English proverbs (B) پښتو متلونه

C

(533) Calamity is the touch stone of a brave mind.
(٥٣٣) په مصيبت کې د بهادرۍ پته لګي.
(534) Calamities make great talkers.
(٥٣٤) مصيبتونه په خلکو خبرې کوي.
(535) Calculate well before you speak.
(٥٣٥) اول سوچ کوه بيا وايه.
(536) Call a spade a spade.
(٥٣٦) سپين ته سپين او تور ته تور ويل.
(537) Call not the devil; he will come fast.
(٥٣٧) د شېطان نوم مه اخله سمدستي راځي.
(538) Care follows increasing wealth and the desire for greater things.
(٥٣٨) چې څومره دولت زياتېږي هومره ورسره لالچ او فکر هم زياتېږي.
(539) Can the Ethiopian change his skin?
(٥٣٩) تور رنګ په صابون نه سپينېږي.
(540) Cares passes every age.
(٥٤٠) سودايي د سودا نه نه خلاصېږي.
(541) Carrion crows bewail the dead sheep and then eat them.
(٥٤١) کارغان اول شور کوي بيا مردارى خوري.
(542) Cast not dust into the well that gives you water.
(٥٤٢) په کوم لوښي کې چې خورې په هغې کې غول مه کوه.
(543) Cast not forth the old water till the new comes in.
(٥٤٣) چې تر څو دې نوې مزدوري نه وي موندلې د زړې نه لاس مه وينځه.
(544) Catch not at the shadow and lose the substance.
(٥٤٤) غوږ يې بچ کاوه پوزه يې پرې شوه.
(545) Catch the bear before you sell his skin.
(٥٤٥) خيالي پلاوونه مه پخوه.
(546) Caution is the parent of safety.
(٥٤٦) د حفاظت لپاره احتياط ضروري دى.
(547) Chance contrives better than we ourselves.
(٥٤٧) په دنيا د چانس حکومت دى.
(548) Chance makes relations; choice makes friends.
(٥٤٨) خپلوي په تصادف او دوستي په خوښه جوړېږي.
(549) Change your pleasure, but never change your friends.
(٥٤٩) شغل بدلوه خو دوستان مه بدلوه.
(550) Changing of words is lighting of hearts.
(٥٥٠) يو بل ته په حال ويلو زړونه سپکېږي.
(551) Charity begins at home.
(٥٥١) اول ځان دى بيا جهان دى.
(552) Charity gives herself rich; covetousness hoards itself poor.
(٥٥٢) انسان په خېرات ورکولو شتمن او په لالچ کولو غريب ښکاري.
(553) Chastity once tarnished can be restored by no art.
(٥٥٣) د ښځې په لمن چې يو ځل داغ ولګېده بيا نه پاکېږي.
(554) Cheat me in the price, but not in the goods.
(٥٥٤) ګران يې راکه خو ښه راکه.
(555) Cheats never prosper.
(٥٥٥) د دوکې انجام ناکامي!
(556) Child is the father of man.
(٥٥٦) د نن ماشومان د سبا پلاران دي.
(557) Children and fools tell the truth.
(٥٥٧) د ماشومانو او احمقانو په خوله کې خبره نه ټينګېږي.
(558) Children are certain care, but very uncertain comforts.
(٥٥٨) په ماشومانو به ته پام خامخا کوې خو په تا؟ خداى خبر!
(559) Children are poor man’s riches.
(٥٥٩) د غريب دولت د هغه بچي دي.
(560) Children are what you make them.
(٥٦٠) د ماشومانو مازغه د سپينې پاڼې په څېر وي چې څه پرې ليکې پرې ليکل کېداى شي.
(561) Chips of the same block.
(٥٦١) د يوې سوړې ماران.
(562) Choose neither a woman nor linen by candle light.
(٥٦٢) ښځه او رخت د ورځې په رڼا کې ګوره بيا يې اخله.
(563) Choose not a house near an inn, or in a corner.
(٥٦٣) کور مه د بازار په څنګ کې اخله مه يې ترې ليرې.
(564) Christmas comes but once a year.
(٥٦٤) اختر هره ورځ نه راځي.
(565) Circumstances alter cases.
(٥٦٥) حالات معاملات بدلوي.
(566) Cleanliness is a fine life-preserver.
(٥٦٦) پاکوالى نيم ايمان دى.
(567) Claw me and I will claw thee.
(٥٦٧) ته له ما جار، زه له تا جار.
(568) Cleanliness is next to godliness.
(٥٦٨) پاکوالى بزرګۍ سره په دويمه درجه دى.
(569) Cleverness seeks cleverness.
(٥٦٩) اوسپنه په اوسپنه غوڅېږي.
(570) Close sits my shirt, but closer my skin.
(٥٧٠) خپل خپل او پردى پردى وي.
(571) Come not to the counsel uncalled.
(٥٧١) بې غوښتنې مشوره مه ورکوه.
(572) Companionship with a powerful person is never to be trusted.
(٥٧٢) د زورور په دوستۍ اتبار مه کوه.
(573) Coming events cast their shadows before hand.
(٥٧٣) د نر ځوى په زانګو کې پته لګي.
(574) Comparisons are odious.
(٥٧٤) مقايسې خوا بدوونکې وي.
(575) Condition makes and condition breaks.
(٥٧٥) حالات جوړول کا او حالات ماتول کا.
(576) Confidence begets confidence.
(٥٧٦) د زړه نه زړه ته لار وي.
(577) Conscience is a god to all mortals.
(٥٧٧) ضمير د ټولو انسانانو خداى دى.
(578) Consider that a friend may be made out of an enemy.
(٥٧٨) د دښمن نه هم دوست جوړېدلى شي.
(579) Confidence, like the soul, never returns thither whence it has departed.
(٥٧٩) د اعتبار مثال د روح دى، چې يو ځل لاړ، لاړ.
(580) Conscience places a bridle upon the tongue.
(٥٨٠) ضمير د ژبې قېضه ده.
(581) Confidence placed in another often compels confidence return.
(٥٨١) د اعتبار نه اعتبار پېدا کېږي.
(582) Contented with your lot, you will live wisely.
(٥٨٢) په خپل قسمت قانع اوسه ژوند به دې ښه تېرېږي.
(583) Counsel is never out of date.
(٥٨٣) مشوره هر وخت اخله.
(584) Courage is often caused by fear.
(٥٨٤) که ګور ګران دى د مړي ناکام دى.
(585) Courtesy costs nothing.
(٥٨٥) په ښو اخلاقو خرچه نه کېږي.
(586) Courtesy is cumbersome to him that knows it not.
(٥٨٦) په شرم دې هغه وشرمېږي چې په شرم پوهېږي.
(587) Courtesy on one side only lasts not long.
(٥٨٧) يو طرفه اخلاق تلپاتې نه وي.
(588) Courts have no almanacs.
(٥٨٨) د ځنګل د پاچا خپله خوښه ده چې بچي راوړي که اګۍ!
(589) Covetousness breaks the bag.
(٥٨٩) لالچ هيڅ ګټه نلري.
(590) Covetousness is generally incureable.
(٥٩٠) تمه هيڅ علاج نلري.
(591) Cowardice is the mother of cruelty.
(٥٩١) ډارنتيا د ظلم مور ده.
(592) Crafty men deal in generalities.
(٥٩٢) مکار خلک نېغه خبره نه کوي.
(593) Creep before you gang.
(٥٩٣) له منډې وړاندې تلل زده کړه.
(594) Criticism is easy and art is difficult.
(٥٩٤) تنقيد کول اسان دي، کار کول ګران.
(595) Crooked by nature is never made straight by education.
(٥٩٥) د سپي لکۍ په زور نه سمېږي.
(596) Crust cows have short horns.
(٥٩٦) خداى دې خره له ښکر نه ورکوي.
(597) Custon is the guide of the ignorant.
(٥٩٧) جاهلان په زړو کيسو پسې ګرځي.
(598) Cut your coat according to your cloth.
(٥٩٨) د خپل څادر سره پښې غځوه.

English Proverbs (A) پښتو متلونه

B

(428) Back again, like a bad penny.
(٤٢٨) بد عادتونه په اسانۍ سره نه ځي.
(429) Bad company is the devil’s net.
(٤٢٩) خراب ملګري د شېطان جال دى.
(430) Bad counsel confounds the adviser.
(٤٣٠) څوک چې اسمان ته لاړې توکي بېرته په هغه راپرېوځي.
(431) Bad customs are better broken up than kept up.
(٤٣١) د بدو رواجونو د پوره کولو نه پرېښودل غوره دي.
(432) Bad excuses are worse than none.
(٤٣٢) د درواغجنو بهانو نه يو “نه” ښه دى.
(433) Bald heads are soon shaven.
(٤٣٣) چې بخت خراب شي مصيبت صبر نه کوي.
(434) Barking dogs seldom bite.
(٤٣٤) چې ډېرې غوريږي هغه ورېږي نه.
(435) Bashfulness is an enemy to success.
(٤٣٥) په شرع کې شرم نيشته.
(436) Be a friend to thyself and others will be so too.
(٤٣٦) عزت کوه عزت به دې کېږي.
(437) Be always in time, too late is a crime.
(٤٣٧) چې ناوخته يې بدبخته يې.
(438) Be it weal or be it woe, it shall not be always so.
(٤٣٨) وختونه بدلېږي رابدلېږي، کله درياب کله کرياب.
(439) Be not ashamed of your handicraft.
(٤٣٩) په کار کې شرم نيشته.
(440) Be not the first to quarrel, nor the last to make it up.
(٤٤٠) په جنګ کې پېل مه کوه او په صلح کې ځنډ.
(441) Be spring in praising and more so in blaming.
(٤٤١) د چا ستاينه په احتياط کوه او نيوکه د هغې نه هم په زيات احتياط.
(442) Be surety, and danger is at hand.
(٤٤٢) ضمانت کې خطره خو وي.
(443) Be never so high, the law is above you.
(٤٤٣) د سر د پاسه سر شته.
(444) Bear and forbear.
(٤٤٤) د صبر مېوه خوږه وي.
(445) Beat the dot before the lion.
(٤٤٥) اول د مخامخ خطرې نه ځان خلاص کړه.
(446) Beauty and folly are often companion.
(٤٤٦) ښايست اکثر احمق وي.
(447) Beauty has a short date.
(٤٤٧) ښايست د ژمي ماځيګر دى تېر به شينه.
(448) Beauty is blossom.
(٤٤٨) د ګل عمر دوه ورځې وي.
(449) Beauty is potent but money is omnipotent.
(٤٤٩) ښکلا کې قوت شته خو د دولت قوت ته نه رسي.
(450) Beauty without grace is a violet without smell.
(٤٥٠) ښايست بې کماله لکه ګل بې خوشبويه.
(451) Bees that have honey in their mouth have stings in their tails.
(٤٥١) د ګل سره ازغي خامخا وي.
(452) Before old age my care was to live well, in old age, to die well.
(٤٥٢) په ځوانۍ کې د ښه ژوند او په پيرۍ کې د ښه مرګ فکر وي.
(453) Beggar’s bags are bottomless.
(٤٥٣) د سوالګر خېټه نه ډکېږي.
(454) Beggars must be no choosers.
(٤٥٤) زه دې دوکان ته نه پرېږدم ته وايې چې درانه يې وتله.
(455) Being on sea, sail; being on land, settle.
(٤٥٥) چې چېرې وسې په مذهب به د هغو شې.
(456) Believe that you have it, and you have it.
(٤٥٦) قناعت ستر دولت دى.
(457) Believe well and have well.
(٤٥٧) ښه کوه ښه به درسره کېږي.
(458) Bells call others to church, but enter not in themselves.
(٤٥٨) ملا بل ته مسئلې کوي پخپله پرې حملې کوي.
(459) Benefits please like flowers, while they are fresh.
(٤٥٩) ښه ژر هېرېږي.
(460) Best is best.
(٤٦٠) ښه ښه وي.
(461) Best is cheapest.
(٤٦١) چې نه پوهېږې ښه شى اخله.
(462) Best to bend while it’s twig.
(٤٦٢) عادتونه په ماشوموالي کې بدلېدى شي.
(463) Betrayers are hatred even by those whom they benefit.
(٤٦٣) غدار د هر چا بدي شي.
(464) Better a good expectation than a mean possession.
(٤٦٤) دنيا په امېد ولاړه ده.
(465) Better a penny with right than a thousand without.
(٤٦٥) يوه روپۍ حلاله د يو لک حرامو روپيو نه ښه ده.
(466) Better be alone than in ill company.
(٤٦٦) بدو خلکو سره د کېناستو نه ځانله ښه يې.
(467) Better be born lucky than wise.
(٤٦٧) عقل مه غواړه طالع غواړه رحمانه، عقلمند د طالعمنو نوکران دي.
(468) Better be half-hanged than ill-wed.
(٤٦٨) د بدلمنې ښځې نه لونډ ښه يې.
(469) Better be idle than ill-employed.
(٤٦٩) د بد کار کولو نه بېکاره ښه يې.
(470) Better be proficient in one art than smattered in a hundred.
(٤٧٠) په سلو کارونو کې د سر نښلولو نه د يو کار بشپړول ښه دي.
(471) Better deny at once than promise long.
(٤٧١) د نه پوره کېدونکو وعدو کولو نه “نه” کول ښه دي.
(472) Better do it than with it done.
(٤٧٢) د يو کار په باره کې د سوچ کولو نه ښه دا ده چې هغه کار وکړې.
(473) Better die once for all than live in continual terror.
(٤٧٣) د هرې ورځې د وېرې ډار نه مرګ ښه دى.
(474) Better go about than fall in a ditch.
(٤٧٤) په نېغه لار ځه که اوږده هم وي.
(475) Better go back than go wrong.
(٤٧٥) په غلطه لار د وړاندې تلو نه بېرته ستنېدل ښه دي.
(476) Better go to bed supperless than rice in debt.
(٤٧٦) په پور د خوړلو نه نهر ويده کېدل ښه دي.
(477) Better go to heaven in rags than to hell in embroidery.
(٤٧٧) د ناروا ګټې نه غريب ښه يې.
(478) Better go without medicine than call in an unskillful physician.
(٤٧٨) نيمچه حکيم پوره خطر دى.
(479) Better half an egg than an empty shell.
(٤٧٩) د خالي لوښي نه نيمه اګۍ هم ښه ده.
(480) Better ill-fed than ill-bred.
(٤٨٠) نهر ښه يې خو نه بې لارې.
(481) Better lose a jest than lose a friend.
(٤٨١) د داسې ټوکې کولو نه يې نه کول ښه دي چې دوست پرې خفه شي.
(482) Better short of pence than short of sense.
(٤٨٢) بې پېسو ښه يې نه بې عقله.
(483) Better still rise and fall.
(٤٨٣) د خپل څادر سره پښې غځول ښه دي.
(484) Better small fish than an empty dish.
(٤٨٤) د خالي لوښي نه ښه دا ده چې څه خو پکښې وي.
(485) Better suffer for truth than prosper by falsehood.
(٤٨٥) د حق زحمت د درواغو د راحت نه ښه دى.
(486) Better suffer ill than do ill.
(٤٨٦) غم په خپله زغمه نورو ته يې مه ورکوه.
(487) Better the feet sleep than the tongue.
(٤٨٧) د پښې ښويېدل ښه دي نه د ژبې.
(488) Better thou perish than truth.
(٤٨٨) د حق په لار کې د مرګ نه مه ويرېږه.
(489) Better go ask than go astray.
(٤٨٩) په غلطه لار د تللو نه ښه دا ده چې پوښتنه وکړې.
(490) Better to be blind than to see ill.
(٤٩٠) د بد نظر د اچولو په ځاى ړوند ښه يې.
(491) Better to die a beggar than live a beggar.
(٤٩١) د ذلت د ژوند نه مرګ ښه دى.
(492) Better to trust in God than in His saints.
(٤٩٢) په وليانو د عقيدې نه ښه دا ده چې په خداى عقيده وساتې.
(493) Better untaught than ill-taught.
(٤٩٣) د خراب تعليم نه بې تعليمه ښه يې.
(494) Between the devil and the deep sea.
(٤٩٤) چې نه مخکې لار لرې او نه وروسته تلى شې.
(495) Beware of a silent dog and still water.
(٤٩٥) د ژمي په لمر او د دښمن په خندا اعتبار نشته.
(496) Beware of him who regards not his own reputation.
(٤٩٦) چې د ځان عزت نه پېژني نو د بل به څه وپېژني؟
(497) Beware of no man more than thyself.
(٤٩٧) ښه او بد دې په خپل لاس کې دي.
(498) Beware of one who flatters unduly; he will also censury unjustly.
(٤٩٨) چې څوک دې هيڅ بې هيڅه ستاينې کوي هغه به دې هيڅ بې هيڅه بد هم وايي.
(499) Birds of feather flock together.
(٤٩٩) کوتره له کوترې سره او باز له باز سره.
(500) Black is the badge of hell.
(٥٠٠) تورتم د دوزخ نخښه ده.
(501) Black will take no other hue.
(٥٠١) په تور بل رنګ نه خېژي.
(502) Blame is the lazy man’s wages.
(٥٠٢) د ناراسته سړي معاش څه؟ خبرې!
(503) Blind zeal only does harm.
(٥٠٣) ړوند جذباتيت د زيان سبب جوړېږي.
(504) Blood is thicker than water.
(٥٠٤) لاس چې مات شي خپلې غاړې له ځي.
(505) Blow will answer blows.
(٥٠٥) د سُوک ځواب په سُوک.
(506) Blushing is virtue’s colour.
(٥٠٦) شرم د حيا نخښه ده.
(507) Bodies devoid of mind are as statues in the market-place.
(٥٠٧) د بې عقله سړي مثال د بُت دى.
(508) Bodily labour earns not much.
(٥٠٨) په مزدورۍ څه کېږي.
(509) Bones for those who come late.
(٥٠٩) ناوخته کولو کې تاوان دى.
(510) Books and friends should be few and good.
(٥١٠) کتابونه او دوستان لږ خو ښه ساته.
(511) Borrowed cats catch no mice.
(٥١١) د سوال په اوبو جرنده نه ګرځي.
(512) Brave actions never want a trumpet.
(٥١٢) ښه کارونه څوک د نوم لپاره نه کوي.
(513) Bright to sight, heart’s delight.
(٥١٣) کوم شى چې په زړه ښه ولګي هغه زړه خوشحالوي.
(514) Bring not a bagpipe to a man in trouble.
(٥١٤) په زهيرو زړونو ګوتې مه وهه.
(515) Broken sacks will hold no corn.
(٥١٥) مات شوي زړونه نه روغېږي.
(516) Brothers quarrel like thieves inside a house, but outside their swords leap out in each other’s defense.
(٥١٦) ورونه که د کور دننه د يو بل وينې هم وڅکي خو له کوره بهر بيا د يو بل ملاتړ ته رادانګي.
(517) Building and marrying of children are great wasters.
(٥١٧) په کور جوړولو او واده کولو پېسې خو لګي.
(518) Bullies are generally cowards.
(٥١٨) څوک چې لاپې وهي هغه ډارن وي.
(519) Burns not your hose to fright away the mice.
(٥١٩) په سپږه پسې لمڅى سوځول.
(520) Business neglected, business lost.
(٤٢٠) په کار کې بې پرواهي کار له منځه وړي.
(521) Business is the salt of life.
(٥٢١) د ژوند خوند خو په کار دى.
(522) But one egg and that too addled.
(٥٢٢) يوه ها او هغه هم سخا!
(523) Buy what you do not want, and you will sell what you cannot spare.
(٥٢٣) چې بې ضرورته شيان دې اخيستل نو د ضروري شيانو خرڅولو ته به اړ کېږې.
(524) Buyers want a hundred eyes; sellers none.
(٥٢٤) اخيستونکى خپل زړه ته ګوري، خرڅوونکى خپل ته.
(525) By taking always out and never putting in, the bottom is soon reached.
(٥٢٥) چې خوراک وي او ګټه نه وي د قارون خزانه هم ختمېږي.
(526) By doing nothing we learn to do ill.
(٥٢٦) د وزګار په مزغو کې شېطان ناست وي.
(527) By losing present time we lose all time.
(٥٢٧) وخت له لاسه ورکول هر څه له لاسه ورکول دي.
(528) By other’s faults wise men correct their own.
(٥٢٨) عقل د کم عقلو نه زده کېږي.
(529) By time all things are produced and judged.
(٥٢٩) وخت ښه قاضي دى.
(530) By trying the Greeks got into try.
(٥٣٠) په همت هر څه کېږي.
(531) By bearing with others, you shall be borne with.
(٥٣١) څه چې کرې هغه به رېبې.
(532) By his very concealment he added fame to fame.
(٥٣٢) مشهور چې ورک شو نور مشهور شو.

Continue to English proverbs (C) پښتو متلونه

By Abdulhadi Hairan

 Some people think that Pashto is a very complicated and hard-to-learn language. The reason behind this perception is a lack of knowledge and inaccessibility to the resources of this ancient yet living and interesting language.

 Similarly, translating from one language into another is a hard job if taken seriously, but in the case of translating into Pashto, it is harder and arduous to translate close to the original meaning. It does not mean that the language is complicated, but unfortunately saying, most of the translators spend their whole life on learning and improving the source language (e.g. English, Arabci, Urdu, Persian, etc.) while ignoring the target language (Pashto). They believe, of course wrongly, that if they are born Pashtuns, and their mother tongue is Pashto (Pashtu) that is enough for their skills to write in (or speak) this language.

 

 As a result, they may be able to write good, even excellent, English, but their Pashto writing is always full of very common mistakes such as typing in non-standard script, word by word translation of expressions and proverbs and writing in an incomprehensible sentence structure. This leads to a complete ruin of the project because the audience will get confused or will just laugh at what the translation presents. Sometimes deadly incidents happen if the misunderstanding occurs during interpretation between two hostiles or in a war-like situation.

 Working in this field for last ten years, I have many first-hand funny accounts of these mistakes. Once when I worked with a local Pashto newspaper, just the use of an incorrect ya (ى) in a news story resulted in the newspaper’s mockery by its readers, writers, and opponents. The story was about the arresting of an Afghan journalist by the administration of Pakistan’s lawless tribal areas. The reporter, who was not a good Pashto writer, faxed the report which just by chance went to a new editor. We have five yas (ى) in Pashto. One of these is ې which is used for females. He used this ya for the arrested journalist, who was a tribal man and wore a whole bunch of beard.

 Looking at the ya, the editor thought the journalist was female. So he used this ya in the whole story and made him a woman. In the morning when the paper was published, the arrested journalist was a woman in the story and a man in his photo, printed side by side with the story (this editor usually did not check the photos; the paper had a separate photo editor who usually did not check the stories).

 This kind of mistakes happen when expressions and proverbs are translated word by word, or ي is used where should be ې, or ۍ instead of ئ, and so on.

For a quality and successful translation, it is necessary that the translator understands and is able to write and translate both the source and target languages with equal good command. They should have full knowledge about both the cultures and traditions to which the source and target language belongs.

 To avoid the mistakes and unwanted results, translators should spend as much time in learning and improving their own language as they do in learning and improving the source language. Experience and scientific studies show that having a good command in their own language will also help them in improving the source languages.