The Book Of Quotations And Proverbs

A Compilation Of Quotations And Proverbs

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Introduction................................................................................................................3Top 10 Buddha Quotes....................................................................................................4

Action..........................................................................................................................5Anger, Forgiveness, and Compassion.......................................................................6Life and Living............................................................................................................8Love, Connection, and Unity....................................................................................10Mind, Thought, and Thinking..................................................................................11Personal Development.............................................................................................12Self-Reliance.............................................................................................................13Speech.......................................................................................................................13Truth..........................................................................................................................15

..............................................................................................1610 Golden Islamic Quotes For A  Muslim.....................................................................1610 Great Jewish Proverbs..............................................................................................16

Self Improvement...............................................................................................16Pride.........................................................................................................................16Giving......................................................................................................................17Friends....................................................................................................................17Knowledge.............................................................................................................17Aspiration..............................................................................................................17Prayer......................................................................................................................17Endure....................................................................................................................17Good Deeds...........................................................................................................17Learn.......................................................................................................................17

Confucius says: The Top 10 Quotes by Confucius.................................................17Your Top Ten Hopi Tribe Quotes:................................................................................18.......................................................................................................................................20Proverbs-Pulareeje.........................................................................................................20SOME POPULAR ETHIOPIAN SAYINGS AND PROVERBS WITH THEIR TRANSLATION AND EXPLANATION IN ENGLISH. 8.........................................31Egyptian Proverbs..........................................................................................................36German Proverbs and Quotations..................................................................................4156 Ukrainian Proverbs................................................................................................45

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IntroductionThis compilation of sayings and proverbs is intended to further assist us in coming to terms with the environment in which we live, to facilitate the deepening of our understanding of the challenges and opportunities provided by the society, to enable us to better understand our own state of being within the existing socio-economic system in which we live.

Most importantly it is intended to help us to better guide our own efforts and the efforts of the youth among us. It is the nature of youth to measure from “now” to some place in the future while it is the nature of those who have lived to measure from some given point in the past to a given point in the present. It is human nature , that those who have lived and have seen the world to tell the youth of the worlds they have seen and in so doing help the youth to avoid some of the errors they made and in the selecting of safe and reliable paths to that future, which the youth seeks. In this cycle of life, those who have seen the world and the youth stands as equal partners in the creation of “now” and co-creators of the sense of “I am”. Proverbs and sayings are in their essence summaries of the experiences of those who have lived and have seen the world. These two sources of knowledge are in this sense gifts from those who have lived before, to us, to act as guides and sign posts in our building of the various “nows” in which we live.

The location of “Atlantis” , that place of excellence, is probably not to be found in the city, town or in the village but rather in one or more of the dimension of our sense of “I am” , i.e. a place internal to the individual, and in my approach and attitude to the world. Here again, proverbs and saying, play can play a critical role in the development of our senses of “I am” and in the molding and forming of our attitude and approach to the world.

One however, must realize the role played by the questions :-Who? Where” When? What? And How? In determining what is reasonable and what is not, in determining what is possible and what is not. A person who wishes to emulate Picasso and to excel in that school of art, does not go living in Saudi Arabia, there that place of excellence, Atlantis” will not and can never be found. If one wishes to be a student of Greek philosophy and the Greek system of governance , does not go living in China ; there Atlantis will not be found. I one wishes to practice cutting edge medicine, one does not go living in Nepal; there that place where excellence is normal and possible, Atlantis will not be found.

In other words, one has to take the socio=cultural environment into consideration, if one has an interest in striving for excellence in a given defined field. By taking them into consideration, one avoids conflicts and externally imposed and enforced conflicts and frustrations in the search for professional excellence and success. It is better to run behind the leaders in ones field than to become a prisoner of failures. The study of proverbs and sayings help us in guiding our choices, in our selections of what we do and where we live.

Here I wish to hasten to point out, that this compilation, does not in any way seek to replace the Books of Solomon as are written in the Bible , but rather to compliment these books as sources

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of guidance to living in the world as it is today. I also hope that the compilation meets the needs of the lawyers of the families.

This compilation is presented with the needs of the Fletcher’s, Manaker’s and Morgan’s families in mind and I do hope that it will if only in part, satisfy those needs.

Basil Fletcher

Top 10 Buddha Quotes

1. “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”

2. “It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.”

3. “It is better to travel well than to arrive.”4. “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”5. “The only real failure in life is not to be true to the

best one knows.”6. “The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.”7. “There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of

doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant

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relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.”

8. “Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”

9. “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.”

10. “What we think, we become.“

ActionWhat do Buddha quotes teach us about action?  Thoughts and ideas go further through action.

“A jug fills drop by drop.”

— Buddha

“An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea.”

— Buddha

“Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence.”

— Buddha

“However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act on upon them?”

— Buddha

“I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act.”

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— Buddha

“I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done.”

— Buddha

“To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent.”

— Buddha

Anger, Forgiveness, and CompassionWhat do Buddha quotes teach us about anger and compassion?   Rise above your anger through forgiveness and compassion, for yourself, and others.

“Hatred does not cease through hatred at any time. Hatred ceases through love. This is an unalterable law.”

— Buddha

“Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.”

— Buddha

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”

— Buddha

“In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.”

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— Buddha

“Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.”

— Buddha

“To understand everything is to forgive everything.”

— Buddha

“You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.”

— Buddha

Fear

What do Buddha quotes teach us about fear?  Trade your fear for freedom.

“Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.”

— Buddha

“The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.”

— Buddha

“When one has the feeling of dislike for evil, when one feels tranquil, one finds pleasure in listening to good teachings; when one has these feelings and appreciates them, one is free of fear.”

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— Buddha

Health

What do Buddha quotes teach us about health?  A healthy mind and body empower us for life.

“Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.”

— Buddha

“Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.”

— Buddha

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

— Buddha

“To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one’s family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one’s own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.”

— Buddha

“To keep the body in good health is a duty … otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”

— Buddha

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“Without health life is not life; it is only a state of languor and suffering an image of death.”

— Buddha

Life and LivingWhat do Buddha quotes teach us about life and living?   Life is a journey and wisdom is the North Star.

“He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye.”

— Buddha

“Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.”

— Buddha

“Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.”

— Buddha

“Life is suffering.”

— Buddha

“On life’s journey faith is nourishment, virtuous deeds are a shelter, wisdom is the light by day and right mindfulness is the protection by night. If a man lives a pure life, nothing can destroy him.”

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— Buddha

“The foot feels the foot when it feels the ground.”

— Buddha

“There has to be evil so that good can prove its purity above it.”

— Buddha

“To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one’s own in the midst of abundance.”

— Buddha

“When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.”

— Buddha

“You cannot travel the path until you have become the path itself.”

— Buddha

“Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.”

— Buddha

Love, Connection, and UnityWhat do Buddha quotes teach us about love and unity?  We have an impact, and we’re worth it.

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“All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.”

— Buddha

“Ambition is like love, impatient both of delays and rivals.”

— Buddha

“He who loves 50 people has 50 woes; he who loves no one has no woes.”

— Buddha

“Unity can only be manifested by the Binary. Unity itself and the idea of Unity are already two.”

— Buddha

“You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.”

— Buddha

“You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

— Buddha

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Mind, Thought, and ThinkingWhat do Buddha quotes teach us about thoughts and thinking?   Our thoughts shape us, and the world around us.

“All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?”

— Buddha

“An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.”

— Buddha

“Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”

— Buddha

“He is able who thinks he is able.”

— Buddha

“It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.”

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— Buddha

“The mind is everything. What you think you become.”

— Buddha

“Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace.”

— Buddha

“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.”

— Buddha

Personal DevelopmentWhat do Buddha quotes teach us about personal development?  Master yourself.

“Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.”

— Buddha

“The virtues, like the Muses, are always seen in groups. A good principle was never found solitary in any breast.”

— Buddha

“To conquer oneself is a greater task than conquering others.”

— Buddha

“Virtue is persecuted more by the wicked than it is loved by the good.”

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— Buddha

“We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.”

— Buddha

Self-RelianceWhat do Buddha quotes teach us about self-reliance?  Don’t let yourself down.

“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”

— Buddha

“Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.”

— Buddha

SpeechWhat do Buddha quotes teach us about speech?  Choose your words carefully.

“A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. A man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker.”

— Buddha

“Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”

— Buddha

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“The tongue like a sharp knife … Kills without drawing blood.”

— Buddha

“The wise ones fashioned speech with their thought, sifting it as grain is sifted through a sieve.”

— Buddha

“Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.”

— Buddha

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TruthWhat do Buddha quotes teach us about truth?  It’s all around us.

“In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.”

— Buddha

“There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.”

— Buddha

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“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”

— Buddha

Note that many of these quotes are not actual quotes from Gautama Buddha, as you can see at www.fakebuddhaquotes.com. That said, find the words that inspire you in some way.

10 Golden Islamic Quotes For A  Muslim

1) When you see a person who has been given more than you in money and beauty, look to those, who have been given less.2) A Muslim who meets with others and shares their burdens is better than one who lives a life of seclusion and contemplation.3) It is better to sit alone than in company with the bad; and it is, better still to sit with the good than alone. It is better to speak to a seeker of knowledge than to remain silent; but silence is better than idle words.4) The best richness is the richness of the soul.5) Do you know what is better than charity and fasting and prayer? It is keeping peace and good relations between people, as quarrels and bad feelings destroy mankind.6) He is not of us who is not affectionate to the little ones, and does not respect the old; and he is not of us, who does not order which is lawful, and prohibits that which is unlawful.7) Much silence and a good disposition, there are no two things better than these.8) Kindness is a mark of faith, and whoever is not kind has no faith.

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9) The best of the houses is the house where an orphan gets love and kindness.10) To overcome evil with good is good, to resist evil by evil is evil.

10 Great Jewish Proverbs

Self ImprovementFirst improve yourself, and then judge others.PridePride is the mask of one's faults.

GivingThe man who gives little with a smile gives more than the man who gives much with a frown.

FriendsWho finds a faithful friend, finds a treasure.

KnowledgeWhoever does not try, does not learn.

AspirationIf you don't aspire to great things, you won't attain small things.

Prayer

He who prays for his neighbor will be heard for himself.

EndureHe that can't endure the bad, will not live to see the good.

Good Deeds

Do not be wise in words-be wise in deeds.

Learn

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As you teach, you learn.

Confucius says: The Top 10 Quotes by Confucius

1. "Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself."

2. 2. "Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance."

3. 3. "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."

4. 4. "Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."

5.5. "The Superior Man is aware of Righteousness, the inferior man is aware of advantage."

6. 6. "Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart."7. 7. "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but

in getting up every time we do."8. 8. "He who learns but does not think, is lost. He

who thinks but does not learn is in great danger."9. 9. "He that would perfect his work must first

sharpen his tools."10. 10. "If you look into your own heart, and you

find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear?"

Your Top Ten Hopi Tribe Quotes:

1. "Hold fast to the words of your ancestors."2. "People without faith in themselves cannot survive." 3. "Do not allow anger to poison you."4. "The one who tells the stories rules the world."5. "You must live your life from beginning to end; no one

else can do it for you." –6. "Wisdom comes only when you stop looking for it and

start living the life the Creator intended for you." 7. "An angry word is like striking with a knife."

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8. Take the breath of the new dawn and make it part of you. It will give you strength."

9. "All things have inner meaning and form and power." 10. Don't be afraid to cry. it will free your mind of

sorrowful thoughts. 11. Eating little and speaking little can hurt no man12. If we dig precious things from the land, we will

invite disaster. – 13. In age, talk; in childhood, tears14. In death, I am born

Collected and translated into Spanish by Feliciano P. EberardoEnglish translations from Spanish by Carl Rubino

 

49 Ashanti Proverbs 1. A lie can annihilate a thousand truths.  2. A wise man who knows proverbs, reconciles

difficulties.  3. By the time the fool has learned the game, the

players have dispersed.  4. Do not call the forest that shelters you a jungle.  5. Do not follow the path. Go where there is no path to

begin the trail.  6. Do not let what you cannot do tear from your hands

what you can.  7. Even though the old man is strong and hearty, he

will not live forever.  8. Fire and gunpowder do not sleep together.  9. Force against force equals more force.  10. He is a fool whose sheep runs away twice.  - 11. He who cannot dance will say: The drum is bad.  12. He who is guilty is the one that has much to say.  13. Hunger is felt by a slave and hunger is felt by a

king. 

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14. If nothing touches the palm-leaves they do not rustle. 

15. If you are in hiding, don't light a fire.  16. If you are on a road to nowhere, find another

road.  17. If you understand the beginning well, the end will

not trouble you.  18. It is difficult to throw a stone at a lizard that is

clinging to a pot.  19. It is Mr. Old-Man-Monkey who marries Mrs. Old-

Woman-Monkey.  20. It is no shame at all to work for money.  21. It is the calm and silent water that drowns a

man.  22. It is the fool's sheep that break loose twice.  23. It's a bad child who does not take advice.  24. Money is sharper than a sword.  25. No one tests the depth of a river with both feet.  26. One cannot both feast and become rich.  27. One falsehood spoils a thousand truths.  28. Only when you have crossed the river, can you say

the crocodile has a lump on his snout.  29. Rain beats a leopard's skin, but it does not wash

out the spots.  30. The moon moves slowly, but it crosses the town.  The poor man and the rich man do not play together.  32. The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its

people.  33. There is no medicine to cure hatred.  34. True power comes through cooperation and

silence.  35. Two men in a burning house must not stop to

argue.  36. Two small antelopes can beat a big one.  37. What is bad luck for one man is good luck for

another.  38. When a king has good counselors, his reign is

peaceful. 

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39. When a man is coming toward you, you need not say: "Come here." 

40. When a man is wealthy, he may wear an old cloth. 

41. When a woman is hungry, she says, "Roast something for the children that they might eat." 

42. When rain beats on a leopard it wets it, but rain does not wash out its spots. 

43. When the cock is drunk, he forgets about the hawk. 

44. When the fool is told a proverb, its meaning has to be explained to him. 

45. When you are rich, you are hated; when you are poor, you are despised. 

46. When you follow in the path of your father, you learn to walk like him. 

47. When you go to someone else's house and the owner is squatting there on the ground, you do not ask for a stool. 

48. Wood already touched by fire is not hard to set alight. 

49. You must act as if it is impossible to fail. 

Proverbs-Pulareeje

In serious talk or in ordinary conversation, Africans liked to start with a proverb that speaks about the topic of the

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moment. The use of proverbs in Africa is a very powerful communication form. It allows people to understand the meaning quickly and also to remember what was said long after the conversation or the meeting is over. Indeed in the African context, a proverb is worth a thousand words!

Although they may be based on given cultures and traditions, proverbs are usually essentially expressions of universal truths. In their application proverbs are not necessarily tied down to the community that first produced them. A Fulani can easily adopt a proverb from another ethnic group and make it appropriately fit his/her circumstance. Proverbs are usually short and highly condensed sayings, which are generally anonymous in their authorship and authoritative in its application. Brevity is, therefore, one characteristic of a proverb, and this brevity helps to make proverbs memorable, that is, easy to learn and retain in memory. Some proverbs are musical, and rhythmic as is shown by the following Fulani proverb, Feere fendi fettande kono virazam haazaani (The need to create made sour milk, but fresh milk is not bitter).

The use of proverbs as a source of moral authority is facilitated by their nature. In their brevity, musicality, and depth of meaning, proverbs are not only easily memorable, they are also easy to apply at appropriate occasions. It is their nature, incidentally, that makes it possible for them to be easily used in everyday speech. They help enrich and add color to everyday speech, as they help a speaker make a point briefly, sometimes with devastating effect.

As distilled accumulation of time-tested experiences, and ancestral wisdom, proverbs are also useful in the transmission of what are perceived as adequate and desirable moral standards and healthy social interaction. Proverbs initiate youth into adulthood, especially in societies where they are the preserve of elders. And as the youth are initiated into adulthood, they absorb the codes of human behavior as they prepare for future roles as

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guardians of ancestral wisdom and culture.

The following are proverbs from all over Africa. They are grouped into categories, but with many overlapping. 

Proverbs

Common sense

* A hunter who has only one arrow does not shoot with careless aim.When a palm-branch reaches its height, it gives way for a fresh one to grow.* One cannot go back to the farmer from whom one borrowed seed-yams to plant to say that the beetles have eaten up the seed-yams.* If one were to remove every smoking wood from a fire and condemn it as bad, one would be killing the fire itself.* It is the brutally outspoken man that earns enmity.* The elephant and the tiger do not go hunting on the same pasture.* A farmer does not boast that he has had a good harvest until his stock of yams lasts till the following harvest season.* He who pursues an innocent chicken always stumbles.The fish that can see that its water is getting shallower cannot be stranded.* Without knowing a way thoroughly at day time, never attempt to pass it at night.* It is not enough to run, one must arrive and know when one has arrived.It is a lazy man who says "it is only because I have no time that my farm is overgrown with weeds".* Every river knows where its water would not be soaked up into the earth, and that is where it flows past. 

Hard work

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* A farmer does not conclude by the mere look of it that a corn is unripe; he tears it open for examination.* It is little by little that a bird builds its nest.* To do one's duty is to eat the prized fruit of honor.* A farmer, who would not work inside the rain and would not work under the sun, would have nothing to harvest at the end of the farming year.* An ant-hill that is destined to become a giant ant-hill will definitely become one, no matter how many times it is destroyed by elephants.* He who is afraid of doing too much always does too little.* Sleep and indolence are not cousins of a good harvest.* Success is 10% ability, and 90% sweat.

Not giving up

* One must row in whichever boat one finds one's self.* When a person regrets endlessly, he gets to pay more for what he regrets.* It is little by little that a bird builds its nest.* It is not only the fox, even the snail arrives at its destination.* However long the moon disappears, someday it must shine again.* It is the same moon that wanes today that will be the full moon tomorrow.* It is only the toad that gets up from its knees and falls back again on its knees.* The spider that knows what it will gain sits waiting patiently in its web. The praying mantis is never tired waiting all day.* One does not become a master diviner in a day. A forest is not made in a season. The swoop of an eagle has seen many seasons and floods...* Who says the oasis in the desert is happy because of its hidden spring of water?* The cricket is never blinded by the sand of its burrowing.* An oil lamp feels proud to give light even though it wears

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itself away.* A bird does not change its feathers because the weather is bad. 

Cooperation

Common proverbs of cooperation are:

* A herbalist that refuses to ask laymen what leaves he looks for in the bush, must have difficulties getting what he wants.* It is a pot of water that is already half full that the world would like to help in filling to the brim.* A man can not sit down alone to plan for prosperity.* A man who lives alone is either always overworked, or always overfed.* A single tree can not make a forest.* A single man can not build a house.* If a child shoots and arrow that reaches the top of a tall palm tree, then it must be that an elderly person carved the arrow for him.* When the right hand washes the left hand and the left hand washes the right hand, both hands become clean.* It is by the strength of their number that the ants in the field are able to carry their prey to the nest.* Two footsteps do not make a path.* Two raindrops do not make a pool. 

Patience

* The calf shouldnt be in a hurry to grow horns; hell have them until he dies.* A speedy wrestling and a bad fall go hand in hand.* Patient people are patient to gain longevity.* However long the moon disappears, someday it must shine again.It is little by little that a bird builds its nest.

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* The thirsty fig sits waiting patiently, waiting for the arrival of the rains.* One does not become a master diviner in a day. A forest is not made in a season. The swoop of an eagle has seen many seasons and floods...* It is not only the hare, the tortoise arrives also at the destination. 

Kindness

* What good people witness should not become bad.* Without knowing a person we must not hate him.* He who digs a pit for others must invariably fall into it.* By being grateful, a man makes himself deserving of yet another kindness.* When the laborer is praised, his cutlass begins to cut more keenly.* If the owner of a calabash calls it a worthless calabash, others will join him to use it to pack rubbish.* Criticism is easy but it does not create.* If one imitates the upright, one becomes upright; if one imitates the crooked, one becomes crooked.* When a sickle is drawn, it in turn draws the tree to which it is hooked.* If a person who curses another is not better than the person he curses, a request is never made of him to rescind the curse. 

Honesty

* Money does not announce how it is earned but whereas properly earned money appreciates, improperly earned money depreciates.* The bottom of wealth is sometimes a dirty thing to behold.* Rather than tell a lie to help a friend, it is better to assist him in paying* the fine for his offense. 

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Thoughtfulness

* A fowl does not forget where it lays it eggs.* The habit of thinking is the habit of gaining strength.* It is one word of advice that one needs to give to a wise man, and that word keeps multiplying in his mind.* Does a man not know when he has pepper in his eyes? If we forget yesterday, how shall we remember tomorrow.* Thoughts and dreams are the foundation of our being.* We are what our thinking makes us. 

Sharing/Generosity

* Every little tree gives its little bit of shade.* It is an unthinking man who achieves prosperity, and then finds with time, that his body can no longer pass through the door.* When an only kolanut is presented with love, it carries with it more value than might otherwise be associated with a whole pod of several kolanuts.* The man who remembers others, remembers also his creator.* The bird that remembers its flockmates, never missed the way.* When a dying man cries, it is not because of where he is going which he knows nothing about, but because of what he wishes he would have done in the world he is leaving behind.* The head could not have got to where it is now if it did not give. 

Humility

* A performing masquerade who tries too hard to outclass

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his colleagues may expose his anus.* It is from a small seed that the giant Iroko tree has its beginning.* A family name is not cooked and eaten, one's life is the thing.* A good name is better than gold.* He who is courteous is not a fool.* The fowl perspires, but the feathers do not allow us to see the perspiration. 

Greed

* A bag that says it will not take more, and a traditional doctor who says he would not leave anything behind are both sure to suffer. 

Good Behavior

* A man who is advised and he takes it, is still a man who acts from his own free will.* When a ripe fruit sees an honest man, it drops.* When a fowl gets to a new town, it stands on one leg until it knows that* it is a town where people stand on their two legs.A man who has one finger pointing at another has three pointing towards himself.* The man who is honored, has first honored himself.* Greatness and beauty do not belong to the gods alone.* Antagonism is not good for fowls, and it is not good for goats; worse still, it is not good for human beings.* Our examples are like seeds on a windy day, they spread far and wide.* A clay pot of water is never hot-tempered.* A person who picks something and decides to make it his own, ought to think how he would feel if he was the person who lost the property he picked.

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* He who is called a man must behave like a man.* One must have to wait till the evening of one's life time to know what gratitude to pay to one's guardian spirit. 

Consequences

* A man who is advised and he takes it, is still a man who acts from his own free will.* If hunger forces a farmer in a particular year to eat both his yam tubers and the seed-yams, the succeeding years would still be worse because hewould have no yams to eat and none to plant.* Sometimes the rain might force a man more than once to seek shelter under the same tree.* When the roots of a tree begin to decay, it spreads death to the branches.* It is the fear of what tomorrow may bring that makes the tortoise to carry his house along with him wherever he goes.* He who digs a pit for others must invariably fall into it. 

Peace

* Let's fight, let's fight, no one knows whom fighting would favor.* Two men quarreling do not share the same seat on a canoe.* To have no enemies is equivalent to wealth.* If the owner of two adjacent farms cannot be friends, then they must wait till their next reincarnation to be able to make friends.* Whoever says "let's fight" does not know who will be victorious.* When a man finds that he was wrong to have refused to eat, he should leave his anger and play a harp to call for harmony.

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* Without retaliation evils would one day become extinct from the world.* A spacious ground is the right place to demonstrate one's skill in wrestling. 

Wisdom and age

* If you come to the village of the blind, close an eye until you leave.An old banana leaf was once young and green.* Old age does not come in just one day. 

Courage

* The sun will not dry what it is not shown* He who does not look ahead always remains behind.* Courage is the father of success.* Charms do not perform miracles on the shelf; they perform for those who are brave. 

Family

* Being a younger brother/sister can be worse than loosing a eye.* A person who has children does not die.* We can not choose who our relatives should be, even though we may come to like some better than others.* When a man loses his prestige, he does not regain it by going to where he is not known.* A good name is better than gold.* A piece of iron can only become what the blacksmith says it should become.* It is the habit that a child forms at home, that follows them to their marriage.

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* It is an irresponsible adult that creates enmity because of a disagreement that arises between two children.* A child is what you put into him.* Talks that are considered to be important must be made to drag on for so long as to make even the deaf begin to hear it.* Criticism is easy but it does not create.* Love is better than a whip.* A child who has no mother will not have scars to show on his back.* Even as the archer loves the arrow that flies, so too he loves the bow that remains constant in his hands.

Friendship

* The eyes can see what they dont like to see, but legs will go only to place they like to go.* If a person returns to where he/she went yesterday, he/she liked where he/she went yesterday.* To eat from the same pot with another man, is to take an oath of perpetual friendship with him.* If one imitates the upright, one becomes upright; if one imitates the crooked, one becomes crooked.* Rather than tell a lie to help a friend, it is better to assist him in paying the fine for his offense. 

Survival

* It is the toothless animal that arrives first at the base of the fruit tree, to eat his fill before others arrive.* If the load is too heavy for someone to carry, one would be better off to give the load to the ground to carry.* The tree that cannot shed its old leaves in the dry season, cannot survive the period of drought.

Leadership

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* When one is taking a chicken from its roost, the hen is bound to attack with at least its claws.* A pad that breaks a pot of water does not remain on the head.* A bush fowls' playground is never appreciably spacious.* If the owner of a calabash calls it a worthless calabash, others will join him to use it to pack rubbish.* What affects the nose must also affect the eyes that must weep for it.* If a greedy eater is near a patient, such a patient can never survive.* There is no elephant that complains about the weight of its trunk. No elephant is burdened by the weight of its tusks.* When the elderly ones in a house travel, the younger ones quickly grow in experience.* If a soup is sweet, it is money that cooks it.* A glorious past is the work of a glorious man.* The responsibility of power is like holding an egg. Grasp it too tightly and it will drip through your fingers; hold it too loosely and it will drop and break.

Misceallaneous

* The need to create made sour milk, but fresh milk is not bitter* The goat that cries the loudest is not the one that will eat the most.* It is the self-love of the king parrot that made him become a talkative.* The owl is the wisest of all birds because the more it sees, the less it talks.* If gold rusts, what will iron do?* A masquerade does not perform to an outside audience until he performs well at the home base.* Our elders quote the cock as saying that "it would not be good if one becomes the only person in the world, and that is why they crow every morning to show their number".

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* Beauty is not sold and eaten.* A masquerade is not a spirit only because of its mask.* When a woman prepares a dish which others find unpalatable, she says that she prepared it to suit her own taste.* At a time a cockerel matures, it begins to crow to tell the world the time of day.* A diviner cannot accurately divine his own future.* Once a cock begins to crow, it never again becomes dumb.* It is he who has no place to call at that moves fast through life.* No frog is tied by a rope to a pond.* Money has the capability of making people laugh; but when they laugh, the foolish ones sometimes forget to close their mouths.* No one feels the pains that arise from unintended injury.

SOME POPULAR ETHIOPIAN SAYINGS AND PROVERBS WITH THEIR TRANSLATION AND EXPLANATION IN ENGLISH. 8

"A monk reading a piece of wise sayings"

42."አባቱ:ዳኛ:ልጁ:ቀማኛ::" (Abatu dagna liju qemagna.) [="Judge is the father, the kid is robber.] 

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This saying is told by Ethiopians when things are not just/fair and the injustice is because of a favour done by a relative against the sayer. When a robber kid is caught and brought before court, it was his father in the chair. "The criminal code states", said the father/the judge, "there is exception to theft. If a person steals because he is very hungry, it can't be a crime." The victimes reply, "Your honour, the kid was not hungry we have asked him while we come to hear. And, Your honour, how could a judge's son be hungry enough to steal? We rest our case." The judge verdicted, "he is not found guilty. He is my son and only I know how much hungry he was. I have not feed him yesterday and today. So, he is acquitted." Then he freed the kid. The victims complain citing the proverb. "How can fairness work, while judge is the father, and kid is the robber." 

43."የቸገረው:እርጉዝ:ያገባል::" (Yechegerew erguz yagebal.) [="A man in trouble will marry a pregnant."] 

This one is an expression of difficulty that forces you choose what you don't want to, had not the trouble has happened to you. If a man is in dillema, he is likely to be very glad to marry a pregnatnt woman and alleviate his trouble. This proverb tells, it is good to accept even unpleasant things that might give a little ease to ones problems. e.g. "I have no means of transport in this busy week. A man in trouble marries a pregnant. How do you expect I would refuse to get up 5:00, cutting my sleep, and wait for your lift!" 

44."መብላቱዋን:ሳታውቅ:እጁዋን:ታጠበች::" (Meblatuan satawq ejuan tatebech.) [="She washed her hand before she knows she will eat."] 

This one express one has gone a pace/work far forward, before one is sure he/she will succed in passing the path before the pace one has reached. It is silly and unnecessary to do something that should have been done after a preceeding job is finished. e.g. "It is silly of her to call her

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friends for a party, before she completely finishes the deal and process of buying the villa. It has become like, she washed her hand before she is sure she will be served a meal."

45."ጉልቻ:መቀያየር:ወጥ:አያጣፍጥም::" (gulcha mekeyayer wot ayataftm.) [="Changing the stove do not make the stew any better."] 

This famous axiom is told to express when to do something is completely useless. A thing may not make any difference to your problem. You will be told this proverb, if you such meaningless thing. It is like to change your stove when you prepare your stew, hoping that will make the stew more delicious. But that is uneccessary and silly thing. e.g. "Dad? I want to wear the black socks for my soccer match tomorrow. Swap mine blue with yours, please." "Dont worry about such things, lad! You win not because you are pedant (about your socks), but because of your asiduosness and hard work. To change the stew and the socks makes the stew and the game no better. Your adeptness decides every thing." 

46."ሠዉ:የውሸት:እየኖረ:የእውነት:ይሞታል::" (Sew yewushet eyenore ye ewunet ymotal.) [="Man lives feigning, but die truely."] 

This is told to preach frankness. Who says this proberb believes, ones life should be genuin, in a sense that, man have to show its true feelings and needs rather than hiding ones identity and live pretending. It tells, concealing your exact identity and showing your false life is to lead a sham life. But you die not in a bogus way as you lived. Therefore, you have to be straightforward and plain. You must show your true identity and behave as who you are. Unless you lead a false life, with a real (true) death coming soon, to culminate your facade life. e.g. "Hey, Dawit. Let's go to Arba Minch for a week vacation." "Sorry, Hirrut. I can't stand with false identity any more. I am poor and I can't

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afford even my little rent expense. I have seen it true-man lives pretending but pass away really. I must lead my genuin life." 

47."ድር:ቢያብር:አንበሣ:ያሥር::" (Dirr biabr anbessa yasr.) [="A cotton fiber, if united, will tie a lion."] 

This one teaches unity is strength. 'Dirr' is a very slender fiber made from unprocessed (raw) cotton with hand, mostly by women. It is not strong and gets cut very easily. But it is finally united with many 'dirr's in a cottage industry and make what is called 'Gabi' and 'Netella', wh ich are big garments ( used as cloaks and blankets). So, if the little fiber is united, it will tie a lion. The thing to be learnt here is that unity adds strength and make difficult or impossible things easier. 

48."ለተቀማጭ:ሠማይ:ቅርቡ:ነው::" (Letekemach semay kirbu naw.) [="For a seater, the sky is near.] 

This tells who do not work feels things are easy. People seat idle and talk something is very easy. When Ethiopians get such sort of behaviours, it is commonly told-they rebuke with this saying. It is, simply, told when one try to tell something difficult or heavy is completely easy. e.g. "My goodness! You scored 52 out of 100! It means, you are never good at Physics." "Now I learnt for a seater (one who is seating) the sky is near. You do not know how much difficult Physics is. And you disdain my big reasult. The highest score in our class was only 68. Mine is ranked fifth." 

49."ያዳቆነ:ሰይጣን:ሳያቀስ:አይለቅም::" (Yadakone seytan sayakes aylekm.) [="A devill that made you a deacon never leaves (you) before making you a priest."] 

This proverb encourages you not start any thing bad, no matter small it looks, or is. That is because, once you begin a bad job, it will be difficult to you stop it easily. Even to the

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worst failure, you would find it good and keep up your bad habit, or make it even more times than before. Once the devil have taken your heart and mind, it will make you blind to see your good past and make you delve into your bad habits. So, the wisest thing to keep away from failure is, the proverb dictates, not to let the devil (your tempting mind) make you start a bad job/behaviour. Then you will be safe from the result of the bad disposition. Unless and otherwise, bad habits, if defeated to, will almost leave you never. To return is so unlikely. Thus, not to go is the key (medicine). e.g. "Come on Hanna! We smoke and steal only for this night. We will never do it again, I swear!" "No. Mihret. I will not do such thing and lose my mind serenity. What more is that, the devil that made you a deacon will never leave you before making you priest. So, I shall only go to my home. Cheerio."

A cow gave birth to a fire: she wanted to lick it, but it burned; she wanted to leave it, but she could not because it was her own child.Following are a few more Ethiopian gems from the book. Some are humorous, some profound, and some very similar to sayings in European and American traditions:

A coward sweats in water.A silly daughter teaches her mother how to bear children.Do not call the forest that shelters you a jungle.If the palm of the hand itches it signifies the coming of great luck.Love is like a baby; it needs to be treated tenderly.One who runs alone cannot be outrun.Only when you have  crossed the river can you say the crocodile has a lump on his snout.Save your fowl before it stops flapping.There is no phrase without a double meaning.What is said over the dead lion’s body, could not be said to him alive.When one sets a portion for oneself, usually it is not too small.

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When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.When the bee comes to your house, let her have beer; you may want to visit the bee’s house some day.You cannot shave a man’s head in his absence.

1. A disease that fails to finsh us off will continue being condemned forever. 

2. A fool bull will look only for the green grass without looking the danger of toppling over the steep valley. 

3. A man who will go mad next year starts to roll up his sleeves this year. 

4. As porridge benefits those who heat and eat it, so does a child benefit those that rear it. 

5. By his own hand he wrapped the snake around his neck. 

6. He who knows much speaks with silence.  7. If I could see your face, I would not need food.  8. If left on one side it will burn.  9. If you spit laying down it will only come back in your

mouth.  10. It is better to do things when you can prevent them

than to cry when you are already suffering and nothing can be done anymore. 

11. Little by little, an egg will walk.  12. May the crazy not die to make people laugh.  13. One can not stop sleeping in fear of bad dreams.  14. One sent by a woman does not fear death.  15. Slowly, slowly, even an egg will walk.  16. The one who persists in asking question he learn

the death of his Mother.  17. The poor man pleads, the judge listens.  18. They snatched from me my own cry.  19. To lie about a far country is easy.  20. When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.  21. When they wish to eat a vulture, they call it a

guinea fowl. 

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Egyptian Proverbs

Egyptian Proverbs were a very important part of the Ancient religion of Egypt, one of the main religious concepts the Egyptians had was "know yourself." Their spiritual aspect of this concept held that within man is the divine essence of the Creator and the heavens. And this finds expression in their teaching: "The kingdom of heaven is within you; and whosoever shall know himself shall find it.". Proverbs were held as a teaching method for a man to understand the universe, thus they were inscribed intemples and tombs of Egypt, these inscriptions might be the first Holy Book known by man.

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Below are some of the powerful teachings proverbs found in the temples of Luxor.

- The best and shortest road towards knowledge of truth is Nature.- For every joy there is a price to be paid.- If his heart rules him, his conscience will soon take the place of the rod.- What you are doing does not matter so much as what you are learning from doing it. ? It is better not to know and to know that one does not know, than presumptuously to attribute some random meaning to symbols.- If you search for the laws of harmony, you will find knowledge.- If you are searching for a Neter, observe Nature! Exuberance is a good stimulus towards action, but the inner light grows in silence and concentration.- Not the greatest Master can go even one step for his disciple; in himself he must experience each stage of developing consciousness. Therefore he will know nothing for which he is not ripe.- The body is the house of god. That is why it is said, "Man know yourself."

- True teaching is not an accumulation of knowledge; it is an awaking of consciousness which goes through successive stages.- The man who knows how to lead one of his brothers towards what he has known may one day be saved by that very brother.- People bring about their own undoing through their tongues.- If one tries to navigate unknown waters one runs the risk of shipwreck.- Leave him in error who loves his error.- Every man is rich in excuses to safeguard his prejudices, his instincts, and his opinions.- To know means to record in one's memory; but to understand means to blend with the thing and to assimilate it oneself.- There are two kinds of error: blind credulity and piecemeal criticism. Never believe a word without putting its truth to the test; discernment does not grow in laziness; and this faculty of discernment is indispensable to the Seeker. Sound skepticism is the necessary condition for good discernment; but piecemeal criticism is an error.- Love is one thing, knowledge is another.- True sages are those who give what they have, without meanness and without secret! 

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- An answer brings no illumination unless the question has matured to a point where it gives rise to this answer which thus becomes its fruit. Therefore learn how to put a question.- What reveals itself to me ceases to be mysterious  for me alone: if I unveil it to anyone else, he hears mere words which betray the living sense: Profanation, but never revelation.- The first concerning the 'secrets': all cognition comes from inside; we are therefore initiated only by ourselves, but the Master gives the keys.- The second concerning the 'way': the seeker has need of a Master to guide him and lift him up when he falls, to lead him back to the right way when he strays.- Understanding develops by degrees.- As to deserving, know that the gift of heaven is free; this gift of Knowledge is so great that no effort whatever could hope to 'deserve' it.- If the Master teaches what is error, the disciple's submission is slavery ; if he teaches truth, this submission is ennoblement.- There grows no wheat where there is no grain.- The only thing that is humiliating is helplessness.- An answer if profitable in proportion to the intensity of the quest.- Listen to your conviction, even if they seem absurd to your reason.

-- Know the world in yourself. Never look for yourself in the world, for this would be to project your illusion To teach one must know the nature of those whom one is teaching.- In every vital activity it is the path that matters.- The way of knowledge is narrow.- Each truth you learn will be, for you, as new as if it had never been written.- The only active force that arises out of possession is fear of losing the object of possession.- If you defy an enemy by doubting his courage you double it.- The nut doesn't reveal the tree it contains.- For knowledge... you should know that peace is an indispensable condition of getting it.- The first thing necessary in teaching is a master; the second is a pupil capable of carrying on the tradition.- Peace is the fruit of activity, not of sleep.- Envious greed must govern to possess and ambition must possess to govern.- When the governing class isn't chosen for quality it is chosen for material wealth: this always means decadence, the lowest stage a

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society can reach.- - One foot isn't enough to walk with.- Our senses serve to affirm, not to know.- We mustn't confuse mastery with mimicry, knowledge with superstitious ignorance.- Physical consciousness is indispensable for the achievement of knowledge.- A man can't be judge of his neighbor' intelligence. His own vital experience is never his neighbor's.- No discussion can throw light if it wanders from the real point.- Your body is the temple of knowledge.- Experience will show you, a Master can only point the way.

-- A house has the character of the man who lives in it.- All organs work together in the functioning of the whole.- A man's heart is his own Neter.- A pupil may show you by his own efforts how much he deserves to learn from you.- Routine and prejudice distort vision. Each man thinks his own horizon is the limit of the world.- You will free yourself when you learn to be neutral and follow the instructions of your heart without letting things perturb you. This is the way of Maat.- Judge by cause, not by effect.- Growth in consciousness doesn't depend on the will of the intellect or its possibilities but on the intensity of the inner urge.- Every man must act in the rhythm of his time... such is wisdom.- Men need images. Lacking them they invent idols. Better then to found the images on realities that lead the true seeker to the source.- Maat, who links universal to terrestrial, the divine with the human is incomprehensible to the cerebral intelligence.- Have the wisdom to abandon the values of a time that has passed and pick out the constituents of the future. An environment must be suited to the age and men to their environment.- Everyone finds himself in the world where he belongs. The essential thing is to have a fixed point from which to check its reality now and then.- Always watch and follow nature.

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-- A phenomenon always arises from the interaction of complementary. If you want something look for the complement that will elicit it. Seth causes Horus.H Horus redeems Seth.- All seed answer light, but the color is different.- The plant reveals what is in the seed.- Popular beliefs on essential matters must be examined in order to discover the original thought.- It is the passive resistance from the helm that steers the boat.- The key to all problems is the problem of consciousness.- Man must learn to increase his sense of responsibility and of the fact that everything he does will have its consequences.- If you would build something solid, don't work with wind: always look for a fixed point, something you know that is stable... yourself.- If you would know yourself, take yourself as starting point and go back to its source; your beginning will disclose your end.- Images are nearer reality than cold definitions.- Seek peacefully, you will find.- Organization is impossible unless those who know the laws of harmony lay the foundation.- It is no use whatever preaching Wisdom to men: you must inject it into their blood.- Knowledge is consciousness of reality. Reality is the sum of the laws that govern nature and of the causes from which they flow.- Social good is what brings peace to family and society.- Knowledge is not necessarily wisdom.- By knowing one reaches belief. By doing one gains conviction. When you know, dare.- Altruism is the mark of a superior being.- All is within yourself. Know your most inward self and look for what corresponds with it in nature.- The seed cannot sprout upwards without simultaneously sending roots into the ground.- The seed includes all the possibilities of the tree.... The seed will develop these possibilities, however, only if it receives corresponding energies from the sky.- Grain must return to the earth, die, and decompose for new growth to begin.- Man, know yourself... and you shalt know the gods.

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German Proverbs and Quotations

1. Ambition and fleas jump high.2. Nothing looks so like a man of sense as a fool who holds his tongue.3. Don't sell the bear-skin before you have killed the bear.4. Tell me with whom you travel, and I'll tell you who you are.5. Guard your mouth as well as you guard your chest.6. There are plenty of preachers who don't hear themselves.7. If you put out another's candle, you also will be in the dark.8. What good is it to run when you are on the wrong road?9. Little drops of water, little grains of sand, make the mighty ocean and the

pleasant land.10. Who is not ashamed doubles his sins.11. An ass in Germany is a professor in Rome.12. Nowhere are there more hiding places than in the heart.13. Don't throw away your old shoes until you have a new pair.14. The ass and his driver do not think alike.15. He that wants the kernel must crack the nut.16. Thievery and lying are kissing cousins.17. If you want to be strong, conquer yourself.18. Whatever is to be a nettle, burns early.19. A dream grants what one covets when awake.20. Love your neighbor, but keep your fence.21. Whoever has bitten a sour apple will enjoy a sweet one all the more.22. An enemy that is surprised is already half-defeated.23. One hand washes the other.

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24. Enough is better than a sackful.25. The belly does not have a conscience.26. He who has lost his freedom has nothing else to lose.27. Those who love in the Lord never see each other for the last time.28. If you want to perform a good jump, sometimes you need to start by taking a

step back.29. What's sport to you is death to us.30. A foreign language is more easily learned in the kitchen than at school.31. When wealth is lost, nothing is lost. when health is lost, something is lost;

when character is lost, all is lost. 32. More is to be got from one teacher than from two books.33. Contentment is worth more than riches.34. Success has many fathers.35. Fools build houses, wise men buy them.36. The unrighteous penny consumes the righteous dollar.37. I wept when I was born, and every day shows why.38. Trust no one till you have eaten a bushel of salt with him.39. Jealousy is a pain which eagerly seeks what causes pain.40. A good conscience is a soft pillow.41. Loving and singing are two things that should not be forced.42. Words are like bees, they have honey and a sting.43. Appearances are deceptive.44. Practice not your art, and it will soon depart.45. Everybody is the architect of his own fortune.46. The bridge between joy and sorrow is not long. Confidence begets

confidence.47. He who is quick to borrow, is slow to pay.48. To blame is easy, to do it better is difficult.49. In wine there is wisdom. In beer there is strength. In water there is bacteria.50. When God gives hard bread he gives sharp teeth.51. A lawyer and a cart-wheel must be greased.52. Luck sometimes visits a fool, but it never sits down with him.53. You cannot make a silk purse of a sow's ear.54. Avarice hoards itself poor; charity gives itself rich.55. Praise a fine day at night.56. Everybody knows good counsel except him who has need of it.57. The devil makes work for idle hands.58. He who tickles himself may laugh when he pleases.59. To change and to change for the better are two different things.

Czech Proverbs 

Bez peněz do hospody nelez.Don't go to the pub without money.

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Bez práce nejsou koláče.Without work, there are no koláče (Czech pastry).

Co je doma, to se počítá.What's at home, counts.

Co můžeš udělat dnes, neodkládej na zítřek.Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

Dobrá rada nad zlato.Good advice is better than gold.

Dvakrát měř, jednou řež.Measure twice, cut once.

Hloupý kdo dává, hloupější kdo nebere.He who gives is foolish, he who doesn't accept is even more so.

Hněv je špatný rádce.Anger is a bad advisor.

Host do domu, Bůh do domu.A guest in your home is like a God in your home.

Host do domu, hůl do ruky.If a guest comes to your home, grab a stick.

Kdo hledá, najde.He who looks, finds.

Kdo jinému jámu kopá, sám do ní padá.He who digs a hole for someone, will fall in it himself.

Kdo se moc ptá, moc se dozví.He who asks too much will learn too much.

Když kocour není doma, myši mají pré.When the cat is not home, the mice have a party.

Líná huba, holé neštěstí.A lazy mouth is a sheer disaster.

Mluviti stříbro, mlčeti zlato.Speaking is silver, silence is gold.

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Na každém šprochu pravdy trochu.There's a bit of truth in every gossip.

Není kouře bez ohně.There's no smoke without fire.

Opakování matka moudrosti.Repetition is the mother of wisdom.

Ranní ptáče dál doskáče.An early bird will hop farther.

Starého psa novým kouskům nenaučíš.You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Stokrát nic umořilo osla.A hundred times nothing killed the donkey.

Trpělivost růže přináší.Patience brings roses.

V noci každá kočka černá.Every cat is black at night.

Vyhni se opilému, jakož i bláznu.Avoid a drunkard as well as a fool.

1. He who is curious shall grow old soon.2. No man has fallen from the sky learned.

3. Who goes for a day in the forest should take bread for a week.

4. Cleanliness is half your health.

5. He who is not lazy shall get much green.

6. Nothing seems expensive on credit.

7. You are so many times a human how many languages you know.

8. Consider each day of your life as the best.

9. He who saves shall have as much as three.

10. Only in water can you learn to swim.

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11. The fish does not go after the hook, but after the bait.

12. A dog that barks doesn't bite.

13. It is usually dark below the candlestick.

14. The Lord will drench you with His showers, but he will dry you with His sun.

15. After a battle, everyone is a general.

16. Even small fish are fish.

17. Laws without penalties are like bells without clappers.

18. The one who sits on the ground need not fear a fall.

19. As one makes his bed, that way he shall lie down.

20. Everywhere is well, at home it's best.

21. Learn a new language and get a new soul.

22. The person who God shows a treasure to must dig it out himself.

23. As one sows, so shall he reap.

24. Forbidden fruit tastes best. Forbidden fruit tastes best.

25. Love is partner of blindness.

26. The way to be safe is never to feel secure.

27. Beer makes beautiful bodies.

28. God's mills mill slowly, but surely.

29. Love is sweet captivity.

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56 Ukrainian Proverbs 1. A crow will never be a falcon.  2. A friendly word is better than a heavy cake.  3. A hungry wolf is stronger than a satisfied dog.  4. A woman is not a harmonica that you put aside when you have

used it.  5. A woman's beauty cannot warm a winter's night.  6. Black souls wear white shirts.  7. Borrowed bread lies heavy on the stomach.  8. Deficiencies come by the kilo and go by the gram.  9. Drink a glass of wine after your soup and you will be stealing a

ruble from the doctor.  10. Drunkards know no danger.  11. Every disadvantage has its advantage.  12. Fire begins with sparks.  - 14. Flies will not land on a boiling pot.  15. Fools love not the wise, drunkards love not the sober.  16. God is looking for those who come to Him.  17. God sits on high and he sees far.  18. He is guilty who is not at home.  19. He who licks knives will soon cut his tongue. 

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20. If the devil is powerless, send him a woman.  21. If you chase two hares at the same time, you will catch neither of them.  22. If you marry a young woman, make sure your friends stay outside.  23. Keep fire away from straw.  24. Love tells us many things that are not so.  25. Love thy neighbour, but pull not down thy hedge.  26. Love well whip well.  27. Love will find a way.  28. Love will find a way. Indifference will find an excuse.  29. No cook ever died of starvation.  30. No matter how hard you try the bull will never give milk.  31. No wind is too cold for lovers.  32. Only when you have eaten a lemon do you appreciate what sugar is.  33. Speak highly of the lake, but stay on the bank.  34. The church is near, but the way is icy. The tavern is far, but I will walk

carefully.  35. The devil always takes back his gifts.  36. The devil likes to hide behind a cross.  37. The earth will cover the doctor's mistakes.  38. The fear of death takes away the joy of living.  39. The lame man laughs at the blind.  40. The malicious cow disturbs the whole herd.  41. The obliging fool is worse than an enemy.  42. The tavern is far, but I will walk carefully.  43. The word "enough" does not exist for water, fire, and women.  44. There are many lies but barely one truth.  45. There are no old friendships in business.  46. Those sitting above can easily spit on those below.  47. To see a friend no road is too long.  48. When the flag is unfurled, all reason is in the trumpet.  49. When you enter a great enterprise, free your soul from weakness.  50. Who gives in need, gives double.  51. Who laughs at you also cries for you.  52. Wisdom is in the head, not in the beard.  53. With a friendly word you get farther than with a club.  54. You can get farther with a friendly word than with a club.  55. You don't really see the world if you only look through your own window.  56. Your head is not only for putting a hat on.  - See more at:

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