Cotton tree nebba so big till likkle axe cyaan cut it

proverb CAT-tan TREE neb-ba so BIG till LIK-kl AXE cyaan CUT it ˈkatan triː ˈnɛba so bɪɡ tɪl ˈlɪkl aks kjaːn kʌt ɪt

Also spelled cotton-tree-nebba-so-big, cotton tree never so big

Nothing, however great and powerful, is beyond being brought down by small, persistent effort. Even the giant silk-cotton tree — the largest and most revered tree in Jamaica, feared as a home of duppies — can be felled by a little axe chopping away. A proverb of hope and defiance: no power or obstacle is too big to overcome with steady work.

  • Dem seem untouchable, but cotton tree nebba so big till likkle axe cyaan cut it.

    They seem untouchable, but nothing is too big to be brought down.

  • Keep chipping away; cotton tree nebba so big till likkle axe cyaan cut it.

    Keep chipping away; even the mightiest can be felled.

A traditional proverb; even the huge cotton tree yields to a little axe. See [[likkle-axe-cut-down-big-tree]], [[cotton-tree]].

No power/obstacle is too big to overcome with persistence. See [[likkle-axe-cut-down-big-tree]], [[cotton-tree]].