In English
“blackbird says his own children first”
Meaning
'Blackbud seh fi im pickney fus' — the blackbird says his own children come first. It is natural, the proverb observes, to look after your own family and interests before those of others: everyone, like the bird feeding its own nestlings first, puts their own kin ahead of strangers. Spoken without much reproach, it states a plain truth about human nature and family loyalty — that people provide for their own before they think of anyone else, and that this is only to be expected.
Examples
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Him help him family before anybody else — blackbud seh fi im pickney fus.
He helps his family before anyone else — a person looks after their own first.
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Nuh vex if she mind fi har own; blackbud seh fi im pickney fus.
Don't be upset that she provides for her own; everyone puts their family first.
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Charity start a yaad; blackbud seh fi im pickney fus.
Charity begins at home; a person's own come first.
Origin
A bird image: the blackbird feeds its own nestlings before any other — a natural picture of looking after one's own kin first.
How it’s used
Used to explain or excuse someone prioritizing their own family — matter-of-fact rather than critical.