Excerpta Maldiviana No.12 Maldivian Proverbs

8/11/2019 Excerpta Maldiviana No.12 Maldivian Proverbs.

1/8

D/A

JoURNAL,

R.A.s.

(cDrrLoN)

[Vor,.

XXXIi.

No.

86-19331

EXoER?TA

tu,(r,olvrEN.t

373

But etymologically,

at

all

events,

the

verbal interpreta.

tion

of

the

Latin

proaerbium

(firo

*

uerbum. "

publicity

saying")and

its

Greek

correlati.ve

paraemia

(para

f

oimos,

"

wayside expression ")

tends

to

show

unmistakably

that

"triteness,

common

usage,

and

popular acceptance

''

are

'essential

features

of

the

Proverb,-oi

Adage

(?

ad,

agend,um

aptum), its near

parallel.

The

languages,

whether

of Europe and

America,

of Asia,

and

Africa, or

the

Seven

Seas

of the

World,

have,

each and

all,

their

special stores

of

wit

and rrisdom

in

the

shape of

Proverbs;

albeit, so

much

appears

akin

to the

rest, that

careful

study would

seem

to

point

,,either

to

some same

origin, or to the

hypothesis

of an

universal wisdom

manifest-

ing itself

vicariously

in

the

pithy

sayings of all

nations,

barbarous

and

civilized."

Oriental

Proverbs

are still

but

little

known in

Europe

'

outside a

small circle of

Orientalists,

and even they

have

to

a

great

extent overlooked

them.

On

Proverbs

of

the four

main

languages (Dravidian)

of Southern India, (

Tami,l,

Telugu, Kannarese,

and Malagillam),like Si.r"rhnlese

i

(Aryan)

in

Ceylon,

.'Collections"

have

been

issued,

from

time to

time

;

but all are

capable

of much

extension.

milorvrnr PRovERBs,

The

fortunate

opportunity

of

a

few months'

sojourn

*during

1922 inthe

little

known

Mri,ldive

Islands-Ceylon's

Muslim Dependency-afforded

the

writer

the

welcome chance

of acquiring

a

casual,

though

but partial,

"

batch

"

of

Proverbs

current

on

the

Group.

From

this

uindfall

a

random selection

is

ofiered

in

the

present

Paper;

limited,

of

set

purpose,

to

half.

a-hundred-lest

peradventure

Don

Quixote's

heavy

curse do

light

upon

him

from readers

justifiably

resenting

the

gratuitous

annoyance

of

"

damnable

iteration."

2

In regard

to

the

broad nature of Mrildivian Proverbs,

i{,

is

not

surprising

t,o

find

the " tang

of the sea

" largely

per-

vading'many

a

tritum

uetustate

prouerbium

of

these

hardy

sea-faring

fslanders

of "

Mehi, Laka" (" Ci's-mare

Lar.rkd,,"

l.

Several'Collections":-Spec'imens

o.f

Sir.thalese

Prouerbs

(L.

de

Zoysa

Mudaliyar)

Journal

C.A.S.,

f

870-f 872

:

l88l

;

Athi'thd

Wd,lrya

D,ipaniya

(Mendis)'

Si,r.thala Upamd,

(N.

Mendis,

f

890),

&c.

2.

"

I{eaven

confound

thee

:

sixty

thousand

devits

take

thee

and

thy

Proverbs "

EXCERPTA

MATDIVIANA.

Bv

H.

C.

P.

Bnr,r,,

c.c.s.

(Retired)

No.

I

Iz._MALDIVIAN

PROVERBS.I

FOREWORD.

"

A

Nation's

Proverbs,"

rightly

has

it

been

said,

"

are

as

precious

as

its ballads,

as useful,

and perhaps

more

instructive."

" Despise not the discourse

of

the

Wise,

but acquaint

thyself

with

their Proverbs

:

for

of them

thou

shalt learn

instruction."

Thus wrote

Jesus

the

son

of

Shirack, in his

"

Wi,scl,om,"

or

"

Eccles'iast'icus"

(VIII.

8)

some

twenty

cent,rrries ago.

.

" Wisdom

manifests herself

in divers

forms,

but

seldom

perhaps

in

any

more

acceptably,

or

impressively,

than

when

she clothes

herself in

proverbial

guise."

'

Yet for

the

definition

ol

a

Prouerb,with

complete

accuracy,

there

standeth

forth-Who

? Echo

Who

?

"

"

Much matter

decocted

into

few

words

"

(n'uiler)

;

('

Shortness,

sense

and salt

"

(Howell)

;

"

Wisdom

of

many,

wit

of one

" (Lord

Russell)

;-these

and

other

attempted

qolgtigns

(includ"ing Erasmus'

well-known,

but

inadequate,

"

Celebre

d,ictum

sci,ta

qud,piam

noai,tate

i,nsigne

")

all

faU

short

more or

less

of

solving

fully

the

" complex,"

so

quaintly

assayed

by

a

Latin poetaster-

Omne

Epigramma s'it'instar

ap'is,

s,it

oculeus

illi,,

Si,nt

sua mella,

sit et corpor'is euigui,.

" Proverbs

and bees should-an

they

do

not

fail*

-,__I,"1 "Zl"u.

:I*01:1

"1g

in

tail.

"

L

For

the

never

failing

gencrosity,

tt

d

"oo"t"ooJr.lJir."J6-it

tudents in

MS,ldivian

literary

research,

the

writer is almost

entirelv

iqlebted to

his

kind

friends

at

M61e,

tlle

State

Ministers

A.

Ahmad

Dldf,

Dori,miriti

Ki.legeJd,nu,

his son

A,

Mu(rammad

Amln

Dtdf.

and

M.

fbrd,hfln

Dldl,

a

cousin, who

supplied

the

Provorbs printed

in

this

Paper,

as

well

as others.


2/8

374

JorrRNAr,,

R,.A.s.

(cDyLoN)

fvor.

XXXI.

Mri,ldives),

whose

boats

have

long

frequented.

far-flung Eastern

harbours:

in this

respect

at

least,

differentiating

them

noticeabl;z

from

their more

land-bound

progenitors with

wider

interest's,

dwelling

in

"

Ahi

Laka"

("

Trans-tna,re

Lankd,," Ceylon).1

But,

as

with

Silhalese

Proverbs,

"

the saving

grace of

spicy

humour

"

displays

itself

not

infrequently in

their

Mri,ldivian

congeners-at

times

with

a

refreshing

unsophisticated frankness

startling

to

ultra-refined

ears,

X'or the

rest,

it,

should

berememberedthat"the

vagueness

of

tlieir

epigrammatic

brevity

allowing great'

variety

of

meanings,

the

play

upon

words,

and alliterations,

may

cause

the

true

point

to

be

missed in

the

translation of

many."

SIT{HALESE,

AND OTHER PARALLEL,

PROVERBS.

The marhed

affinity

of

the

Sinhalese

language

with

the

Mri,ldivian

form

(in

particular

thepurer

dialect

of the

South-

ern,

and

more distant, Atols,

rvhich

retains

fuller

elements

of

its

original

source,

owing

to

less

intercourse

both

with

Western

India,

and Muslim influence

during centuries

of

Arabic

and

Persian

trade) is,

as

was to

be

expected,

very

patently

exhibited

to

no

small

degree in

the mutual

similarity,

of

the

proverbial

lore of

both races.

.i

Interesting

proofs

of

distinct, Muslim

contact

with

the

Archipelago,

and fslamic infilt'ration-mainly

in

the

Northern

and Central

Atols-crop

up

;

but

these

only

go to

emphasize

further

the greatly

preponderating general

resemblance-so

manifestly

derived

from

the erst-time

Sinhalese

parental

stock,

after

the

Aryan

migration into

Ceylon from

the

Indian

Continent.

To

bring

out

t'his

close

kinship

between

Silhalese

(S.

Upama)

and

Mri,ldivian

(M.

Musd,lu)

Proverbs

the

more

effectually,

all examples

of the

former

quoted

have been

placed

immediately

below

the

equivalent,

or

semi-co-efficient,

paraemiology

of

the

Islands.

1.

"

Meh.i,

Laha"

(lit.

" Here

La4kri,

")

;

-

"

Ahi Lalca"(li,t,

,'

There

Lalk6

").

I'erms

usod

in the

old M6,ldivian

BoQuga,lu

L6maJcinw

iR,oyal

Copper Grani),

Plate

T,

obsorve,

line 3.

No.

86-

19331

EIiLDIVIAN

PB,OYTRRS

,NF

n'inally,

to

illustrate,

pro

tanto, the

cosmopolitan

currency

of similar

"

wise-sayed

saws

"

throughout

the

rryorId, sporadie

instances of

kindred quips

are

interpolated

from

occasional

'other

Eastern

sorlrces, as

well as

European

languager

mainly

Latin.l These

can

doubtless

be

greatiy

s',rpplemented

by other

students, attracted

to the subject,.

MALDIVIAN

PROVERBS

(r.)

GEnERAT

Funet f6ya(f) fen

fr.rrun.

1'

"

(Like)

pouring

water

into

a

broken

pot""

S'imiles.

(a)

Kecli,chcha,

lur,ld.ta

waturcr, walcho,ranna wagcyi,

(S).

" Like pouring

rvater

into a broken

pot,."

(b)

In pertusxLnl

ingerimus

di,cta d,olium, (L).

2.

Furiff huri

ba{iyale(T)

Cuqu

Cuqe(f)

nag6fe.

" The u'ater-pot

that is full wili not shake

(/ri.)

tnake

gurlu gudu

sornd)."

Si,mile.

(a)

Piri.qtu

lml{,

di,ya no-selueyi

(5.)

"

In

a

full

pot'

the water

wiil

not

shake."

3.

Satti

nubai

bat-kofu

heyo.

" The

cooking-pot may

be bad,

(but)

the

rice

(boiled

"therein)

good'"

simires.

Kauuru

gini

rnoleuud, moka:da

aptd,

bata'

pehi'chchi'

'na,m (S).

(a) " lVhat

boots

it

who

kindles

tbe fire,

if

our rice

be boiled."

(b)

Metiyen

wat

molcad,a

bah,la

mtyd

g,lli

nam

(S).

"

What

matters it

if

the cat,

though

rnade

even

of

ctray,

catch

the rat."

4.

Vale(f)

nutefeneye d6nfle tefeni.

" The well

will

not

break,

should lhe d,ann{,

z

lsnap)

"

Sin,ile.

(a)

Ed,ap{,a

giyd,tro

tot'upalat

yagi-da

(S).

" Though

lhe

ddancla

(single log bridge) be washed

ryerl4le9llr4lqrlqv

solee

j--

-

l.

(A),

Arabic

I

(D),

English

;

(F),

'rench

;

(Gr),

Greek

;

(II)

Hebrew

;

(I)

Italian;

(L)

Latin

;

(S),

Sinhalese

;

(Sc.),

Scotch

;

(Skt.),

Sanskrit

;

(W.A.),

Wcst African.

u

,.

Ddnni:-Long-handled

scoop

with

coconut,-sheil head.

'i


3/8

376 rouRNAL, R.A.s.

(cE].LoN)

1Vor,.

XXXII.

5.

Furo ilariyaka(1) kiren

nulibeneye.

'1The babe that cries not

will

get

no

(breast)

milk.',

Bimile.

(a)

Eid,ti-koktlu

lciri

erenne (S).

"

When

the

infant

cries

the

(breast)

milk

will

rise.',

6.

Rihs

fii

mafcha(I)

foi

veltunu

hen.

"

Like the

(grain) pounder

falling

on

(one's)

sore foot.',

Similes.

@)

|glrf

aslunu

minihtita

gonti

gnrui

wdgeyi

(S).

"

Like the

ox goring

the

man

fallen

from

the tree."

(b)

Kord

pitata

rnard (S).

"

The

pangs

of

death added

to

lameness.',

(c)

"

Heaping

Pelion

on

Ossa."

(Gr.)

(d,)

In

flamma,m fl,ammas,

in

mare

fund,is

aquas (L).

7.

Vepten dft6,

s6,

ko(ry) f6liye.

" Pushed

down

when falling."

Simile.

(a) Vetenta

yadd,6

tattu

kata

wrigeyi

(S)

('

Like

pushing

down

(one

already)

falling."

8.

Bafuge nagu kita(1)me

varaka(1)

henien

kamaku

terle(p)

nuv6neye.

ll

Drag at

a dog's

tail as long

as you

choose,

Efiort to

straighten

will

be

of no

use.',

Bimi,Ies.

(a)

Bg,; u

wofue

gda

arin[a

beruwd,

wdgegi (S).

"

Like

failing to straighten

a dog's

taii.,,

(b)

Bi,hird,ta

gtti,ka

motada (S).

Why

sing

to

the

(stone) cleaf ?"

9.

Gini

dun mihi rat mala(1)

biru

gannineye.

"

He whc has known

the

hurt,

oJ

fire's power,

"

Feareth

the

sight

of nature's

red

flower.,,

Similes.

_

(a)

Gini

penellen

beta

ha aya

lcanti

med,iriyti

clutuwd,tna

d,uwannd.

u

ri

g

eyi,

(8,).

No"

8{1-19331

uilnrvreN

PnovDRBS

At

ot

kama(p).

"

Part

better."

"

Like

the

person

(once) beaten

with a

fire-brand

running

&way

on

seeing

a

fire-fl1'."

(b)

'l_-He

whom

a

snake

has

bitten dreads

a

glow-

worm."

(.W.A.).

10.

Tlya

ketagak

gut

runieyt.

" Like

stooling

into

(one's)

feeding

plate.n'

Simil,

(a)

Kdpu, patd

runndk

nten

(-\)

"

Like

stooling

into

(one's)

feeding

plate."

(b)

Magna

moaet

stomachum

fastid,,ia

si

puer

unc ,is

Tractauit calicem

manibus (L).

-

(ri

"Throw

no

stones

into the

well

rvhence

you

have

drunk

"

(Heb.).

(d)

" It's

an itl

bird

which fouls

its own

nest

"

(E).

71.

Vehen

o1lyw6

fen

negun.

"

Collect wat'er whilst

it rains."

Bimiles.

(a)

Galdyana uaturen

d,dtak

gattat

ltiba

lu (S).

,,Even

two handfuls

got from

running

water

are

gain,

't

is

said."

(b)

"

Make

hay

while

the sun

shines" (E).

72.

echehe(f)

tlu

nukurale

ane(t) efche(l)

tibeno

not

with what is

held, counting

on

something

Bi,mi,Ies.

(a)

Mitd

un

kurull(t,

erala

ga,lte

un

kurulla

ell|mata

giyak

men (S).

" Like releasing

the bird

in (one's)

fist

when going

to catch the bird

on the

tree."

(b)

Atd neti

m,uttu

ette mu.ditt,

etarayi,

(S).

Things..

unpossessed

(Iit.

not

in

hand)

are

(as

though) overseas."

(c)

Certa

am,ittem,us

dum

'incerta

pet,im,us

(L).

(d)

"A

thousand

cranes

inthe

air are

not

worth one

sparow

in

the

fist "

(A).

(n)

"

A

bird

in the

hancl

is

v,'orth

two in

the

bush',

(E)

13.

Vali

riti

tilatuniryiye.

"

The knife

is

beautif-rrl,

if the

blaCe

be

sharp."

it7 7


4/8

378

JuTRNAL.

R.A.s.

(('EYLuN)

lVor-.

XXXII.

l

it

Simi'les

'

(a)

Le coitte

en

6te

Ie

go'it't

(tr').

(b)

" The worth

of

anything

is

just

as

much as

it

wiii

nring

"(E).

14.

Kuriot

gerige

fide

fennSni.

"

The

back

o{

the ox

in front

(rnoving

ahead

in single

line)

can aione be seen."

S'im'iles.

(a)

Atz'ungd.

ehd,

kuna

mdlgahalt,

ua,qeyi

penenctuti

lu,

'

To,mungeehdkunq,

e,bamal

rdnzmtak

ud,geyi

penanauo

l'u(S)

'


5/8

380 ,ronR,NAr,,

B,.A.s.

(cEYLoN)

[Vol.

XXXII.

Simile.

(a)

"

You

may break,

you

may shatter,

the

vase as you

will,

The

scent

of

the

roses

is over

it

still

" (E;.

23.

Ala

gahakun

keyo

nlre(1)

nufal6neye.

" From

a

yam's

root,

springs

no plantain shoot."

Similes.

(a)

Non

generant aquilae columbas

(L).

(b)

" The

crab's

daughter

beareth not

a

bird

" (W.A.).

(c) " Do

men

gather grapes

of

thorns,

or figs

of

thistles

? "

(il).

24.

Danna

mis

ar6

gala(1)

aranffi

danna

mis

vineye.

"

Ii.e who

stands

on thd

(same) rock as.

the

learneil

will

be deemed

to be

learned."

Sim iles.

(a)

Uttamauinge

guna

uttamayri clani,t

(S).

" Good

men's

merits

are known to the

good."

(b)

Noscitur

a

sociis

(L).

(c) "

Even foolish

men to eminence

may

rise,

By

following

closely actions of the wise.' '(Skt.)

(d)

"

Keep

gude company

and

ye'll

be counted ane

of

them

l'

(Sc.).

25.

Bo

foti

gaye

tiya huri.

" Like wearing

ostentatious

(lfl. thick)

clothing."

9i'miles.

S'imia

si,mia

est,

etiam

si aurea

gestat'ins'ignia (L)

" Tntrmpeter

unus

erat qui

coa,tum

scarlet hobebat,

Et magnum

perirvig, tied up with the

tail

of a

d,ead

pig."

" Let

ne'er

your

gear

o'ergang

ye "

(Sc.).

"

Like hedgehogs

dressed in lace

" (E)

26.

Tan

otti

godi

iehun.

" (Like)

arranging the

seats

while

there is

space."

No.

86-19331

lrdr,orvt,rN

PROvERBS

27.

381

Beru

fufali

jehim6

gifili

fen

walun

gele({)we1tun.

"

(Like)

a

brick

fblling

from

the

back

rooms's

well

when

the

garden

gate is

opened."

Simile.s.

(a)

Dolend,i

mod,us,

non

est tim,end,i,

(L).

(b)

"

The

leaf

crackled,

and

your

slave

fled

"

(W.A.).

(c)

"

Conscience does

make cowards

of

us

all

"

(E).

28.

Ei

Banil6ra

de

geriye

tafine

waraka(1)

teliya dere.

"

(They

are

but)

two

Government

cattle :

let

them

fight

as

much as they like."

Similes.

@\

Achariyata mayintlharna

eltanam magd. ba,llatat epd

(S).

"

If

the

blacksmith"needs

not the

bellows, my dog

even

will

not want

it."

(6)

:'

Hippoclides

don't

care

"

(Gr.).

(c)

l{i/

est

ad

nos (L).

(fl

"

n'ight

dog,

fight bear; wha wins

deil

care "

(Sc.).

29.

De

karliye(1)

ek urayaku

nonnineye.

" Two

swords

cannot

be kept

in

one

scabbard."

B'im'iles.

(a)

Eka

Pansold,

inna Ma,hanu,n

(Jnnanselat"

l;uQamita

harataag

annctu:a

lu

(S)

.

"

Even

Buddhist Monks,

't

is

said, living

in

one

Pansala

come to loggerheads."

(b) " Two

crocodiles do not

live

in

one hole

"

(W.A.).

(c)

"

Two

of

a

trade

seldom agree

"

(E)

30.

Ibur6himaku

marcha(r)

iluniye

ran vihene

vifye.

kibihinnek

erima

ehinna(T)

"

The

world

becomes

golden

to

the

ant which

climbs

on

to anibrahi,m

(gold

coin).'t

S'imiles.

(a)

Ratran

tilca

keralu katussa ud,ge

(S).

"

Like

the

piece

of

gold

tied round the neck of

the

chameleon."

1

(b)

Aspe,ri,us

nihil

est humil,i,

cum surgi,t in altum

(L).

(c)

,,Set

a

beggar on

horse

back,

etc."

(E).

1. Seo

the

story

in f,ouis

de

ZoV""l"

p"""""f",

ll.t

(a)

(b)

(c)

td)

(a)

(b)

Similes.

Omnem creile

d,iem tibi.d,i,lunisse

supremum

(L).

"The Bird of

llime

has but a

little

way

to flutter,

-And

the Birtl is

on

the

wing "

(E).

(C.A.S.

Journal.

1

8?2).


6/8

382

JoLTF,N,\r,J

11,.A.s.

(cErrLoN)

[Vor,.

XXX["

(d)

"

Gokl

I

Gokl Gokl Gold

tsdght

ancl

yelJ.ow,

hard antl cold

;

l-low

rvidelv

its ;rgencies

1'e

t'\'--

No'vr starnped with the image

of

Good

Queen

Bess,

Ancl

nou' of a Blootly

Mary

"

31.

Karnaku

terene

kama(r)

libeni.

"Do

something;

gain

something."

Bimiles.

(a)

Ata

noholla

kata

hollanta

behe

(S).

"

Without exertion

(lzl.

mol'ing the

hand)

one

cnrrnot r.al

(/i1.

mole

the

rnorrlh)."

(b)

Nil

si,ne

magno

Vi,ta labare

dedit

mortali,bus

(L)

(c)

I.l

_ry'Ua

pcts

cl'

ornelette

sans

ce,ssey

des oeufs

(X-).

(d)

"

No

pains,

no gains "

(E).

32:

Kukulu

govi

kamaku

afye(T)

nuvileleye.

" If

hens

crow

it

is not

da,rvn."

Simi,les.

eti

gdni

etilmran,a

kiki,Iit

aidalanault,

lu(S)

't

is

said,

will

cro.lv

that is

reared

bv

:l

(6)

"

Whistling

woman,

crou,-ing

hen,

Pieaseth

neither

gods

nor men

"

(E).

33.

Tiya

fenuni

hudu kalake.

" Like

a

white

crow."

Sim,iles.

(q)

Rqya auis

'in

terris,

ni,grogue sirni,lli.ma

cygno

(L).

(6)

"

Very

like

a

whale." (E).

&4.

Midalu

iiattin

wafen

bovuma(1).

_

-

_"

The

rat

gnarvs

into the

young

coconut

:

the

bat

drinkg

the

v'ater."

Sim,i,les.

(a)

){eturt gehu,m

Kapu,rolatalu,

Bat ti,lw

Ti,ki,rrilata,lu (S).

.

"

The

tlancing

(labour)

falls

to

the

Kapurd,la,,

the

Jroilcd

tice

to TiA'irdla.'t

is suid.''

(b)

"

Sorne

have labourert,

others

profited

,'

(Gr.).

(q)

Src

aos

nan

"-obi,s.

(L.)

ld,)

Le1

four

font

des

festins,

et,

les sages

les

mangent (E)

(e) "

One

soweth,

anothel

i'eapeth

,t

(E).

(a,)

Kctta

ba,ha

"

The hen too,

gabbliirg

woman."

/

J\ro.

86-

19331

rr-4r,nrvt,,r.N

pRovERBS

:J83

(2.)

SEA-FARrnc

35.

Ganf6 rl6ni

bodu

mahe.

"

Hrrrge

was

tlie

fish

that

escaped

"

Si,rnile.

Giyo

Lilla

mah,a

elru l,zi,

(S).

"

The

Lrild that got

awalv'

nv-as

the

jmniensr>

,

)ne,

)t

is

sairl."

36.

Fetunu

Odi riy6,

dalu

viyas

kanaku

at

daru

nuvdre"

"

Iilven

if

vo1

sink

undcr a

(capsized)

OrJ'i's

1

mast,,

get.

not

ca,ught

in

a

blind

man's grip."

Si,mi,Ie.

(a)

I{an,tita ahuuuna

beli,mekka

udgeui,

(S).

"

Like

the

flea

caught

by the

blind

man."

31.

'

Ek

donu

gd

de

buliye

tiya

jehi.

"

Like

baiting

two

hooks

on one line."

Sim,iles

(a)

Duos

Ttarietes

de

padem

f

delia

tlealbare

(L).

(b)

"

Killing

tvo

birds

.ryith

one

stone."

(E).

38.

Bas

nuvike

Odiyelge

itirubala(1) n6r6fe.

"

Station

not

vourself at the

Odi,'s

bow unless you

(can

take)

command, (lit. sell

not

vour

rvords).

Simi,les.

"

Contmand

will

show

the

man "

(Gr.)

Rer

est

qui

metuit nihil.

Rer

est

cluique

cupit nilLil (L)

"

A

subjectless King is

no

Kinq

"

(W.A.).

39.

MSle

d6n Kelaya(y).

"

Going

to

Kelava

(in

Tiladummati

Atol,

ldorthern-

most) in

order

to

reach

Mrile

"

(0entra,l

Abol).

(a)

(b)

(c)

I

.

&li:--

Miilclivian

sailing

vt'ssel

Cf

.

D6ryi.,

No.

4

8

riry'ra..


7/8

384

JoURNAL,

R,.A.s.

(cEvLoN)

[Vor,.

XXX[.

Si,miles.

(a)

Parangiuti

Kdttd,

giyd wdgeEi

(S).

I

" Like

the

Portuguese

going

to K6 t6."

-

(b)

Prend"re

le chernin

d,es dcoliers

(E).

Ronu eduru.

"

Mastor of Rope-(?naking)."

Similes.

(a)

Aliquis in otnnibus,

nullus i,n ,si,ngutis

(L).

(6)

"

Was everything

by starts, and

nothing

long."

(c) "

Jack

of all trades, master

of

none

"

(E).

41.

Am6 kiti fara(1)

tliyun.

"

Going

to

pick shells,

only because (his) mother

bade

hirrr."

Similes.

(o)

Btulti,tia esl

aenatum d,ucere

inuitos

canes

(L).

(6) "

Where the

mind inclines,

the feet lead

"

(A).

(c)

"

He

ne'er did

a

gude

darg

(day's

work)

that

ga'ed

grumbling

about

it

"

(S".).

(3.)

MUSLTM

42.

Burudi

gai

mu kurun.

" To

make

sure of Buruild."

2

l.

Portuguese

going

to

K6ttE;-See

Da

Quieroz

(Book

2,

"Chapter

l) and De Zoysa's

Sinhalese

P'rouerbs,

No. 17,

Journal C.A.S.,

I

870.

On

the first arrival

of

a Portuguese

Fleet

at

Colombo

(November,

1505),

the Admiral, Don

Lourgengo

de Almeyda,

sent two

successive

Ambassadors,

Fernao

Cutrim

and

Payo

de

Souza,

to

the

Si4halese

1(ing then roigning

at K6t)d.

Though

K6tt6 is

situated

but sonie

six

miles

from

Colombo,

"

through the

industry

(stic)

of

the

Cingalas,"

each Ambassador

"

spent

three

days

on the

journey,

going

uphill

and

down

dale

and

crossing

the

same

river

(K6lani

Ganga) several

times."

Remonstrance

with

those who

guided

them

was

met Ly

open laughter.

the intention

of

the

;Sinhalese

being "

t'o secure themselves

from

any

danger."

As countor to

this Proverb, runs

:-"

The.

longest

way

round is

the

shortesL u'ay

home."

2. Burud,ti:-Arabic

BQ.trdah.

An

Arabic

poem,

said to have

.boen

composed about

A.Il.

810. culogising

the

Prophet' Muhammad,

,and

inculcating moral

precept's.

This poem

is

now-a-days

at times

recited

at

social

gatherings, where

the

guosts

are

hospitably

.entortained,

(a)

Eanus

Wo

d,ucit

qula

(L).

(b)

"

Whenthestomach

calls,

wisdom

falls "

(A).

(c)

"

Ilka

man

as

he likes-I'm

for*the

cook "

(Sc.).

43.

Danberair)

vure

Taguqi

diguwrin.

I

Tagud,i, (playing)

becomes

longer

than

Dan-beru.'

Similes.

(a)

Omne

ni,mium

nocet;

ne

quid,

nimi's

(L.)

(b)

Injussi,

nurlquam

il,esistant

" Though

unasked,

they'll

play and

play,

Till patience

self is worn

away."

(c) "

Nothing

is there

to

come, and

nothing.past,

But

an

eternal

now

does

alwaYs

last

"

(E).

44.

IVliskit

hulu

jehi

mih6

heileniye.

"

(Like)

the

man who set

fire

to

the

Mosque

(at

dead

oi

night,

loudly denouncing

'Somebody'

as he

emerged)."

"

Sim'iles.

(a)

Wahd'i'nta

g'iya

Dduald,

isd lwila

aetuna

uageyi

(S).

"

Like

the

Dduale

falling

on

one's

head when

entering

for

worshiP."

(b)-" There's

many

a siip

'twixt

cup

and lip

"

(Gr.).

(c) Acto exlteriora

ind,icant

interiora

secreta (L).

(d)

" He who

geis

between

the

onion

and its

'peel

wiil

not

emerge

free

from the stench

"

(A).

Ar-Rahumdnu

nudineye.

45.

Surat

fa1aifi

viyyri Fabiya(f)yi

S6

nuiehi

"

He

who

begins

(reading)

'

Ar-Rahmd,n

Stirat'2

not

fail

to

rneet

(the

words)

'

fa-bi-ycr'yi'."

will

l.

Da,mberu

.:

Tctgludi,;-

liunes

played on

trvo

M6,ldivian

''

tom-toms,

so namecl.''

2.

Ar-Rahmtin

Sural.-Surat

55 of

the

Qurdn

entitled

"The

Mercifnl."

The

sentence

"

lta-bi,-ayyi-alai-Rabbi-kuma-lukazzi-brin"

("Whir'h,

thelefore,

of

your

Lord's

benefits

l'ill

ye

ungratefully

deny

? ":

Sale.

1734;

"Which,

then,

of the bountees

of

your

Lord

will'ye

rcject

?

"

: Mauldu'i,

Illuhammacl

'Al'i,

l9l7)

is intorcalated, or

repeated

by

rvay

of burden,

throughout the

Chapter

of stanzas

no

leis

than

3I

times,

in imitation

of Psalm l3ti oI

t'he Biblical

King

David.

No.

86-19$l

M.(LDIVIAN

PROYERBS

Similes.

385

I

lr

ii

I


8/8

(n)

(6)

(L).

@

(rl)

386

JouliNAr,,

n.a.s.

(crvroN)

[Vol.

XXX1L

Si,m'iles.

"

You

sing

the

same

(olcl)

song "

(Gt.).

Citharaetlrts

R'itletur

chord,o qu'i .sernper

oberuat eadem,

Occidi,t,

m.iseros

crambe

repetita

nmgistros

(I').

" To

harp

on

the

sarne

string " (E).

46.

trbilihu

kaivanfra(1).

"

(Like)

the

r-er'l.ding

of

Ibilis

(Satan)."

Si,mi"les.

(a,)

(lrcs

te

uictururn.

c,ra,s

ilices,

Pasturn,e,

sernper,

I)i,a m,ihi

cras

,i.stutl,

Pastu,ne

quctnd,o

aeni,t

(L)"

(b)

"

Derfer

not till

to-morrow

to be

v'ise,

To-morrorv's

sun

to

thee

may

neyer rise."

(c)

"

Frocra,stjna,l,ion

is the

thief of time

"

(E).

4'.1 .

Mekunu fumune kamaku

Gahaka(r) nufume

veneye.

"

Thcrrrgh

ihe

l[ek'unu, (springing

fish) leap, the

Gahaka

(limpet)

cannot,

leap."

Sim

ilps.

(er)

7)

kr:len

rne

kele.tcr,

penndrr,,a

m,uu:d,ge

tit melced,a

(S).

"

\trili

the cleer change

its spots,

albcit

it

leap from

that

iungie

to this

jungle?

"

(b) "

Can

the Fithiopirin

change

his

shirr or the Leoparrl

change

his spots

? "

(E).

48.

Mohana(1)

Dor.ri

din

hen.

"

Lihe

lhe

Drjni,

(sailing

l.essel)

gil'en to

llohan."

Sim,iles.

@)

Lrpadinta,

issara

,pekiniaeln

kopatelceyi (S).

"

Lil

Documents

Excerpta Maldiviana No.12 Maldivian Proverbs