Kure ndokuna amai, kune mukadzi unofa wasvika

Munhu haashupike nekuita chinhu chaanodisa kana kuti chine basa zvakanyanyisa kwaari.

Far is where mother is but where the wife is, you will risk death to reach

The difficulty of any venture is relative to one's interest or priority

The proverb uses an interesting comparison between the mother and the wife in terms of a man's priority. It surmises that the man would prioritize the wife over the mother. In the Shona customs the wife is the symbol of the home (musha mukadzi) and hence a man's home and legacy is linked intricately and spiritually to the wife. The mother's role is to rear the child and once he is initiated into adulthood, his wife becomes his priority. She becomes his companion and comforter and he becomes her protector and friend. Without her, the husband is lost and the home is hollow. For this reason it makes sense that he would risk all to be with her as this means being with his family.

The proverb is used to comment on people's prioritization and levels of interest in any task. It also helps those apportioning tasks to understand that they should give tasks according to level of interest if they want these tasks to be acted up. In the more literal sense it can be used to advise a man on prioritizing his wife.