Some Hindustani proverbs:
my own favorites, for pleasure and classroom use
in English alphabetical order

prepared by FWP, Nov. 2006-

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He died calling out [fancy Persianized] 'water, water', at the head of his bed there remained [plain Hindustani] water. āb āb kar mar gayā , sirhāne rahā pānī
Having lit a fire, to run for the water. āg lagā ke pānī ko dauṛnā
If you're fine, then the world is fine. āp bhalā to jag bhalā
What you spit at the sky would come back on your face. āsmān kā thūkā muñh par āve
Oh, and you're such a [great warrior] 'Thirty-killer Khan'! aise hī tum baṛe tīs mār ḳhān ho
A solitary [one-sided, unchallenged] story is sweeter than sugar. akelī kahānī guṛ se mīṭhī
How long would a single stick of wood burn [without companions]? akelī lakṛī kahāñ tak jale
A different country, different clothing/customs. alag desh , alag bhesh / rivāj
Among the blind, the one-eyed man is king. andhoñ meñ kānā rājā
   
In the flowing water, wash your hands [taking advantage of the opportunity]. bahte pānī meñ hāth dho le
A closed fist [for concealment] is as good as a hundred thousand. bañdhī muṭṭhī lākh barābar
If we prosper, then a lord; if we decline, then a faqir; if we die, then a pir [thus taking advantage of every possibility]. baṛheñ to amīr , ghaṭeñ to faqīr , mareñ to pīr
If it got pierced, then it's a pearl; if it remained unchanged, then it's a stone. biñdh gayā so motī , rah gayā so patthar
From out of the cow-dung heap, only/emphatically cow-dung cakes will come. biṭaure meñ se uple hī nikleñge
   
There's something black [=fishy] in the lentils.. dāl meñ kuchh kālā hai
To live in the river, and be enemies with the crocodile! daryā meñ rahnā , aur magarmachchh se bair
The washerman's dog-- neither of the house, nor of the riverbank [useless, not having a proper place]. dhobī kā kuttā -- nah ghar kā , nah ghāṭ kā
Under the lamp, it's dark. diyā tale andherā
Neither palanquin nor bearer-- the great lady is ready! ḍolī nah kahār baṛī bībī haiñ taiyār
The one burned by [hot] milk, blows on buttermilk before drinking it dūdh kā jalā chhāchh phūñk phūñk kar pītā hai
   
One pomegranate, a hundred sick people. ek anār , sau bīmār
   
In a faqir's bag is everything. faqir kī jholī meñ sab kuchh
   
The bald man has gotten fingernails [though he doesn't need to scratch his head]. ganje ko nāḳhun mil gaʾe
The one who knows the secrets of the house, would burn down Lanka. ghar kā bhedī lañkā ḍhāʾe
Chicken eaten at home is equal to lentils [being ho-hum and taken for granted]. ghar kī murġhī dāl barābar
If [luxurious] rice pudding at home, then rice pudding elsewhere too. ghar meñ khīr to bāhar bhī khīr
The jackal fell into a pit-- 'I'll stay here today' [pretending it was on purpose]. gīdar girā jhere meñ -- āj yahīñ raheñge
   
Only an elephant can carry an elephant's load. hāthī kā bojh hāthī hī sañbhāle
'Delhi is still far away.' ['There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip.'] hanūz dillī dūr ast
   
Let life go; let honor/faith remain. jāʾe jān , rahe īmān
Wealth is sacrificed for life; the throat is sacrificed for honor. jān kā ṣadqah māl , ʿizzat kā ṣadqah galā
Neither knowledge nor acquaintance-- 'Greetings, milady!' jān nah pahchān , baṛī bībī salām
Where food is, there everybody's abode is. jahāñ khānā vahāñ sab kā ṭhikānā
As is the country, so is the attire. jaisā desh , vaisā bhesh
As you do, so you will experience. jaisā karoge , vaisā bharoge
As is the cloth, so is the sash; as is the father, so is the son. jaisā sūt vaisā pheṭā , jaisā bāp vaisā beṭā
Three roots of conflict-- women, land, gold. jhagṛe kī tīn jaṛ -- zan , zamīn , zar
However many mouths, that many utterances/ideas. jitne muñh , utnī bāteñ
He who has the stick [to drive the animal], only/emphatically he has the water buffalo. jis kī lāṭhī usī kī bhaiñs
   
Where is Raja Bhoj, where is Gangu Teli [they are wildly incommensurable]! kahāñ rājā bhoj , kahāñ gañgū telī
The mountain was dug up-- a rat emerged. khodā pahāṛ , niklā chūhā
One person's house would burn, someone else would get warm. kisī kā ghar jale , aur koʾī tāpe
   
The elephant-goad of the mind is knowledge. man kā ankush gyān
The female frog too has caught a cold [pretentiously, as though she doesn't live in a swamp]! meñḍhakī ko bhī zukām huʾā
The Mulla's range is as far as the mosque. mullā kā daur masjid tak
On his lips 'Ram Ram', in his armpit a dagger. muñh meñ rām rām , baġhal meñ chhurī
   
If you don't know how to dance, the courtyard is uneven. nāch nah āve , āñgan ṭeṛhā
Having eaten nine hundred rats, the cat went on pilgrimage. nah sau chūhe khā ke billī ḥaj ko chalī
A new physician would give opium. nayā ḥakīm de afīm
A new Muslim [convert] calls out 'God! God' [with excessive zeal]. nayā musalmān allâh allâh pukartā hai
New for nine days, old for a hundred days. nayā nau din , purānā sau din
   
'You first', 'You first'-- and the train was missed [through excessive courtesy]. pahle āp , pahle āp , aur gāṛī chhūṭ gaʾī
If the panchayat calls it a cat, then it's a cat indeed. pañch kaheñ billī to billī hī sahī
A foreigner's heart is usually [split in] half. pardesī kā dil ādhā hotā hai
He can neither read nor write-- and his name is 'Scholarly' paṛhe nah likhe , nām vidyādhar
   
The rope burned, but the twists didn't go out of it. rassī jalī par bal nah gayā
   
Without ears-- and longing for earrings! ṡābit nahīñ kān , baliyoñ kā armān
As soon as he got his head shaved, hailstones fell. sar muñḍāte hī ole paṛe
   
Little by little, it becomes a lot. thoṛā thoṛā kar ke bahut ho jātā hai
You are a queen, I too am a queen-- who will fetch the water? tū bhī rānī , maiñ bhī rānī , kaun bharegā pānī
   
The camel and the horse floated away-- the donkey asks 'how much water?' ūñṭ ghoṛā bhas gaʾe , gadhā pūchhe kitnā pānī
The perverse thief would scold the police chief! ulṭā chor kotvāl ko ḍāñṭe
   
Where are those days now [of luxurious leisure], when Khalil Khan always used to fly pigeons? vuh din ab kahāñ jab ḳhalīl ḳhāñ fāḳhtah uṛāyā karte the
   
 

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