the forest would be silent if no bird sang except those that sang best
the FOR-est wud bee SY-lent if NOH BERD SANG ek-SEPT THOHZ that SANG BEST
ðə ˈfɒrɪst wʊd biː ˈsaɪlənt ɪf noʊ bɜːrd sæŋ ɪkˈsɛpt ðoʊz ðæt sæŋ bɛstListen
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Dictionary meaning
a proverb attributed to various African oral traditions, offering a defence of participation, imperfection, and the value of ordinary voices against the tyranny of perfectionism; if only the most accomplished performers were permitted to contribute, most voices would be silenced and the communal richness that comes from many different songs, rhythms, and timbres would be lost; the forest's beauty lies precisely in its diversity of sound — the chorus of unremarkable birdsong that creates an ambient whole greater than any soloist; the proverb is cited in educational philosophy, community arts, and organisational culture as an argument that the perfect should not be the enemy of the good, and that inclusive participation produces its own form of excellence
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