Hazara Culture

Hazaragi Proverbs


Author: Dr. Akbar M Shahristani

کَس از کَوره آیه خو مُلا بور نموشه.

[ No one is born learned. ]

No one is born with a spoon in his mouth.

کَس دوغ خو ره تُروش نموگه.

[ No one says that his butter milk is sour. ]

No one advertizes his own faults.

Every man praises his own wares.

کِشمِش که کِشمِشه یک چوبک دره.

[ A raisin that is a raisin has a small stick in it. ]

There is no garden without its weed.

No one is perfect.

کم بَخته بَلی اُشتُرمار مِیزنه.

بخت بد باکسی که یار بود؛ سک گزدش ار شتر سوار بود

[ A misfortunate person shall be bitten by a snake even on camel’s back. ]

Misfortunes find their way even in the darkest night.

کَم بُگوی ماکَم.

[ Say little, but firmly. ]

Few words are the best.

Brevity is the soul of wit.

کور خود خو، بِینای دِیگا.

[ Blind of one’s own self, seeing others. ]

The eye that sees all things else sees not itself.

Men are blind to their own cause.

کور دَ قیچ می خنده

[ The blind laughs at the one squints. ]

The pot calls the kettle black.

پِید کور دَ قِید کور می خنده

[ The blind laughs at the one squints. ]

The pot calls the kettle black.

کولِه دوز سُوخته یه

[ The thief’s hat is burnt. ]

A thief doth fear each bush an officer. (W. Shakespeare)

توره بَد زخم ناسوره.

[ A bad word is an incurable wound. ]

Harsh words cut wounds that fester like cankerous sores (Chinese proverb).

The tongue breaks bone, and herself has non.

گَرگ بیرار کُلی یه.

[ The mangy is the brother of the leper. ]

The receiver is as bad as the thief.

گوسپو دَ لِینگ خو آوزو موشه، بُز دَ لِینگ خو.

[ A sheep will be hanged by its own leg and a goat by its own leg. ]

Everyone must carry his own cross.

گوسلِه دو مادری، مُرد از بِ شیری.

[ A calf with two mothers died due to the lack of milk. ]

When two men look after a horse, it will surely be thin.

When two families keep a boat, it will surely leak. (Chinese Proverb)

لُقمه خو جوبِ دان خو بال کو.

[ Take the morsel according to the capacity of your mouth. ]

Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

مار گَزیده اَز آله گی رِسپو میترسه.

[ One who has been bitten by a snake is afraid of a multicoloured rope. ]

A burnt child dreads the fire.

Once bitten, twice shy.

مال حرام برکت ندره.

[ An unlawful property doesn’t have abundance. ]

Ill gotten, ill spent.

مال خوره ماکَم بِگیر، همسیه خوره دوز نگِیر.

[Take care of your property, don’t accuse your neighbour of being a thief.]

Lock the stable door before the horse is stolen.

مال دُنیا آوِ شوره.

[ The wealth of this world is like salty water. ]

The more a man has, the more he wants.

مال ایله امده قدر ندره.

[ Free gained property is worthless. ]

What costs little is little esteemed.