Адыгэ псалъэжьхэри псалъафэхэри

Circassian Proverbs & Sayings

(1)

English equivalents and explanations

by

Amjad Jaimoukha

This is part of Amjad Jaimoukha’s forthcoming book Circassian Proverbs and Sayings. The book will comprehend more than 3,000 entries in Circassian (Cyrillic and Latin) with English equivalents and notes. For comments, please contact: jaimoukha@gmail.com

Outlook on Life

(ЦI ыхум и дуней еплъыкI эр

къэзыгъэлъагъуэ псалъэжьхэр)

Абрэмывэ пэт зы пI эм илъкъым ( Абрэмывэ= In the Nart Epos, a stone of immense size and great weight): Even the big stone does not stay in the same place forever.

Адакъэр мыI уэкI и нэху щын къанэркъым.

Адэ мылъку бынгъэкI уэдщ ( И адэм и мылъкум щыгугъыу мылажьэурэ хуэмыху мэхъу, жыхуиI эщ. If you depend on your father’s fortune, you become lazy and you will lose it eventually ): The fortune of the father is wasted by his children.

Ажал зимыI э щыI экъым: 1. No fence against the flail; 2. Every door may be shut, but death's door .

Ажалыр бжэм ( бжэщхьэI ум) нэхърэ нэхъ благъэщ: 1. Death is nearer than the door; 2. Death knocks at the door .

Акъыл былымщ: Good sense is a great asset.

Акъылыр жьыгъэ- щI агъэкъым: Good sense is not tie d to age.

Акъылыр нэмысщ , былымыр насыпщ : The brain is the ethos, cattle one’s riches.

Анэм и гъуапэр пхъум и джанэщ .

Анэм и хабзэр пхъум и бзыпхъэщ: The etiquette of the mother is the exemplar of the daughter .

Апхуэдэуи мэхъу, нэхъыфI и мэхъуж.

Аргъуейм и лым хуэдэщ и лэпсри (Arghweym yi lim xwedesch yi lepsriy) (As the gnat’s broth so is the flesh) 1. A bird may be known by its song; 2. A tree is known by its fruit.

Афищэ зытар хьэ матищкI э ящэжащ.

Аслъэныр жьы хъумэ хьэI уцыдзыр щодыхьэшх: When the lion gets old he is laughed at by the jackal.

Ахъшэр пшахъуэщи, гъащI эр пцI ащхъуэщ ( Ахъшэр пI эщI олъэлъ, пцI ащхъуэр пI эщI олъэт, жыхуиI эщ): Money scatters like sand and life flies away like a swallow .

Бэрэжьей мэщхьэлъэри, щхьэж и лъэпкъ хуокI уэж: (The elder [plant] is in bud, and everybody returns to his own kind) Like father like son.

Бэр зэкъуэтмэ–– текI уэныгъэщ ( еплъ аргуэру лъэпкъыр зэкъуэтмэ лъэщщ, икI и узэкъуэтмэ улъэщщ): There is strength in union.

Бэр зэнэцI нэхърэ бэр зэхъуэхъу : Better to congratulate people on their successes than to envy them .

Бгъэплъыщэмэ , мывэри зэгуоуд : If you heat it a lot, even the stone would collapse to pieces .

Бжэн щынэ къилъхуркъым (Bzhen schine qiylhxwrqim): (A goat does not give birth to a lamb) Like begets like.

Бзаджэ уи пашэмэ, бзаджэ ухуешэ: An evil master leads you to the D evil.

Бзум и лым хуэдэщ и лэпсри: (As the sparrow’s broth so is the flesh) 1. A bird may be known by its song; 2. A tree is known by its fruit.

Бзум ил и лэпсщ: (As the sparrow's broth so is the flesh) 1. A bird may be known by its song; 2. A tree is known by its fruit.

БлэбгъэкI ым, улъэщI ыхьэжыркъым: Whom you let past you, you won’t be able to catch up with again .

Блэр бэгмэ, и гъуэм ихуэжыркъым: (If the snake puffs itself, it won’t fit in its hole) Modesty adorns.

Былымыр уэсэпсщ, цI ыхупсэр маещ ( Былым=cattle; riches ; уэсэпс =dew; мае =nourishing, nutritious) .

Вындым и шыр ишхыжынумэ, сабэм хекухь: If the raven needs to eat its young, it drags them through dust.

Выри лъэщ дыдэщ— къаубыдри щI ащI э: The bull is also very strong— but they catch and yoke him.

Губгъуэ пщI ащэрэ унэ пщI ащэрэ зэтохуэ ( Губгъуэ=field; steppe; пщI ащэ=leaf).

Гугъэм бгыр екъутэ: Hope breaks mountains.

Гугъуехь зымылъэгъуам тыншыгъуэ ищI эркъым: He who has not endured hardship knows not what comfort is .

Гугъуехьыр шэчыгъуафI эщ ( УмышэчынкI э Iэмал щимы Iэк Iэ , уигу уогъэбыдэри уошэч , жыхуи Iэщ ): If there is no escaping a hardship, bear it with a willing heart .

Гудзэр теувэгъуэ- теувэгъуэщ ( Гудзэ=spoke of wheel).

Гур зыщыплъэм, нэр мэплъакъуэ.

Гур зыхуеI эм Iэр лъо Iэс .

Гур мыгъмэ, нэр гъыркъым: If the heart doesn’t cry, the eyes won’t cry .

Гурэ гурэ лъагъуэ зэхуаI эщ.

Гурыщхъуэ нэрыщхъуэ ухуешэ.

Гурыщхъуэ щI ыныр икI агъэщ: Suspiciousness is a bad disposition.

ГуфI эгъуэрэ гузэвэгъуэрэ зэпылъщ: (Happiness and misfortune lie side by side) 1. Every cloud has a silver lining; 2. Nothing so bad, as not to be good for something; 3. It's an ill wind that blows nobody good; 4. Life after death; 5. A blessing in disguise; 6. After rain comes fair weather.

ГуфI эгъуэри гуI эгъуэри зэпыщI ащ ( ГуфI эгъуэрэ гуI эгъуэрэ зэпылъщ): (Happiness and misfortune are connected [lie side by side]) 1. Every cloud has a silver lining; 2. Nothing so bad, as not to be good for something; 3. It’s an ill wind that blows nobody good; 4. Life after death; 5. A blessing in disguise; 6. After rain comes fair weather.

Гухэхъуэ щI эщ, гухэщI жьыщ : Joy is young, misfortune is old.

Гущэ зыхуащI ым бэни хуащI ыж: (They make both a cradle and a coffin to the new-born) Every door may be shut, but death's door .

ГъащI э зиI эм уахътыи иI эщ: Every door may be shut, but death’s door .

ГъащI эр кI эщI щ: Life is but a span.

Гъуамэ цI ыкI у нэхърэ гъуамэшхуэ: Better an old scoundrel that a young villain.

Гъуэгу благъэ ( гъуэгу) жыжьэ нэхърэ, гъуэгу жыжьэ ( гъуэгу) благъэ: (Better a short long way than a long short way) The furthest way about is the nearest way home.

Гъуэгу техьэ гъуэгу тенэркъым: If you start on your way, you will get to your destination; the first step is always the hardest.

Гъуэгум и кI ыхьагъым хуэдизи и бгъуагъущ: It is as broad as it is long.

ГъущI куэбжэ зи Iэ гъущ I мастэ щощI э ( ГъущI=iron; куэбжэ=gate; мастэ=needle; щыщI эн=to lack [smth.]) : The shoemaker’s wife is the worst shod.

ГъущI ыпэ пэтрэ мэхъуапсэ.

Дахагъэм дагъуищэ егъэпщкI у: (Beauty hides a hundred blemishes) 1. Fair without, false (or foul) within; 2. Never judge from appearances; 3. Appearances are deceptive; 4. The Apple of Sodom .

Дахэу ябз дахэу ядыжыркъым ( Дахагъэ псор зым бгъэдэлъкъым, жыхуиI эщ): All beauty is not the lot of any one person .

Делэм и псалъэм Iуэху тращ Iыхьыркъым : The words of a fool are scattered by the wind.

«Дунейм сыт нэхъ I эфI , сыт нэхъ дахэ , сыт нэхъ жэр ? – щыжаI эм:

– Псэ нэхъ I эфI щ, гъатхэ нэхъ дахэщ, гу нэхъ жэрщ», – жаI ащ: When they said, ‘What are the sweetest, most beautiful, and fleetest things in the world?’, it was said: ‘The soul is the sweetest, spring is the most beautiful, and the heart is the fleetest.’

Дунейр гъуэрыгъуэ шэнтщ: 1. Life allots fortune in turns; 2. Life is like a wheel of fortune .

Дунейр чэзущ: Every dog must have his day.

Дунейр шэрхъщи мэкI эрахъуэ: Life is like a wheel of fortune.

Дыдж емыI убам фом и I эфI агъэр ищI эркъым: 1. (He) Who has never tasted bitter knows not what is sweet; 2. He knows best what good is that has endured evil.

Дыдж уемыI убауэ Iэф Iыр зэхэпщ Iэркъым (Dij weimi’wbawe ’ef’ir zexepsch’erqim) : 1. (He) Who has never tasted bitter knows not what is sweet; 2. He knows best what good is that has endured evil.

Джэд нэхърэ джэдыкI э нэхъ Iущщ : The egg is wiser than the hen.

Джэд щыкъун и пщI ыхьщ: A hen dreams of its feed.

Джэду здэщымыI эм дзыгъуэ щоятэ ( щоджэгу): When the cat’s away, the mice will play.

Джэду и шырыр ишхыжын хъумэ, « дзыгъуэм ещхьщ» жеI э: (When a cat wants to eat her kitten, she says: ‘It looks like a mouse.’) If you want a pretence to whip a dog, say that he ate the frying-pan.

Джэдым зэрыфI агъэжыну сэр къеулъэпхъэщ.

Дзэр куэдрэ узмэ––I уач: If your tooth aches so much, pull it.

Дзы зиI э и нэI э тетщ (Dzi ziy’e yi ne’e teitsch ): (He who has a defect worries about it all the time) He that has a great nose thinks everybody is speaking of it (Scottish).

Е мыхъу фI ы хъужыркъым: Things have to become worse before the can become better .

Ебгъэлеймэ–– къреху.

ЕмыкI ур екI у мэхъури екI ур емыкI у мэхъу: What is improper might become proper and what is proper might become improper .

Емынэрэ пэт зэрыхьэм зыгуэр къренэ: Even black death spares a few souls.

Ер вы бжьакъуэм къок I: 1. Evil can be born of trifles; 2. Great disputes flare up from mere trifles.

ЖаI эр къос, ясэр къокI: What they say comes to pass, what they plant grows to fruition .

Жеймрэ гугъэмрэ адэ щI эиныфI : 1. Sleep and hope are the good legacies of the father; 2. The wish is the father to the thought; 3. If it were not for hope, the heart would break .

Жыг зытеуэри мэгурым, пщI ащэ зытеуэри мэгурым: He complains all the time.

Жыгыжьыр иту, жыгыщI эр йобэт.

Жылэ( р) зыгъашхэ( р) шхын щхьэкI э малI э (Zhile(r) zighashxe(r) shxin schhech’e mal’e): 1. The cobbler’s wife is the worst shod; 2. W ilful waste makes woeful want; 3. Waste not want not. [ Зи гугъу ищI ыр пщафI эрщ; i.e. the cook]