed in terms of concrete achievements and thus given a sense of assurance and serenity to humanity, mere pious hope constitutes only self-delusion. 59
The alternatives confronting the Governments of today are no longer peace or war, but peace or the annihilation and complete doom of mankind. 60
The problem of the many must become the problem of the few, for only in this way can the progress we earn be lasting and real and of benefit to all. 61
The nations of the world are today inter-dependent in such a way that the suffering or privation of any one is in greater or lesser measure a stricture on all others. 62
In unity and friendship the peoples of the world will surely succeed in their struggle. If they stand alone, they will slowly perish amidst discord and destruction. 63
Poverty, fear, ignorance, disease are not problems vanquished in the wake of scientific progress; 22 | Proverbs of Haile Selassie I
they are the problems with which we struggle from day to day. 64
Ethiopia seeks no charity.
65
Justice is the foundation of the modern, well-ordered state. 66
We know that as long there are men who believe that one race is superior to the other and they can lead the destinies of other men by any means, there shall be no peace. 67
We believe that through exchange of views that will take place new ground will be laid whereon our peoples shall move onward arm in arm to the accomplishment in mutual sympathy of great new tasks. 68
It is Our lifelong conviction that all nations must live in peace with each other so that they may co-operate for the common good of mankind. 69
As we do not practice or permit discrimination within our nation, so we oppose it wherever it is found. 70
As we guarantee to each the tight to worship as he chooses, so we denounce the policy which sets man against man on issues of religion. 71
As we extend the hand of universal brotherhood to all, without regard to race or colour, so we condemn any social or political order which distinguishes among God’s children on this
most specious of grounds. 72
No greater victory can be won by the nations of today than the conquest of the apocalyptic enemies that still ride mankind – poverty, disease and ignorance. 73
I believe that all nations have to advance along the path which they think is most reasonable and desirable in accordance with their culture, tradition and sense of values. 74
Because the world of today is so different from the world of yesterday, because there is so much interdependence between individuals and states today that was the case yesterday, greater and commensurate responsibilities fall upon our shoulders. 75
Living in cities alone is no help to the people. But when we are spread throughout the country and take care of ourselves we will also help others and make them useful. 76
Through the co-operation of nations and governments, during our present day and age, a lot of advantages can be drawn by the citizens of all respective countries. This co-operation can be a vivid illustration of men, as children of God, striving toward understand and living together in peace and harmony. 77
We do not believe that world peace can be maintained by force.
78
We should be aware, more than ever before, not to allow discord amongst us. 79
Every nation has a particular contribution to make to the wellbeing and welfare of the world community. 80
There is wide scope for cooperation in the international sphere. 81
Colonialism and the policy of racism impose soulsearching questions of human rights, weighing equally on the conscience of all men and nations of good will. 82
Throughout history it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph. 83
The glorious pages of human history have been written only in those moments when men were able to act in concert to prevent impending tragedies. 84
Today what happens in one part of the world is heard in a matter of minutes far and near. 85
Problems and needs, rather that being used as topics of idle talk, must create an impetus, a new driving force, towards progress. Proverbs of Haile Selassie I | 23
86
You must go forth to encounter the problems where they exist in order to solve them.
24 | Proverbs of Haile Selassie I
References and Dates References (ref.) A B C D E F G
Selected Speeches of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I. Important Utterances of H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I. Speeches delivered by His Imperial Majesty 1st Emperor of Ethiopia on various occasions My Life an Ethiopia’s Progress–Volume I My Life an Ethiopia’s Progress–Volume II His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I. in the Soviet Union The Seventeenth Anniversary of the Coronation of H.I.M. Haile Selassie
Chapter 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
06.06.1924 11.07.1934 July 1937 25.12.1937 25.12.1937 19.09.1938 undated July 1940 undated 05.05.1941 05.05.1941 05.05.1941 05.05.1941 May 1945 July 1946 July 1946 05.04.1948 05.04.1948 19.01.1951 03.11.1951 05.05.1957 05.05.1957 25.05.1957 02.11.1957 15.02.1958 15.02.1958 17.07.1958 23.07.1958 02.11.1958 21.02.1959 09.04.1959 03.11.1959 03.11.1959 03.10.1960 13.11.1960 23.07.1961
Speech at Uppsala Church To Parliament on Italy's Aggression Introduction Message to America Message to America Death of Blatengeta Heruye in the U.K. Call to the Archbishop of Canterbury Message to British People From the death of H.H. Ras Makonnen Triumphant Entry - Victory Day Triumphant Entry - Victory Day Triumphant Entry - Victory Day Triumphant Entry - Victory Day Declaration on V.E. Day Unveiling Monument to Abuna Petros Unveiling Monument to Abuna Petros Interview With Editor Voice of Ethiopia Interview With Editor Voice of Ethiopia Nomination of Archbishop Basilios Why Education Occasion of the 16th Liberation Anniversary Occasion of the 16th Liberation Anniversary On the Death of the Prince Makonnen 27th Anniversary of the Coronation Honouring Fallen Officers Honouring Fallen Officers 1st Graduation Exercises-College of Engineering School of Fine Arts 28th Anniversary of Coronation Cadets Leaving for Training Course Moslems Paid Homage to H.I.M. 29th Coronation Anniversary 29th Coronation Anniversary To the Military Academy Re-Union Anniversary The Revised Amharic Bible
ref D - page 97 ref A - page 302 ref D - page 5 ref E - page 41 ref E - page 41 ref A - page 645 ref E - page 13 ref E - page 103 ref D - page 23 ref A - page 332 ref A - page 337 ref A - page 338 ref A - page 338 ref A - page 345 ref A - page 628 ref A - page 630 ref A - page 663 ref A - page 663 ref A - page 631 ref A - page 75 ref C - page 3 ref C - page 3 ref A - page 647 ref C - page 33 ref A - page 598 ref A - page 601 ref C - page 68 ref A - page 51 ref C - page 86 ref C - page 115 ref C - page 116 ref C - page 175 ref C - page 175 ref A - page 609 ref A - page 346 ref A - page 618
Proverbs of Haile Selassie I | 25
37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74
24.08.1961 08.11.1961 19.12.1961 27.06.1962 25.10.1962 18.11.1962 23.01.1963 25.05.1963 25.05.1963 11.06.1963 06.10.1963 06.10.1963 22.11.1963 20.12.1963 29.05.1964 29.07.1964 15.01.1965 21.01.1965 27.06.1965 02.09.1965 08.05.1966 08.05.1966 28.10.1966 28.10.1966 28.10.1966 28.10.1966 02.11.1970 02.11.1970 12.01.1971 12.01.1971 11.05.1971 11.05.1971 11.05.1971 11.05.1971 10.09.1971 03.11.1971 03.11.1971 1972
Addressing Judges on Justice and the Law Dedication of Prince Makonnen Hospital Convocation of Haile Selassie I University Visit to Eritrea Visit to Awassa Dedicating Debre Libanos Church Graduation - Naval College A Call to African Leaders (1963 Summit) A Call to African Leaders (1963 Summit) New Bahr Dar Technical High School Address to the United Nations Address to the United Nations Throne Speech Planning Department Air Force Officers To the World Council for the Blind Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches `Defender of the Faith 20th Anniversary of U.N. Charter Inauguration: H.S.I. Foundation At Air Force Display At Air Force Display World Evangelical Congress - Berlin World Evangelical Congress - Berlin World Evangelical Congress - Berlin World Evangelical Congress - Berlin Throne Speech 1970 Throne Speech 1970 Opening Address to W.C.C. Opening Address to W.C.C. Investiture of New Patriarch Investiture of New Patriarch Investiture of New Patriarch Investiture of New Patriarch On International Literacy Day Annual Nation-Wide Address Annual Nation-Wide Address At Nation Expo 72 - Asmara
ref A - page 420
Signing of Constitution Introduction Message to America Unveiling Monument to Abuna Petros Foundation Stone Haile Selassie I Stadium Opens Library and Night School Teferi Makonnen School Silver Jubilee Imperial Guard Cadet Training School Ethiopian Students Abroad: North America Ethiopian Students Abroad: U.K. Ethiopian Students Abroad: U.K.
ref D - page 182
ref A - page 547 ref A - page 23 ref A - page 462 ref A - page 519 ref A - page 633 ref B - page 9 ref A - page 243 ref A - page 253 ref A - page 87 ref A - page 377 ref A - page 377 ref B - page 27 ref B - page 41 ref B - page 44 ref A - page 655 ref A - page 639 ref A - page 641 ref A - page 382 ref A - page 620 ref A - page 610 ref A - page 611 ref B - page 489 ref B - page 490 ref B - page 490 ref B - page 490 ref B - page 241 ref B - page 251 ref B - page 527 ref B - page 528 ref B - page 267 ref B - page 267 ref B - page 268 ref B - page 269 ref B - page 532 ref B - page 275 ref B - page 302 ref B - page 311
Chapter 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
16.07.1931 July 1937 25.12.1937 July 1946 03.11.1947 30.03.1948 27.04.1950 25.05.1950 02.09.1950 08.01.1951 08.01.1951
26 | Proverbs of Haile Selassie I
ref D - page 5 ref E - page 41 ref A - page 629 ref G - page 23 ref A - page 69 ref A - page 74 ref A - page 42 ref A - page 45 ref A - page 45 ref A - page 46
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62
08.01.1951 27.02.1951 02.05.1952 20.03.1954 05.05.1957 19.07.1957 25.07.1957 30.08.1957 17.10.1957 17.10.1957 02.11.1957 02.11.1957 02.11.1957 02.11.1957 02.11.1957 30.03.1958 07.04.1958 15.04.1958 11.07.1958 11.07.1958 11.07.1958 11.07.1958 11.07.1958 11.07.1958 17.07.1958 17.07.1958 17.07.1958 23.07.1958 06.10.1958 29.10.1958 10.12.1958 22.01.1959 22.01.1959 22.01.1959 22.01.1959 22.01.1959 22.01.1959 21.02.1959 16.05.1959 18.05.1959 02.06.1959 04.07.1959 05.07.1959 06.07.1959 17.07.1959 17.07.1959 17.07.1959 17.07.1959 17.07.1959 17.07.1959 17.07.1959
Ethiopian Students Abroad: U.K. U.C.A.A. Opens Officers Called to Dedication to Duty Opening Wonji Sugar Estate In front of the Palace to Officers and Men 4th Commencement Exercises Technological Building/Engineering College Students Leaving for Special Training Nurses' Training Nurses' Training 27th Anniversary of the Coronation 27th Anniversary of the Coronation 27th Anniversary of the Coronation 27th Anniversary of the Coronation 27th Anniversary of the Coronation Foundation Stone Textile Factory at Basaka 10th Anniversary of World Health Day Statement to the Ethiopian Observer Certificates and Diplomas to Students Certificates and Diplomas to Students Certificates and Diplomas to Students Certificates and Diplomas to Students Certificates and Diplomas to Students Certificates and Diplomas to Students 1st Graduation Exercises-College of Engineering 1st Graduation Exercises-College of Engineering 1st Graduation Exercises-College of Engineering School of Fine Arts Opens H.S.I. Military Academy Audience of African students - Guenet Leul Palace Receiving Students from the Territory of Somali Commissioning Naval Officers Commissioning Naval Officers Commissioning Naval Officers Commissioning Naval Officers Commissioning Naval Officers Commissioning Naval Officers Cadets Leaving for Training Course Foundation Stone Chis Issat Hydro-Electric Plant Awarding Diplomas - Medical College Cadet Course at Aba Dina Police College untitled untitled untitled U.C.A.A. 6th Graduation U.C.A.A. 6th Graduation U.C.A.A. 6th Graduation U.C.A.A. 6th Graduation U.C.A.A. 6th Graduation U.C.A.A. 6th Graduation U.C.A.A. 6th Graduation
ref A - page 46 ref A - page 4 ref A - page 48 ref A - page 526 ref C - page 4 ref C - page 6 ref C - page 9 ref C - page 12 ref A - page 49 ref A - page 49 ref A - page 19 ref C - page 20 ref C - page 22 ref C - page 25 ref C - page 27 ref C - page 45 ref C - page 47 ref C - page 51 ref C - page 63 ref C - page 64 ref C - page 64 ref C - page 64 ref C - page 64 ref C - page 65 ref C - page 67 ref C - page 67 ref C - page 68 ref A - page 51 ref A - page 53 ref C - page 80 ref C - page 96 ref A - page 57 ref A - page 57 ref A - page 57 ref A - page 60 ref A - page 60 ref A - page 60 ref C - page 115 ref C - page 127 ref C - page 130 ref C - page 134 ref F - page 62 ref F - page 72 ref F - page 76 ref A - page 13 ref A - page 13 ref A - page 14 ref A - page 15 ref A - page 15 ref A - page 15 ref A - page 17
Proverbs of Haile Selassie I | 27
63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113
29.08.1959 29.08.1959 29.08.1959 29.08.1959 29.08.1959 29.08.1959 29.08.1959 18.09.1959 18.09.1959 23.07.1960 23.07.1960 24.08.1961 08.11.1961 19.12.1961 27.06.1962 27.06.1962 23.09.1962 15.10.1962 15.10.1962 25.10.1962 19.01.1963 23.01.1963 17.05.1963 02.07.1963 02.07.1963 02.07.1963 02.07.1963 02.07.1963 23.09.1963 22.11.1963 22.11.1963 22.11.1963 20.12.1963 20.12.1963 20.12.1963 20.12.1963 29.05.1964 25.11.1964 07.05.1965 11.09.1965 11.09.1965 12.10.1965 12.10.1965 17.11.1965 17.11.1965 30.06.1966 30.06.1966 30.06.1966 08.07.1966 07.12.1966 11.12.1966
Address to the Nation on His Tour Address to the Nation on His Tour Address to the Nation on His Tour Address to the Nation on His Tour Address to the Nation on His Tour Address to the Nation on His Tour Address to the Nation on His Tour Address to the Nation Address to the Nation Agriculture Development Centre in Awassa Agriculture Development Centre in Awassa Addressing Judges on Justice and the Law Dedication of Prince Makonnen Hospital Convocation of Haile Selassie I University Visit to Eritrea Visit to Eritrea Airmen Contribute to Country's Self-Defence Teacher Training Teacher Training Visit to Awassa To Employees in Eritrea Graduation - Naval College Tubman Degree Conferred University Graduation University Graduation University Graduation University Graduation University Graduation Cornerstone: Arts Building Throne Speech Throne Speech Throne Speech Planning Department Planning Department Planning Department Planning Department Air Force Officers Awards Law Certificates Modern Ethiopianism Address at the New Year Address at the New Year Harar Military Academy Harar Military Academy Speech from the Throne - 1965 Speech from the Throne - 1965 Fifth Graduation Exercises of H.I.S.U. Fifth Graduation Exercises of H.I.S.U. Fifth Graduation Exercises of H.I.S.U. Guenet Graduation Rumanian President Entertained Opening of Awash II
28 | Proverbs of Haile Selassie I
ref A - page 454 ref A - page 454 ref A - page 455 ref A - page 456 ref A - page 456 ref A - page 456 ref A - page 458 ref C - page 165 ref C - page 166 ref A - page 487 ref A - page 488 ref A - page 420 ref A - page 545 ref A - page 22 ref A - page 471 ref A - page 471 ref A - page 65 ref A - page 80 ref A - page 81 ref A - page 518 ref B - page 8 ref B - page 9 ref B - page 343 ref B - page 19 ref B - page 19 ref B - page 22 ref B - page 22 ref B - page 23 ref A - page 34 ref B - page 27 ref B - page 39 ref B - page 39 ref B - page 40 ref B - page 40 ref B - page 41 ref B - page 41 ref B - page 43 ref A - page 37 ref B - page 57 ref A - page 477 ref A - page 477 ref B - page 69 ref B - page 70 ref B - page 76 ref B - page 77 ref A - page 40 ref A - page 40 ref A - page 41 ref B - page 98 ref B - page 566 ref A - page 586
114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154
11.12.1966 01.01.1967 18.01.1967 01.07.1967 01.07.1967 01.07.1967 04.11.1967 04.11.1967 04.11.1967 04.11.1967 14.03.1968 08.11.1968 24.01.1969 16.07.1969 16.07.1969 02.11.1969 02.11.1969 06.01.1970 03.07.1970 06.07.1970 06.07.1970 16.08.1970 02.11.1970 02.11.1970 02.11.1970 06.12.1970 27.01.1971 27.01.1971 01.08.1971 01.08.1971 01.08.1971 10.09.1971 03.11.1971 08.02.1972 11.02.1972 11.02.1972 23.02.1972 04.07.1972 1972 1972 1972
Opening of Awash II Alem-Gena Wollamo Road Ginda Dam - Eritrea University Graduation University Graduation University Graduation Speech from the Throne - 1967 Speech from the Throne - 1967 Speech from the Throne - 1967 Speech from the Throne - 1967 Projects in Asmara Air Force Academy Queen Juliana Toasted University Graduation University Graduation Throne Speech - 1969 Throne Speech - 1969 School for the Blind College of Public Health University Graduation University Graduation At Bahr Dar Institute Throne Speech 1970 Throne Speech 1970 Throne Speech 1970 New Assela Water Works Opening New Zawditu Hospital Opening New Zawditu Hospital At Asmara University At Asmara University At Asmara University On International Literacy Day Annual Nation-Wide Address Naval Graduation Police College Police College At Exhibition of Ethiopian Books HSIU Graduation Agro-Industrial Textile Factory Mai Nefhi Reservoir Addressing the President of Italy
ref A - page 586
To Parliament on Italy's Aggression Appeal to the League of Nations Appeal to the League of Nations Message to America At the League of Nations in 1938 Declaration on V.E. Day Unveiling Monument to Abuna Petros Concerning the Currency Law
ref A - page 301
ref B - page 119 ref B - page 122 ref B - page 134 ref B - page 134 ref B - page 134 ref B - page 138 ref B - page 138 ref B - page 141 ref B - page 145 ref B - page 152 ref B - page 172 ref B - page 576 ref B - page 184 ref B - page 186 ref B - page 209 ref B - page 210 ref B - page 213 ref B - page 219 ref B - page 224 ref B - page 227 ref B - page 235 ref B - page 243 ref B - page 243 ref B - page 251 ref B - page 258 ref B - page 260 ref B - page 260 ref B - page 271 ref B - page 271 ref B - page 271 ref B - page 531 ref B - page 276 ref B - page 318 ref B - page 320 ref B - page 321 ref B - page 324 ref B - page 334 ref B - page 335 ref B - page 338 ref B - page 534
Chapter 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
11.07.1934 June 1936 June 1936 25.12.1937 1938 May 1945 July 1946 22.11.1946
ref A - page 306 ref A - page 314 ref E - page 41 ref A - page 327 ref A - page 345 ref A - page 628 ref A - page 496
Proverbs of Haile Selassie I | 29
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59
27.02.1951 14.04.1954 10.12.1956 15.02.1958 11.07.1958 02.11.1958 02.11.1958 10.12.1958 10.12.1958 10.12.1958 29.12.1958 18.05.1959 15.06.1960 15.06.1960 03.10.1960 03.10.1960 29.11.1960 14.12.1960 14.04.1961 14.04.1961 24.08.1961 24.08.1961 24.08.1961 03.09.1961 03.09.1961 03.09.1961 03.09.1961 03.09.1961 03.09.1961 02.11.1961 26.01.1962 11.06.1962 10.01.1963 23.01.1963 19.04.1963 23.05.1963 23.05.1963 23.05.1963 25.05.1963 11.06.1963 06.10.1963 06.10.1963 20.12.1963 14.05.1964 15.01.1965 24.01.1965 02.02.1965 27.06.1965 27.06.1965 11.09.1965 13.10.1965
U.C.A.A. Opens Kagnew Battalion and Collective Security Domestic Report on International Relations Unveiling Monument- Officers Military School Certificates and Diplomas to Students 28th Anniversary of Coronation 28th Anniversary of Coronation Receiving Students from the Territory of Somali Receiving Students from the Territory of Somali Receiving Students from the Territory of Somali Economic Commission for Africa Presenting Colours Second Africa Conference Second Africa Conference To the Military Academy To the Military Academy Inter Region Sanitation Seminar Message to Woman's Seminar Public Officials Called to Responsibilities Public Officials Called to Responsibilities Addressing Judges on Justice and the Law Addressing Judges on Justice and the Law Addressing Judges on Justice and the Law Addresses the Belgrade Conference Addresses the Belgrade Conference Addresses the Belgrade Conference Addresses the Belgrade Conference Addresses the Belgrade Conference Addresses the Belgrade Conference Agriculture and Land Reform To the Lagos Summit Meeting German Cultural Institute Opened Self-Help in Education Graduation - Naval College Burial of the Congo Casualties A Call to African Leaders (1963 Summit) A Call to African Leaders (1963 Summit) A Call to African Leaders (1963 Summit) A Call to African Leaders (1963 Summit) New Bahr Dar Technical High School Address to the United Nations Address to the United Nations Planning Department Opens Haile Selassie I Prize Trust Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches Foundation Stone Awash II Queen Elizabeth II Banqueted 20th Anniversary of U.N. Charter 20th Anniversary of U.N. Charter Address at the New Year To All-African Lutheran Conference
30 | Proverbs of Haile Selassie I
ref A - page 4 ref A - page 594 ref A - page 95 ref C - page 40 ref C - page 64 ref C - page 87 ref C - page 87 ref C - page 96 ref C - page 96 ref C - page 96 ref A - page 193 ref A - page 603 ref A - page 201 ref A - page 203 ref A - page 607 ref A - page 609 ref A - page 212 ref A - page 213 ref A - page 413 ref A - page 414 ref A - page 417 ref A - page 419 ref A - page 421 ref A - page 168 ref A - page 169 ref A - page 177 ref A - page 178 ref A - page 183 ref A - page 187 ref A - page 493 ref A - page 230 ref A - page 618 ref A - page 82 ref B - page 9 ref A - page 652 ref A - page 242 ref A - page 246 ref A - page 247 ref A - page 253 ref A - page 87 ref A - page 368 ref A - page 371 ref B - page 42 ref A - page 619 ref A - page 637 ref A - page 583 ref B - page 544 ref A - page 380 ref A - page 381 ref A - page 478 ref A - page 642
60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86
17.11.1965 23.11.1965 01.12.1965 29.12.1965 20.03.1966 22.03.1966 07.07.1966 27.08.1966 02.10.1966 03.11.1966 03.11.1966 03.11.1966 17.02.1967 01.03.1967 20.09.1967 14.03.1968 22.07.1969 02.11.1969 09.09.1970 05.03.1971 08.10.1971 29.01.1972 29.01.1972 29.01.1972 17.05.1972 04.07.1972 04.07.1972
Speech from the Throne - 1965 Banquet in Honour of Bulgarian Leader President of Poland Honoured Inaugurating the 15th Pugwash Conference US Exhibition Constitutional Reform Independence for Colonial Countries Banquet in Honour of President Ch. de Gaulle Sheet-Metal Factory Speech from the Throne - 1966 Speech from the Throne - 1966 Speech from the Throne - 1966 The Council on Foreign Relations in New York Emperor Speaks in the Kremlin Reply to U Thant Addis Ababa Bank Asmara University Throne Speech - 1969 At Lusaka Welcome the President of Nigeria Reply to a Toast - China African Session of the U.N. Security Council African Session of the U.N. Security Council African Session of the U.N. Security Council Chilga-Gondar Bridge Opening HSIU Graduation HSIU Graduation
ref B - page 78 ref A - page 135 ref B - page 557 ref A - page 108 ref B - page 485 ref A - page 431 ref A - page 284 ref A - page 147 ref B - page 99 ref B - page 108 ref B - page 108 ref B - page 108 ref A - page 156 ref B - page 571 ref B - page 395 ref B - page 152 ref B - page 195 ref B - page 207 ref B - page 438 ref B - page 442 ref B - page 597 ref B - page 534 ref B - page 536 ref B - page 536 ref B - page 327 ref B - page 332 ref B - page 333
Proverbs of Haile Selassie I | 31
this work was realized by many servants out of one love for Girmawi Qädamawi Atse Haile Selassie Negusä Nägäst zä‘Ityopya, Yegetoch Geta, Moa Anbässa Ze‘imnegede Yehuda, Sehumi Igziabher, Yebrehanu Alem July, 2012 Jochanan Fey