Kashmiri Proverbs
by Mrs. R. K. Fotedar
Ahankaras namaskaar,suy gav sakhshaatkar
Obeisence to the self that is a reflection of eternal reality
Aakh -t- aakh gav kah
Unity is strength
Oat chhanun -t- pariyun thavun hoakhun
To preserve for future use what is not needed immediately
Aokhvanye saabenye zardi
To show artificial concern
Akh aamut ladeni byaakh luhravani
One creates, the other destroys
Aamechh koker path karainye
To let go of a golden oppurtunity
Achhav rostai achh gaash
To be able to see even without having eyes
Anis mush haavun -n- savaab -n- gaunah
To show colour to a blind man
Apzis chhun guday kuni
Lies have no basis
Aesas manz naabad phol travun
To dangle a carrot before someone
Asmaanas vauth travan -t- tarakh ganzravaan
To dream of the impossible
Akh khaujas saet bate khyon -t- byayi syuonis kun ath nyuon
To count upon impossible favours
Anyan manz kane sunder
Among the ignorant a little knowledge is of great value
Ami myani khalani saetya
Taking all the credit
But for my last minute contribution your dreams could have come to naught
Andhrim andher -t- nyebrim nyeber
To be non plussed /bewildered
Akh hamal -t- byakh damal
One partner is active,the other is merely demonstrative
Aayi venis -t- gayi kandaras
Destiny often withholds the crown from the very person who deserves it
Athan phukh diwaan bachun
To be saved by the skin of one's teeth
Azar yi khush kari -t- kar
Money makes the mare go
Buthis chhantas toh -t- nar,dyekas kartas namaskaar
Do not judge a person by his looks
Despite his repulsive looks a person may be blessed by gods
Baadshah gur chhun khyawaan zyab
yeli peyas teli kheyi rab
Despite being born with a silver spoon in mouth one is forced to give
way to circumstances
Bayan bat divaan naav khatir ,ganan manz paan maaraan paamav khatir
For a good name we give parties but die if we get a bad name
Boay bayis pushpana,boay bayis dushmana
A brother who can be a great support frequently turns an enemy to his
brother
Boni muhul taarun
To try to make a stupid person understand
Buda gav -t- thah thah thovnam pathkun
The old man has passed away but has left me to deal with
his unresolved issues
Chhal -n- mal chhaa achan kin nearaan
Clean your heart and mind of negative thoughts
Chamchi manchi hokhni
One with a depressed and emaciated look
Daun salah -t- tran vah vilah
Two's company,the third person is an intruder
Deenuk tham chhuy seenas pyath
True religion is in one's heart
Dardidandan yakhraj dadan
The best cure for an aching tooth is to pull it out
Daarikanye anz yun
Prosperity visitng unexpectedly
Dohli suray losun
The sun setting at midday
Something unexpected and tragic happening
Gaenti thool vaalun
To accomplish a very difficult task
Gub gaatej-t- grata tsakaej
Wisdom and serenity should not unduly weigh down a person
Hud gav -t- kuniu myond gav
A slight lack of warmth once may spoil long-standing relationship
Hoon lot lazayokh kandilas su draav hoon lotui
It is difficult to change a persons mentality
Hir peth hir guggal khasnyay
To talk of others out of thin air
Hati -t- khash -t- mati -t- khash
To burn the candle on both sides
Hatsar zad gatshun
To be exposed to social stigma
Hachi -ti- karav volaas,souti lagi sonder
Even a piece of wood looks beautiful after it has been decorated,
but it is the inner beauty that matters in the long run
Hokhmut hogaad
Like a dehydrated fish
Kori roon hyut -t- noshi kath kyut
A daughter should have good husband, it is not so vital for a daughter-in-law
Kori doad gav pashminas ather
Inherent anxiety for a daughters welfare affects a person like moth's
quietly eating into precious pashmina
Kori rs maej gayi khori rs naav
A mother without a daughter is like a boat without an oar
Khoonas chharey
Blood is thicker than water
Khund gupun
An introvert person is dangerous
Khyon polav -t- athi chhalun gramyut
Feed the child with choicest dishes but in a disciplined way
Lokachaari aases guh gan mandaan,badith draayes pandit buoy
It doesn't take time to change one's destiny
Lotuy vonmai lotui boaz panini kath chhai panani jayi
I charge to you in utter confidence
Not to give out private secrets everywhere
Lembi pamposh pholun
A beautiful and talented person born in humble surroundings
Lori dastar thavun
To keep a person for namesake only
Maij - mol gav batas peth syun
One's parents serve as an appetiser only, one has to assemble the rest of the dinner
through one's own efforts only
Mot laegith saala bati khyon
To share a feast acting like a dull witted person
Mudas gyanech kath no vanizeh,kharas goor dina raavi doh
Trying to teach a stupid person is useless,
its just like feeding jaggery to a donkey
Mudan hanz maaeji nai prasan -t- trukyan,
handai ghar kith pathye khasan
How will clever people thrive if nut-wits are not arround
Maaji maasi -t- kori kus kaasi
An all-pervadin curse in the family
Malinyuk hyot dyut -t- kori hund zyevi pyot
Sweet nature of a girl is better than a dowry
Maaji hund -n- maalyun gaubur sund matamal
If mother does not have good relations with her parents, her children are a
generation further off
Mooli tali kul kadun
To destroy ones roots
Mauth gaubur gav maukth haar -t- ar kure gayi tabardaar
A mad son is like pearl necklace while an accomplished daughter is like a wood cutter
Mulah's doarr mashidi taam
Person of limited perception
Myani bebi -n- guh loar
Everyone thinks that they are pure and flawless
Metsai tulakh -t- soan sapdinai
To bless from the core of one's heart
Na zyun na prasun nakhay ratnas hurirazaan
I have no experience of child bearing, yet the wrath of the deity of
child birth pursues me
Noon teel zyooth -t- athi myon myooth
A delicious dish needs all ingredients for nice cooking
Naevidas tagihe pananay vodhi kaasihey mas
If a person has the right tools he can cut away his own misery
Nafa huk oasum tasali -t- gati masa paav hanglo karai shupi saet vaav
No loss no gain
Nanvaar naav dramut
A bad name sticks
Naklas -t- gachi akal aasin
To be able to cheat also requires some intelligence
Nasti hanz jayi
Delicate relations
Nosh lavi -n- haar,kath karan khar
A person is not worth a small shell, but talks in tons
Nagar neerith -t- paan deeshith
To go to another country is to forget oneself
Naagas naag chhiki chhik karan
Sheeps of the same flock, flock together
Nina vaalis kunay gonah,raaven vaalis saas gonah
The one who pilfers sins only once, but the loser commits a thousand sins
in trying to identify the culprit
Oar zuv chhuv nyamath
Good health is a luxury
Odhur zyun hyuv dazun
Burning with rage like a wet piece of wood
Panini kakur nai bad aasi,lukahundi gari kyaazi traavi thool
A silly person gives a handle to others while dealing with them
Peetas pyatt chhakh peetreni ,peeta pyatha vatshakh -t- chhak tsaentrene
Once you loose power, you loose respect of the people too.
Panenyev chhinamanae mat paygambar
A prophet is not valued in his own land
Panun rath paanas math
Self help is the greatest virtue
Pata kani vaguv tsatun
Backbiting
Panai paanas taereef kareny
To blow one's own trumpet
Yotaani poz pazaan -t- awam dazan
The sufferer goes through hell till the truth comes out
Piter harud kur khatanhaal
Out of jealousy for enemy one does impossible things
Panay paanas zang chateyn
or
Panay paanas drot vaayun
To cut ones own roots
Phash dith gash annun
To massage with a vengence
Rachhdars doha -t- churas gara
What one protects ones whole life,gets lost in a moment
Razi sarp banaavun
To make a mountain out of a molehill
Raenis kaulay -sau- gayi dahan kaulay
If husband is fond of wife every family member will like her
Reanis ziy hiy -t- nyechvis ziy gari gari drey
A wife has right over husbands income but reservations over son's income
Shaal chhalith battyan lori
Try to act brave after the danger has passed
Shaal -t- shaal vugaan, tangi wakt kuni
Wolves fight each other, but attack together
Sheasther phutravun
Anger that can cut through solid iron
Shur -t- gur gav barabar
A child and old people are alike
Sedis -t- myendis khuda dost
God is the friend of both the simple guy and the leper
Sedis haul kya kari
A crook can never harm a straight forward person
Shur vol kya khey ,hirvol panun
A man with many children will have only husk to eat
Shur sund shur chhuy sood
A child is like capital and a grandchild is interest on that capital
Tsalaha chaani daadi chh hyeth seethy
Trying to unsuccesfully run away from something or someone
Tshopa chhay raup sanz karkhay -t- saunsenz
Silence is silver, but if practiced is golden
Tse ta bota luta bab ,anyut -t- bushkab
the fewer the better
Tshop gaav gayi gudhame khav
An unusually simple person can be very complex
Turan turnavun -t- vusun vushnaavun
To take great care
Vuni chhay vuzmalay, pat chhay gagray
This is just the lightening before the thunderstorm
Vaav vuchhit nav traven
Turn ones soil to catch the wind
Van manz laal charith anun
To search and find a gem of a person from amongst the wilderness
Yam yath kar kal -t- kahar -su- tul shahar vaetith pyav
Where there is a will there is a way
Yem kar rey,tyem ker krey
It is good to take responsibility for your actions
Yath -n- push tath -n- dush
If you cannot mend do not bend
Yed khaeter gacchun waatul
The stomach drives us across all barriers
Yed sethy choup hyuon
To harm a person without leaving any mark
Yeli pyeyi chhanas panas peth
When it your responsibility you will be more serious about it
Yoray gachha ziney khaun hyeth
Extremely bewildered by the problems of life
Yath gaamas -n- gachhun,tami gaamuk kya naav
Why bother about a place where you will not be going
Gathering useless information
Yus dam nyeri suy wah-wah
To live in the present moment
Zyab chalaan -t- choab labaan
One's tongue is one's greatest enemy
A loose tongue is one's greatest enemy
Zan Zanani zoon maj zoon
Posing to be very simple and innocent
Zapur ruz ati -t- sati baney dyead
To show superiority out of the way
Zameen phutravaan -t- pakaan
Someone who walks full of pride
Zan chhi dehi lad gagar ruzith
To live like a frightened mouse in one's own house
Zouveli hund khyun -t- zyevli hund -n
To eat with a petty person but never with a long-tongued one
Zuvas peth kya hassar chhu
Life cannot be trusted, death can come at any moment
Zyethev naryav kheyiv saal
People respect outer beauty and affluence, but not inner values
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