Hainteny

Since I'm in the highlands right now, where they have a bit more of this "literature stuff"...

I've mentioned how much Malagasies love speeches (kabaries). They also like everything related to speeches, including proverbs and hainteny, which is a type of poetry with a lot of metaphor thrown in. So for your enjoyment (note: ambolo=chameleon):

Tanalahy ambonin-kazo ny vintana
miova volo matoa misy zaza misioka
sy satrim-parihy hitera-potaka
ao ihany raha manakobana
maro ny hazo fa ny fary no mamy
maro ny valala fa ny ambolo no tsara soratra
maro ny olona fa hianao no andrian’ny saiko

Destiny is a chameleon at the top of a tree:
a child simply whistles and it changes color-
The lake did not want to create mud,
but if the water is stirred, it appears.
There are many trees, but it is the sugar cane that is sweet.
There are many grasshoppers, but it is the ambolo that has beautiful colors.
There are many people, but it is in you that my spirit reposes.

Izaho vary ary hianao rano
an-tsaha tsy mifandao
an-tanána tsy misaraka
fa isak’izay mihaona
fitia vaovao ihany

I am the rice and you are the water:
they do not forsake each other in the country,
they do not part in the town;
but each time they meet,
there is truly new love.

If you want to read more, there's a website that has a list of hainteny here (just ignore the Czech translations), or there's a book by Leonard Fox called Hainteny.