Post by malay admin on Sept 8, 2005 16:02:56 GMT 7
Few Malay proverbs from an old book (1950)
Spelling & translation is left as in the book. (unless have my typing errors)
If someone has more proverbs then would be nice to read those
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THE WAY OF THE WORLD
1. Ada laut, ada-lah ikan.
1. Where there is sea, there are pirates.
2. Gulai sedap, nasi mentah; nasi sedap, gulai mentah.
2. When the curry is good, the rice is half cooked; when the rice is good, the curry is half cooked.
3. Malang ta' boleh di-tolak, mujor ta' boleh di-raih.
3. Bad luck cannot be averted nor good luck attracted.
4. Untong sabut timbul, untong batu tenggelam.
4. It is the fate of the coconat husk to float, of the stone to sink.
5. Tuah melambong tinggi, chelaka menimpa badan.
5. Good luck soars away and misfortune crushes one's body.
6. Sa-besar-besar bumi, aku tampar ta' kena.
6. Huge though the world, is I always miss when I hit at it.
HOBSON'S CHOICE
7. Kalau telan, mati emak; kalau ludah, mati bapa.
7. Swallow it, one's mother dies; reject it and one's father dies.
8. Kalah, jadi abu; menang, jadi arang.
8. Vanquished, one will be reduced to ash; victorious, to charcoal.
9. Di-genggam, takut mati; di-lepaskan, takut terbang.
9. There is fear that if grasped it may day, and fly away if released.
10. Pipit tuli makan berhujan, di-halau kain basah, ta' di-halau, padi habis.
10. Deaf sparrows are eating (your rice) out in the rain; drive them away and you will get wet; if they are not driven away, the rice will be finished.
DO NOT SWEAR IN A BOAT
11. Jangan chakap chabul di-sungai, buaya ganas.
11. Do not use bad language on a river or the crocodiles will grow fierce.
RELATIVITY
12. Hitam mata itu, di-mana 'kan boleh bercherai dengan puteh-nya.
12. The black of the eye and the white, how can they be parted?
13. Baik tunang-nya jahat, Hidup tunang-nya mati, Kaseh tunang-nya cherai.
13. The betrothed of good is evil, The berothed of life is death, The betrothed of love is divorce.
MAN
14. Banyak udang, banyak garam-nya; Banyak orang, banyak ragam-nya.
14. Many shrimps, many condiments! Many men, many temperaments!
15. The laut yang dalam dapat di-duga; hati orang siapa tahu?
15. The deep sea can be fathomed, but who knows the hearts of men?
16. Kita semua mati, tetapi kubor masing-masing.
16. We will all die but have different graves.-(We are all "in the sea of life enisled".)
17. Bunga pun gugor, putek pun gugor, tua pun gugor, masak pun gugor.
17. Flowers and buds fall, and the old and ripe fall.
PLANT PEARS FOR HEIRS
18. Orang yang bertanam pokok nyior, kadang-kadang tiada makan buah-nya.
18. The man who plants a coconut-palm sometimes does not eat the fruit.
MAN PROPOSES, GOD DISPOSES
19. Lain di-niat, lain di-takdir.
19. Man's design and God's decrees differ.
NATURAL LAWS
20. Ayer di-tulang bumbongan, ka-mana turun, kalau tidak di-chuchoran atap?
20. Water on a roof-top must run down to the eaves.
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Spelling & translation is left as in the book. (unless have my typing errors)
If someone has more proverbs then would be nice to read those
----------------------------
THE WAY OF THE WORLD
1. Ada laut, ada-lah ikan.
1. Where there is sea, there are pirates.
2. Gulai sedap, nasi mentah; nasi sedap, gulai mentah.
2. When the curry is good, the rice is half cooked; when the rice is good, the curry is half cooked.
3. Malang ta' boleh di-tolak, mujor ta' boleh di-raih.
3. Bad luck cannot be averted nor good luck attracted.
4. Untong sabut timbul, untong batu tenggelam.
4. It is the fate of the coconat husk to float, of the stone to sink.
5. Tuah melambong tinggi, chelaka menimpa badan.
5. Good luck soars away and misfortune crushes one's body.
6. Sa-besar-besar bumi, aku tampar ta' kena.
6. Huge though the world, is I always miss when I hit at it.
HOBSON'S CHOICE
7. Kalau telan, mati emak; kalau ludah, mati bapa.
7. Swallow it, one's mother dies; reject it and one's father dies.
8. Kalah, jadi abu; menang, jadi arang.
8. Vanquished, one will be reduced to ash; victorious, to charcoal.
9. Di-genggam, takut mati; di-lepaskan, takut terbang.
9. There is fear that if grasped it may day, and fly away if released.
10. Pipit tuli makan berhujan, di-halau kain basah, ta' di-halau, padi habis.
10. Deaf sparrows are eating (your rice) out in the rain; drive them away and you will get wet; if they are not driven away, the rice will be finished.
DO NOT SWEAR IN A BOAT
11. Jangan chakap chabul di-sungai, buaya ganas.
11. Do not use bad language on a river or the crocodiles will grow fierce.
RELATIVITY
12. Hitam mata itu, di-mana 'kan boleh bercherai dengan puteh-nya.
12. The black of the eye and the white, how can they be parted?
13. Baik tunang-nya jahat, Hidup tunang-nya mati, Kaseh tunang-nya cherai.
13. The betrothed of good is evil, The berothed of life is death, The betrothed of love is divorce.
MAN
14. Banyak udang, banyak garam-nya; Banyak orang, banyak ragam-nya.
14. Many shrimps, many condiments! Many men, many temperaments!
15. The laut yang dalam dapat di-duga; hati orang siapa tahu?
15. The deep sea can be fathomed, but who knows the hearts of men?
16. Kita semua mati, tetapi kubor masing-masing.
16. We will all die but have different graves.-(We are all "in the sea of life enisled".)
17. Bunga pun gugor, putek pun gugor, tua pun gugor, masak pun gugor.
17. Flowers and buds fall, and the old and ripe fall.
PLANT PEARS FOR HEIRS
18. Orang yang bertanam pokok nyior, kadang-kadang tiada makan buah-nya.
18. The man who plants a coconut-palm sometimes does not eat the fruit.
MAN PROPOSES, GOD DISPOSES
19. Lain di-niat, lain di-takdir.
19. Man's design and God's decrees differ.
NATURAL LAWS
20. Ayer di-tulang bumbongan, ka-mana turun, kalau tidak di-chuchoran atap?
20. Water on a roof-top must run down to the eaves.
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