Proverbs and sayings Azerbaijan 2017

Proverbs and sayings Of

Azerbaijan (A Northwestern province in Iran)

Shahrooz Pourhossein

2017

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‫آ‬ ‫ بیری یاتار بیری گالخار‬،‫آباد اوالسان خلخال‬ Literary Meaning: May you be prosperous Khalkhal! One sleeps, the other wakes up (Khalkhal; a city is Azerbaijan). It refers to a crowded city where the neighborhoods are too noisy at night and one neighbor is always awake to make noise. It is used to refer to a situation where problems rise one after another. ‫آبرى باهار گؤى اوتو دئییل کى گئنه گؤیه ره‬ Literary Meaning: reputation is not spring lawn to grow again. One’s reputation and name is so fragile that it is hard to be repaired after being damaged in the eyes of the public En: A good name is sooner lost than won ‫ چال چاتالسین وور پاتالسین‬،‫ اوزگنین‬...‫ گ‬،‫آت اوزگنین‬ Literary Meaning: it is other’s horse and other’s ass, so beat it to shatter. People handle the property or belongings of others with less care ‫ ییهسی مات اوالر‬،‫آت آت اولونجان‬ Literary Meaning: until the foal becomes a horse, its owner dies. It takes long time and energy to get the fruit of an investment. ‫آت آلمامیش آخئر چکیر‬ Literary Meaning: s/he is building stable before buying horse. First, one should achieve the main goal and then get busy with side requirements En: Catch the bear before you sell his skin En: Never fry a fish till it's caught ‫آتا اوت ایته اَت وئرماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to give the meat to horse and grass to dog. One should not mix up the way things and people should be handled.

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‫ میدان اوالندا آت اولماز‬،‫آت اوالندا میدان اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: when there is horse, there is no field, when there is field, there is no horse. In order to fulfill a goal, one should not expect all conditions to be prepared. There is always a shortcoming. En: He that will not when he may, when he will he shall have nay ‫آتالئخ ائتمک چتیندیر‬، ‫آتا اولماخ آساندی‬ Literary Meaning: to become father is easy, but to be a father is hard. To become father is easy but to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of fatherhood is too difficult. ‫ ار ائوینده قایئن آنا‬،‫آتا ائوینده ائوگی آنا‬ Literary Meaning: at father’s house, step mother, at husband’s house mother-in-law. There is always something or someone to spoil the peace of life. ‫آتا آنا رشوه سیز دوست دوالر‬ Literary Meaning: parents are friends with no bribe. parents love their children without any expectation ‫آتا چاتاناجاخ اشّکه مین‬ Literary Meaning: ride donkey until you can afford horse. Until you can achieve a better position, you should be content with less-desirable conditions ‫آتا دوغرایب باالیئیر‬ Literary Meaning: father is slicing and child is eating Sons are mostly similar to their fathers in their fate En: like father, like son ‫ گوردالر یییر‬،‫آتا سیندان قاباغا دوشن توالنی‬ Literary Meaning: the puppy walking ahead the father, is eaten by wolf Better to benefit from parents advice and not decide alone in serious situations ‫ اونا گوره خرج ایله‬،‫آتا مالین درج ایله‬

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Literary Meaning: write the heritage of father and then spend according to it. The wealth left as heritage gets finished quickly, so it must be spent carefully ‫آد قازان‬، ‫آتا مین‬ Literary Meaning: ride horse and become famous Wealth brings fame ‫ آت دان دوشمه نین مین عیبی وار‬،‫آتا مینمه نین بیر عیبی وار‬ Literary Meaning: there is little shame in riding horse but much shame in falling from it. losing the wealth causes a lot of humiliation in the eyes of public ‫آتاسئن دونقوز قاپمیش اوغلونو ایالن چالمیش‬ Literary Meaning: the father was bitten by hog, the son was bitten by snake. A father with bad luck will have a son with bad luck. En: A miserly father makes a prodigal son. Like fathers, like sons ‫آتاسئنا خیری اولمایان کیمه خئییری اوالر؟‬ Literary Meaning: to whom may be good, the one who was not good even to his own father? The one who is not good to his own blood will not be good to others ‫آتاالر سوزو حکمتدیر‬ Literary Meaning: fathers’ sayings are wisdom. One should listen to fathers’ sayings as they bear wisdom ‫آتاالر سوزو عاغلئن گُزو‬ Literary Meaning: fathers’ saying is the eye of wisdom. One should listen to fathers’ sayings as they bear wisdom ‫آتاالر سوزونه محاکیمه اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: one can’t blame fathers for their advice. One can’t accuse or blame fathers for advising their children ‫اوزوم ایله اوزونو دئه‬، ‫آتام ایله آتانی دئینجه‬

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Literary Meaning: rather than talking about my father and your father, let’s talk about yourself and myself. It is not important who our fathers were or what they did, important is who we are and what we do. ‫اریم ائوینده تویوق آشی‬، ‫آتام ائوینده با لیق باشی‬ Literary Meaning: Fish head in father’s house, chicken soup in husband’s house. Women are usually better off in their husband’s house, in comparison to their father’s house. ‫آتام آتام من بو ایشه ماتام‬ Literary Meaning: Oh father, father, I am stunned at this work. To show astonishment at something ‫ تکجه سنی توتموشام‬،‫آتامی آنامی آتمیشام‬ Literary Meaning: I have left my father and mother and just have held you. I love you (my wife) more than my parents ‫آتان اوخ قایئتماز‬ Literary Meaning: the thrown arrow never comes back. The lost chances never come back ‫آتان بیلیجی دی سنه نه‬ Literary Meaning: what is that to you if your father was a prudent man? important is to be proud of your own art not your father ‫ اوزون نجه اولدون گول بسر؟‬،‫آتان سوغان آنان ساریمساق‬ Literary Meaning: your father was onion, your mother was garlic, and how did you become cucumber? One should not deny his /her origin by pretending to be someone totally different. ‫آتانئن دعاسی آنانین آهی‬ Literary Meaning: father’s good prayer, mother’s curse. Parents’ good prayer and curse affects our life. ‫آتئالن دوشه ر‬

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Literary Meaning: the one who jumps, falls. Every work has its own consequences. A highly ambitious person loses finally. ‫آتی آت یانینا باغالسان همرنگ اولماسا هم خوی اوالر‬ Literary Meaning: if you held the horses beside each other, if they would not get each other’s color, they would get the each other’s temper. People who socialize with each other, influence each other’s behavior ‫ داش دا یییر‬٬‫آج آدام‬ Literary Meaning: a hungry person eats stone. hungry man eats anything to survive En: Hunger breaks stone walls ‫آج تویوخ یاتار یوخودا داری گورر‬ Literary Meaning: hungry hen sleeps and dreams millet. A hungry person dreams of the things s/he does not have ‫ آجی آیران‬، ‫آج قارین‬ Literary Meaning: hungry stomach, bitter Ayran. To give empty promises to someone who is in need ‫آجا مییت حالل دیر‬ Literary Meaning: for hungry person, it is Halal to eat corpse. Hunger justifies eating anything even the corpse ‫آجئن قارنی دویار گوزی دویماز‬ Literary Meaning: a hungry one’s stomach gets full but his/her eyes does not get satisfied. There is no end for human greed ‫آجئن ایمانی اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: hungry person has no faith. The severity of hunger never lets you think about spirituality and faith. En: A hungry belly has no ears ‫آچاخ صاندئقی توکاخ پامبغی‬ Literary Meaning: let’s open the box and pull out the cotton.

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To talk about the secrets ‫آچئلمامئش سفرا نین عیبی اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: the tablecloth which has not been spread has no fault. An undone task is perfect because its faults are not yet seen. En: He that never climbed never fell ‫ آچلن سفره نو مین بی‬٫‫آچئلما میش سفره نین بیر عیبی وار‬ Literary Meaning: the spread table cloth has one fault, the one not spread has no fault. An undone task is perfect but when done the faults appear. En: The higher the ape goes, the more he shows his tail He that never climbed never fell ‫آخار سو یولونی تاپار‬ Literary Meaning: flowing water finds its way. A person who tries finally finds a way ‫ آخار سوالر قورویار‬،‫آخار سویا گئدسه‬ Literary Meaning: if s/he goes to flowing waters, they suddenly dry up. En: An unfortunate man would be drowned in a teacup ‫آختاران تاپار یاتان یوخودا گورر‬ Literary Meaning: the one who searches, finds, the one who sleeps, finds it in dreams. Only those who work hard, achieve what they want ‫آخماغ اودی بو دنیا دا غم یییه کیم نه بولور کیم گازانا کیم یییه‬ Literary Meaning: stupid is the one who is sad in this world, who know who will earn and who will eat. En: One beats the bush, and another catches the bird ‫ یاخشی گوله ر‬،‫آخیرده گولن‬ Literary Meaning: the one who laughs at the end, laughs better. The person who bears the difficulties of a hard purpose, finally becomes happy deeply. En: He laughs best who laughs last ‫ بیری ده گمینن گلدی‬،‫آدادا قورد آز ایدی‬

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Literary Meaning: there were few wolves in the island, here came another with ship. Troubles follow one another ‫آدام افطار اُلمامئئش اروجون آشماز‬ Literary meaning: one must not break his/her fast before Iftar. One should not be jumpy in judgments. ‫ ساتاندا دییر‬، ‫آدام آالندا گازانار‬ Literary meaning: One should win when one buys not when one sells A good investment is when you buy by making right choice ‫ بیری بزکدی دوققوزی دوندی‬، ‫آدام اُندی‬ Literary Meaning: man is ten, one is makeup, and nine is dress. It is the appearance of human which counts. En: Good clothes open all doors Clothes make the man ‫آدام اومدوغو یئردن کوسر‬ Literary Meaning: one gets broken-hearted from where s/he had pinned hope on. We get disappointed and feel hurt by the people on whom we pin hope ‫آدام بیر آجییاندا اوزون ساخالر بیرده جیجینده‬ Literary Meaning: one should control him/herself on two occasions: when one gets angry and when one feels jealous. Control yourself when you are jealous or anger. ‫آدام بیلمیر هانچی سازیینَن ا وُیناسئن‬ Literary Meaning: one never knows with which instrument (musical) of his/hers to dance To be confused by the frequently-changing decisions of a shaky person. ‫آدام چوخ بولر آز دانئشار‬ Literary Meaning: man might know a lot, but s/he should talk less. It is better to be silent. En: All truths are not to be told ‫آدام مین آجینی اودار بیر شیرینین خاطرینه‬

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Literary Meaning: one should bear thousands of bitters for the sake of one sweetness. One should tolerate thousands of difficulties in order to achieve one goal ‫آدام مین دفعه اُلچر بیر دفعه بیچر‬ Literary Meaning: measure thousands of time, cut once. One must evaluate and think a lot before saying something or doing something. En: Measure twice and cut once First think, then speak ‫آدام وار که آدامالرین نقشیدور آدام وار که اِشک اوندان یاخشیدور‬ Literary Meaning: There is one who only looks like human, there is one, before him/her, and donkey is more valuable. There are so many people who are called human apparently but their character is even worse than an animal ‫ باشئنا گله ر‬،‫آدام هر نه دن گورخسا‬ Literary Meaning: whatever you are afraid of, finds you. We are usually faced and challenged by the things we are afraid of ‫آداما سوزی بیر یول دییر لر‬ Literary Meaning: human is said the word only once. Human needs only one note to understand. En: A word is enough to the wise. ‫آداملئقی آدامنان ایسته خوش اییی قئزل گولدن‬ Literary Meaning: ask for humanity from human and the good smell from Damask rose. Human being is expected to have humane behavior and character ‫آدامی پالتارینان تانیمازالر‬ Literary Meaning: man is not known by its cloths. It is not the appearance of the human being which counts. ‫آدامی تانیین یرده گورتالر یسین‬ Literary Meaning: May the wolves eat you where you have some friends.

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One is more successful where one has many friends and contacts ‫ گازانی کوز‬، ‫آدامی سوز یاندرار‬ Literary Meaning: fire heats the pot and gossip burns the human. Bitter words burn human like the way fire heats pot. ‫ ائله اودور‬٬‫آدامئن آنینا هر نمه یازمئشالر‬ Literary Meaning: human’s fate will be only whatever has been written on his/her forehead. En: No flying from fate ‫آدامئن آدی چئخاناجاخ جانی چئخسن‬ Literary Meaning: better to die than have ill name. To have ill name is worse than dying. En: He that has an ill name is half-hanged. ‫آدامئن اون دانا یییجی سی اولسون بیر دانا دیییجی سی اولماسئن‬ Literary Meaning: better to have thousands of people eating from your pocket but not one gossiping behind your back. The gossips behind somebody’s back destroys one’s life ‫ یو موشانسان یوموشانسان‬،‫آدون ندیر داش دمیر‬ Literary Meaning: what is your name? “Iron!”, you will be softened! You will be softened! Even the most stubborn people become flexible someday. ‫آدی منیم دادی سنین‬ Literary Meaning: literally it was mine but you enjoyed it. Some people work hard but finally but others benefit from their efforts. ‫ آدین که اُلدی ی آتمیش یا او یاندا یاتمیش یا‬،‫آدین که اُولدی اَللی یرون اُلدی بَللی‬ ‫بویاندا یاتمیش‬ Literary Meaning: when your name becomes fifty, your place becomes known, when your name becomes sixty, it no more matters if you sleep either in this world, or in the other world. The more we age, the closer we get to death ‫آدین که اولدی دگیرمانچی چاغیر گلسین دن کوروغلی‬

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Literary Meaning: you Koroglu! When you become miller, you must call: flour. When you accept the responsibility of doing something, then do it completely. ‫ بیرین ائشیت‬،‫ بیرین دئه‬،‫آدئن ندی رشید‬ Literary Meaning: what is your name? : Rashid, so talk once and listen once A mature person both talks and listens ‫آز دانئش ناز دانئش‬ Literary Meaning: talk little but nice. It is always better to talk little and rationally. ‫آز گل قیزیم ناز گل قیزیم‬ Literary Meaning: my daughter! Pay visit rarely to be valuable. Paying frequent visits to parents is not welcome. En: hedge between keeps friendship green. ‫ آغرئماز باشئم‬، ‫آزاجئق آشئم‬ Literary Meaning: my little soup, my trouble-free head. The more the wealth, the more the trouble. En: Better a little fire to warm us, than a great one to burn us. ‫آز یه ئوزووه نوکر توت‬ Literary Meaning: eat less and employ a servant for yourself. Do your own job yourself and don’t order others. ‫آژلئخ بو گاپئدان گیرسه ایمان اوبور گاپئدان چئخار‬ Literary Meaning: if hunger enters from one door, faith leaves from another door. There is room either for hunger or spirituality. ‫ اوستا دانئش‬،‫آستا دانئش‬ Literary Meaning: talk slowly, talk sensibly. Better to talk slowly and sensibly. En: Be swift to hear, slow to speak. ‫آستا گئده ن یورولماز‬

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Literary Meaning: that who goes slow, never gets tired. That who lives life without haste, never gets tired. En: Slow and steady wins the race. ‫آستانا دئیشیر بخت دئیشمز‬ Literary Meaning: one may change house (partner), but one can’t change destiny. Changing your husband (partner) won’t change your destiny that is why they (partners) will all be like each other. ‫آشئن پیشیرماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to cook someone’s soup (vegetable soup). To make a great trouble for some body/ to frame somebody. ‫آغاج بار گتیردیکجه باش اَیر‬ Literary Meaning: the more fruitful the tree, the lower its head. The more knowledgeable, the more humble. ‫آغاجی ایچیندن قورد یئیهر‬ Literary Meaning: the tree is eaten by the worm inside. People get damage from their own closest ones (family) ‫آغانئن مالی چئخاندا نوکرین جانی چئخار‬ Literary Meaning: when the lord’s wealth is spent, the steward’s soul is out. The steward is much stingier to spend his lord’s money than the lord himself. ‫آغریمایان باشا دسمال باغالمازالر‬ Literary Meaning: don’t wrap cloth round the head which is not aching. Don’t look for trouble if you already don’t have one ‫آغئر اوتی باتمان گل‬ Literary Meaning: sit heavy, come in baatmaan (unit of measuring weight) be prudent and don’t mix up with others’ problem. ‫آغرییان دیشی چکرلر‬

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Literary Meaning: the aching teeth should be taken out. Someone or something troublesome should be removed and eradicated ‫آغزوندا گان اولسا توپورمه‬ Literary Meaning: don’t spit even if your mouth is full of blood. Don’t say your secrets to anybody even if you curl in pain. ‫آغزوندان یئللر آلسین‬ Literary Meaning: May the wind take it from your mouth. May God not hear the bad will in your words. ‫آغزوندان سوت ایئی گلیر‬ Literary Meaning: your mouth is smelling of milk. You are still very inexperienced ‫آغئزالردا ساققئز اولماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to be the chewing gum for others’ mouth. To have one’s life story and secret as a popular story for others daily life. ‫آغزووا باخ تیکه کس‬ Literary Meaning: look at your mouth and then make a morsel. Act according to your real abilities and facilities. En: Stretch your legs according to the coverlet ‫آغزئندا مرجیمک ایسالتماماخ‬ Literary Meaning: not to moisturize lentil in his/her mouth. Not to be able to keep secrets ‫آل ایتدن معروف اولماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to be more famous than white dog. To be very famous ‫آلچاخدا دایان که چیخاسان باشا‬ Literary Meaning: Wait in low place in order to reach top. In order to reach higher positions, one should start from lower positions ‫ بیر باشا وور ماز‬، ‫آلاله ایکی قاپازی‬ Literary Meaning: God does not beat two sticks to one head.

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God never tries a person with two big misfortunes simultaneously. ‫ آیاخالرئنی قارنئنا سوخوب‬، ‫آلاله ایالنی تانییب‬ Literary Meaning: God knew the snake, which is why its legs are pushed inside its belly. It is the will of God that some people are not bestowed power. ‫ قویسون شانسئنئن اوستونه‬، ‫آلاله آدامئن عمروندن گؤتورسون‬ Literary Meaning: may the God take the years of one’s life and add to its luck. To be lucky is more worthy than having long life. En: Better be born lucky than rich ‫ هئچ کیم آچامماز‬، ‫آلاله باغالیان قاپئنی‬ Literary Meaning: No one can open the door that God has decided to close. No one can fight back against God’s will ‫ آیری قاپی آچار‬، ‫آلاله بیر قاپئنی باغالسا‬ Literary Meaning: if God closes a door, he opens another. God always opens a door ‫آلاله توتوپ پیغمبر ده عصاسینن وروپ‬ Literary Meaning: God has raged upon him/ her and prophet has beaten by his stick. A disastrous situation where all misfortunes find a person all at once ‫آلاله داغئنا باخار گار وئرر‬ Literary Meaning: God looks at the mountain and then gives snow. God blesses the people according to the extent they deserve. ‫آلاله دغل بازا پای ورمز‬ Literary Meaning: God does not bestow the sustenance to cunning person. God never bestows sustenance to a cunning person. ‫آلاله گارگا دییرکی گوز اویا‬ Literary Meaning: God is not a crow to dig your eye out.

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God’s justice is not implemented in way that people can see it, but it is implemented ‫آلاله قازاناندان آالر وئرهر بئجهرهنه‬ Literary Meaning: God takes money from the one who earns and gives to the one who is shrewd. No matter how hard we have worked to earn, our earnings are usually won by a shrewd one. ‫آلئنمئش تاپئلمئش دئر‬ Literary Meaning: what is bought is found. Whatever we buy is a gain. ‫ قئراغئنا باخ بئزینی آل‬،‫آناسئنا باخ قئزئنی آل‬ Literary Meaning: look at the mother and marry the daughter (as wife) look at the margin of the fabric and buy it. A small part of something can be representative of the whole. ‫آند ایچیپ قان سئشماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to swear and shit blood. To swear from the deep bottom of heart. ‫آنالیان بیر تل دن آنالر‬ Literary Meaning: one single hair is enough for wise A small hints is enough for a wise person to understand. En: A word is enough to the wise. ‫آی منن اولسون بارماغیم اولدوزون گوتونه‬ Literary Meaning: May the moon be with me, let my finger be to the ass of star. Important is to have the support of the strongest person, no matter what weak opponents say or do.

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‫الف‬ ‫اُت اُلمایان یردن دومان چئخماز‬ Literary Meaning: there is no smoke without fire. There is always a reason for whatever happens. En: There is no smoke without fire. ‫اَت قصابدان دا یئملی دی‬ Literary Meaning: butcher is more delicious than the meat. It refers to a situation where the person presenting someone or something is more attractive than the presented one. (It is usually used when one wants to say that the mother is more beautiful than daughter) ‫اَتَ وار مَتَ وار ایسی اُتا یوخدی؟‬ Literary Meaning: you have money for meat, but not for black pepper? You should be fair in distributing resources. ‫اَتی دئرناخدان آیئر ماغ اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: You can’t rip off the nail from its (bed) flesh. You can’t separate two people who are connected to each other by blood. ‫اَتینن دئرناغین آراسینا گیرمه‬ Literary Meaning: Don’t enter between the nail and its (bed) flesh Don’t try to separate two people who are connected to each other by blood. ‫اَتَیوی گُزا باخ گُر هاران گوروشور؟‬ Literary Meaning: raise you skirt and look what you see Keep your family’s secret because it is part of your own reputation.

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‫احتیاط ایییدین یاراشئغی دئر‬ Literary Meaning: Precaution is the beauty of valiant. A young person with precaution is more respected. En: Caution is the parent of safety. ‫احتیاط عاغلئن شرطی دیر‬ Literary Meaning: Precaution is the sign of reason. Being precautious is being wise. En: Caution is the parent of safety. ‫احمق اُدی بو دنیا دا غم ییه کیم نه بولور کیم گازانا کیم ییه‬ Literary Meaning: stupid is the one who grieves in this world, who knows who will earn and who will eat. Don’t be sad for anything no one knows what will happen next. ‫اُد پارچاسی اولماخ‬ Literary Meaning: To be the fire flame. To be extremely shrewd. ‫اُدا گلمیسن سویا ؟‬ Literary Meaning: Are you here for fire or water? Are you here for holding peace or for fighting? ‫ادب بازاردا ساتیلماز‬ Literary Meaning: Politeness is not sold in market. Politeness is intrinsic. ‫اُدونان سو آراسیندا قالماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to stand between fire and water. To stand between two powerful people who are not ready to withdraw. ‫اُدونان سویا یالوارماق اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: one can’t beg the fire and water. There is no logic to implore the fire and water as they are strong natural powers. Metaphorically: you can’t justify two stubborn and strong people to draw back in a tiff and surrender. ‫اَر آخار چای دی آرواد سویون بندی‬

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Literary Meaning: Man is a running stream and his wife is the dam. Man and woman work together to build up life. ‫اُرتولو پازار دُسلوقو پُزار‬ Literary Meaning: concealed deal damages the friendship. To be frank is the requirement of a friendship, otherwise it gets spoiled. ‫ دئدی اوزوم اَیاخلیان‬:‫ارمنی یه دئدیلر شاهدین کیمدی‬ Literary Meaning: the Armenian was asked: who is your witness? s/he says: grape squeezer (wine maker). Refers to a situation where one’s witness is even worse than the person her/ himself ‫اَریم اولسون اِرمنی اولسون‬ Literary Meaning: I want a husband even Christian Having a partner (no matter who) is far better than being alone ‫اَراولسون اکبر اولسون‬ Literary Meaning: I want husband even Akbar. Having a partner (no matter who) is far better than being alone. ‫از قضای ربانی پیشیه یدی مربانی‬ Literary Meaning: as the result of divine will, the cat ate the jam. Refers to explain a situation where the thing which is hoped not to happen, happens. ‫ اؤزگه مالی آسالنیب‬، ‫اُز مالیم گؤرسن میر‬ Literary Meaning: my property is hidden, others’ property is hanging in the middle. Others’ property is for my use, but mine should be protected. ‫اُزگه آتینا مینن تز دوشر‬ Literary Meaning: That who rides other’s horse, falls down soon. The one who starts a job with debt fails very quickly. En: Better go to bed without supper than rise in debt. ‫اُزگه آدامین نامازین اُستورا اُستورا گئالر‬ Literary Meaning: others says prayers on your behalf while they fart.

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En: If you want a thing done well, do it yourself. ‫ن کورکن دورماخ‬.....‫اُزگه س‬ Literary Meaning: To be bridegroom with someone else’s p…s. To start a work or investment by counting on others’ capabilities and facilities. En: Better go to bed without supper than rise in debt ‫ائوزومون قشنگین چاققال یییر‬ Literary Meaning: Jackal eats the best grape. It is the most cunning person that has the best share of everything. ‫اُزی یئخئالن آغالماز‬ Literary Meaning: The one who falls himself, should not cry. we should not cry when the bad consequences of our own decision has damaged our life. ‫اُستوراخدان گولونجا نه وار؟‬ Literary Meaning: What is the relationship between farting and gripes? Don’t try to make connection between two basically irrelevant events or topics. "‫ دییرلر "گوتو یوخدی‬،‫اُستورانین قاباغئندا سئشماسان‬ Literary Meaning: If you don’t shit before someone who farted before you, people would say “s/he did not have ass”. If you did not show a strong reaction to a bad deed done to you, people would consider you as coward. ‫اُستورماغی بس دگیل یل قاباغئندا دا دورور‬ Literary Meaning: Farting was not enough, on top of it, s/he stands in the wind. To defend a wrong deed ‫استوروپ آیئلماخ‬ Literary Meaning: To fart and wake up. To become wise after making mistake. En: Wise after the event. ‫اششین کُرپودن گئچنه جاخ آیی یه دایی ده‬

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Literary Meaning: Call the bear “uncle” until your donkey passes the bridge. Obey a strong person until you get your purpose. ‫ پاالنئ تاپدالئر‬, ‫ چاتمئر‬,‫اششیه گوجو‬ Literary Meaning: He can’t fight the donkey, he beats the saddle. To take revenge of weaker person when one can’t fight back the stronger one. ‫اِششیی پاالن ساخالر قشونی یاالن‬ Literary Meaning: Donkey is controlled by saddle, army is controlled by lie. For controlling the mass it is inevitable to tell lies. ‫ توربا تیکنجاخ‬، ‫ یونجام سارالما‬، ‫اِششییم ئولمه یونجا بیتنجاخ‬ Literary Meaning: Don’t die my donkey till the grass grows, don’t wither grass until I sew sack. To give empty promises to someone in need. ‫اِششک نه بیلر آرپا باهادی‬ Literary Meaning: Donkey does not know that barley is expensive. A negligent person never knows the value of things. ‫اِشیت اینانما‬ Literary Meaning: Listen but don’t believe. One should not believe what one hears. En: Believe not all that you see nor half what you hear. ‫اِشَیین گوالغئنا یاسین اُخوماخ‬ Literary Meaning: To read Yassin to the ears of donkey. To try to convince a stubborn person. ‫یاغ ایلنمز‬،‫اصل ایتمز‬ Literary Meaning: decency never disappears, oil never stinks. Someone from a descent origin never loses decency. ‫اُکوز گوجون بولسه چوبانا اگیلمز‬ Literary Meaning: Bull would not obey the shepherd if it knew its own power.

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One would not tolerate oppression if one knew his/her own power. ‫ گوی گوزو ئوز قیرمئزی توک ساریدن‬:‫الحذار اتمک گرک اوچ ذات دن‬ Literary Meaning: avoid people with three people: one with blue eyes, rosy cheeks, and blond hair. Avoid blond people (Refers to the allied forces which occupied Iran in second world war and created so much destructions) ‫ان بؤیوک بیژلئخ دوزلوخدور‬ Literary Meaning: The greatest craftiness is honesty. En: Honesty is the best policy. ‫ ایلده بیر دفعه گلر‬،‫اُو مَراغه باسلئغئدی‬ Literary Meaning: That is Basluq (a kind of sweet) from Maraqe (a town in Azerbaijan), and it comes once a year. It refers to a favorite opportunity which happens very rarely. ‫اُو یِماخالرین بو خئرئلداماخ الری دا وار‬ Literary Meaning: That eating has this grunting. The gains obtained by wrong way, has painful payback (Refers to the grunting noise of the fat sheep while being beheaded. ‫آدام آلتئندان سوز‬، ‫اُود آلتئندان کوز‬ Literary Meaning: Under pot it is fire, under human it is gossip. The ill talks behind one’s back is as burning as the fire on wood. ‫ اوزگه نین گوزونده توکو گورور‬، ‫اُوز گوزونده دیرَیی گورمور‬ Literary Meaning: S/he does not see the stake in his own eye, but sees hair in others’ eye. Be fair with your judgments about others and see your own inadequacies as well. En: Sweep before your own door. ‫ یاخئن یئرین سامانی یاخشئ دئر‬، ‫اوزاخ یئرین آرپاسئندان‬ Literary Meaning: The grass of a near place is better than the barley of a distant place. The small but available opportunities are better than big but unreachable ones. En: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

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Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow Never quit certainty for hope One today is worth two tomorrow ‫ ایچی تَزَکلی‬، ‫اُوزو بَزَکلی‬ Literary Meaning: outside is ornamented, inside is full of manure. Those who have decorated outside might have ill inside. En: A fair face may hide a foul heart. Honey tongue, a heart of gall ‫اُز آرشئنینن اُلچماخ‬ To measure by your own fabric. To judge about people based on your own character. En: To measure other people's corn by one's own bushel. ‫ منه گوز بره لدیر‬، ‫اُوزونه سئچئر‬ Literary Meaning: s/he shit in her/his pants, but glares at me meanwhile. No matter you are scared, you should try to frighten the enemy. ‫اوزون ایتیرماخ‬/ ‫اوزوندن چئخماخ‬ Literary Meaning: To come out of yourself /to lose yourself. To become extremely proud of yourself. ‫اوشاغا ایش تاپئشئر گئت دالئسی جاخ‬ Literary Meaning: Give the child a task to do, then follow him to check. Children usually don’t do the tasks properly as they are playful. ‫اوغرو دان اوغرویا حاللدی‬ Literary Meaning: from one robber to another is halal. There is no shame in robbing from another robber. ‫اُغرونون اوّل ایشی دوشر آی ائشئغئنا‬ Literary Meaning: it becomes moonlight when an unlucky robber wants to do its first robbery. To be a very unlucky person right from the beginning. ‫اُلی اششه دن نال چکماخ‬

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Literary meaning: to take the shoes of a dead horse. To be opportunist, to make benefit even from the pains of others. ‫اُغالن اِوینده خبر یوخدی قیز اِوینده توی توتوپالر‬ Literary Meaning: Nothing has happened in would-be-bridegroom’s family, the would-be-bride’s family is holding wedding ceremony. Some people are in haste to do things. ‫اوّل باخ گور آتی وریللر سونرا آغین یا قره سین آختار‬ Literary Meaning: first see if they want to give you the horse or not, then discuss on its being white or black. Refers to a situation where we are not sure if we would be done a favor or not yet, but we argue about how the details of that favor should be. ‫اوّل قارداشلئغوی ثابت ائله سونرا ارث و میراث ایسته‬ Literary Meaning: First prove your brotherhood and then claim heritage. One can’t expect to have a share of benefits without working and contributing to it. ‫ایپک او قدر خار اولدی اشگه افسار اولدی‬ Literary Meaning: Silk has become so valueless that it has become the donkey bridle. Sometimes noble people lose their social position and work for the ones lower than them. ‫ایت ایتدیگین ترک ائلسه سومسولئغئندان ال چکمز‬ Literary Meaning: dog can’t quit its sluggish manner even if it forgets its being dog. It is hard to forget one’s nature. ‫ایت گورساغی ساری یاغ گوتورمز‬ Literary Meaning: dog’s bowel (intestine) does not accept yellow oil (oil made from the melted butter). Not everyone deserves kindness. ‫ایت موتالدان الچکدی موتال ایتدن ال چکمیر‬ Literary Meaning: the dog left the goatskin, now goatskin does not leave the dog

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To be chased by the things or one, once one was chasing it. ‫ایت هورر کروان گئچر‬ Literary Meaning: the dog barks and caravan goes by. En: The dogs bark, but the caravan goes on. ‫ایتین اَیاغئندان تیکان چیخارتماخ‬ Literary Meaning: S/he takes thorn out of dog’s foot To have a very difficult job ‫ اِشییم اوزگنی‬،‫ایچیم ازومی یاندئرئر‬ Literary Meaning: my inside burns me and my outside burns others. People don’t know about my pains and they just judge me by my appearance which seems happy and then get jealous. ‫اَیری اتوروپ دوز دانئشماخ‬ Literary Meaning: To seat leftward and talk straight (right). To be honest despite everything. ‫ایش ایچینده ایش وار‬ Literary Meaning: There is a work in this work. Something clandestine is going on. ‫ایش ایشدن گئچیپ‬ Literary Meaning: the work has overpassed the work. It is too late. ‫ایش اینسانئن جوهری دیر‬ Literary Meaning: Working is the jewel inside human. En: The busiest man finds the most leisure ‫ایش گالسا اوستونه قار یاغار‬ Literary Meaning: if you leave the job undone, the snow will fall on it. En: Never postpone till tomorrow what you must do (can be done) today. ‫ گورنین دییر‬،‫ایش گوردورنین دیر‬ Literary Meaning: Work is done not by the worker but by the one who manages it. It is the good management that counts.

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‫ایشلیین دمیری پاس باسماز‬ Literary Meaning: The working iron never gets rusted. The one who works, never gets old or sick. ‫ ایشیم دوشنده گُواالر‬، ‫ایشی دوشنده آختارار‬ Literary Meaning: When s/he needs help, s/he looks for me, when I need her/him, s/he pushes me away. To be benefit-minded with no sense of sharing and helping. ‫ایشین دوشدی آروادا اولن گونون سال یادا‬ Literary Meaning: The day you need your wife’s help, imagine your death. Asking for help from your wife is as hard as dying. ‫ایکی اِشیین آرپاسئن بوله بولمماخ‬ Literary Meaning: Not to be able to divide the barley into two portions for two donkeys. To be very clumsy and unintelligent. ‫ایکی عزیزین آراسئنا گیرمزلر‬ Literary Meaning: One should not meddle with two lovers. One should not intrude between two lovers. ‫سئرچه یه دن دوشر‬،‫ایکی قیرغی ساواشار‬ Literary Meaning: Two falcons fight, there falls food for sparrow. There is always a third party who benefits from the problem between two others. ‫ اوز یوواسئنا دوز گدر‬،‫ایالن هر یئره اَیری گدر‬ Literary Meaning: Snake enters everywhere bending, but it enters its own house straight. No matter how we treat others, but we should be honest with our own family. ‫ایالنی اوئوتوب اژدها اولوب‬ Literary Meaning: S/he has swallowed the snake and has become dragon. To become extremely shrewd after having many experiences.

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‫ایالنی سید احمد الینن توتماخ‬ Literary Meaning: To hunt the snake by seyed Ahmad’s hand. To get your aim by manipulating others. ‫ایالنئن گویروغون آیاخالماسان چالماز‬ Literary Meaning: If you do not step the tail of a snake, it won’t bite you. One sees bad, when one does bad. ‫اِرمنی قان گوروپ‬ Literary Meaning: A Christian has seen blood. To be very sensitive. ‫اِرمنی مسلمان اِلماخ‬ Literary Meaning: To force the Christian convert to Islam. To force someone to do something by applying force and violence. ‫اِششیین کوری بوالغین باشیندان سو ایچر‬ Literary Meaning: The blind donkey drinks water from river bank. An ugly person has better luck. ‫ائل اوز دَلی سینی بوراخماز‬ Literary Meaning: people don’t leave their own mad man. People take care of the weakest member of their community or family. ‫ سئل گوجو‬،‫ائل گوجو‬ Literary Meaning: The power of people, the power of flood. En: One man, no man ‫ائلدن عجائیب اولماخ‬ Literary Meaning: To be the odd one among folk. Not to be like public. ‫ائله دانئشئر کی پیشمیش تُویوغون گولماغی گلیر‬ Literary Meaning: S/he talks in a way that cooked chicken feels like laughing. To talk extremely unreasonably. ‫ جین دمیرده ن قورخان کیمی‬، ‫ائله گورخور‬

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Literary Meaning: He scares the way genie fears from iron. To be scared too much. ‫ائله یئرده یات کی آلتئوا سو گِشمسین‬ Literary Meaning: Don’t sleep where you get wet. Don’t make a decision that you can’t handle its bad consequences ‫ائو ساتان بیر ایل دولتی اوالر ایو آالن بیر ایل کاسب‬ Literary Meaning: The one who sells his house is rich for one year, but the one who buys a house is poor for one year. Selling estates is losing but buying it is winning. ‫ائُوجوزدان باهاسی اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: Nothing is more expensive than cheap. One should not pay for cheap stuff as it has no good quality and you have to buy again and again. ‫ائُوجوزلو اتین شورباسی اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: you can’t make good broth with cheap meat. Cheap goods have no good quality. ‫اُجوندان سو داممیر‬ Literary meaning: water does not drip from his/her palm To be very stingy ‫ائوز دئیرکی ایاخ داشیدی‬ Literary Meaning: It is not face, it is pumice. Refers to a very shameless person ‫ائُوز ِورسین آستار دا ایستیر‬ Literary Meaning: you give the cloth, s/he wants the lining. s/he is not satisfied with what you give and always demands for more ‫ ایچریسینده قئلّی دری‬، ‫ائوزه باخیرسان حوری پری‬ Literary Meaning: you look at the face, you see beautiful angel, but inside is a pelt-like skin. A beautiful person might have foul heart En: A fair face may hide a foul heart

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‫ائُولسون او یاخشی کی پیسدن سونرا گلجاخ‬ Literary Meaning: May die the good one that will replace the bad one. Situations never changes for better, rather it always deteriorates ‫ائُولماخ اُلماخدی خئرئلداماغا نه وار‬ Literary Meaning: dying is dying, what is this moaning for? If we are supposed to die once, why should we moan and mourn so much? We better face it like a man. ‫ گورَر نتیجه‬،‫ائُولمز خدیجه‬ Literary Meaning: Khadijah will not die and will see the grand grandchild (the end). One could see the result if one would wait with patience. ‫ائُولن یوخدور قبرینه سئچاسان‬ Literary Meaning: No one is dying so that you can shit is his grave. Don’t rush, you have to wait a lot ‫ائُولومدن باشقا هر شئیه چاره وار‬ Literary Meaning: there is solution for everything except death. The only thing which has no cure is death ‫ سئچار کفنین باتیرار‬، ‫ائُولونی تک گویسان‬ Literary Meaning: If you leave the dead, it will defecate in its shroud. No one and nothing should be left without inspection and control even a dead person ‫ هانچی تومان اُونا دُزر‬،‫ائُووجور کی خانم باجی چزر‬ Literary Meaning: the way sister farts, no pants can resist it. Some mistakes are so big that it is hard to resist before its consequences ‫ائویمدن چئخار قارنئما گئدیر‬ Literary Meaning: it leaves my house and goes to my mouth. To survive with the least sustenance. En: To live from hand to mouth. ‫اَل الی یووار ال ده دونر ئوزی یووار‬ Literary Meaning: Hand washes hand and hand washes the face.

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Every goodness has a good payback. En: Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours One hand washes the other ‫اُلی دوروپ میرده شیری یووور‬ Literary Meaning: Dead has stood up and washes the dead washer. Things are working reverse ‫اَوّلده نئیدی حسن جمالون که ایندی اوالسان مین برکانال‬ Literary Meaning: your beauty was not remarkable in the beginning, let alone now. Someone or something which is bad in the beginning, will continue being so till the end.

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‫ب‬ ‫بارلی آغاجا داش وورارالر‬ Literary Meaning: people throw stone to a fruitful tree. People take advantage of the ones who are beneficial. ‫ دَییرمانا گئدر قیرغین اوالر‬،‫بازارا گئدر یاغیش یاغار‬ Literary Meaning: s/he goes to market, it starts raining, s/he goes to windmill, there begin massacre. An unlucky person is unlucky always and everywhere ‫باشدا آغئل اولماسا بدن عذابدا اوالر‬ Literary Meaning: a head which does not have reason, puts body in trouble. An irrational person create problem for him/herself. ‫باشی پیچاغا سوتماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to rub the head to knife. To look for trouble. ‫ گوتون توتوسان دییر دلما یرپاقی‬،‫باشین توتوسان گوتی دییر دولما یرپاغی‬ Literary Meaning: you hold its head, the bottom demand for grape leaf, you hold the bottom, its head demands for grape leaf. A situation where various problems keep on popping up steadily. ‫ اوجا یئردن سال‬، ‫باشئوا داش دا ساالندا‬ Literary Meaning: if you want to drop a head on your head, drop it from a high place. It is better to choose a high ambition and target rather than a small one. ‫ باغبان بیر سالخئم اؤزومه قیئیمادی‬، ‫باغ صاحابی باغئنا قیئیدی‬

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Literary Meaning: the owner of garden has no problem giving away the whole garden, the gardener does not want to give away a cluster of grape. The servants are more sensitive to the property of their lord than the lord themselves ‫باغ صاحابی تئله سه ده اوزوم واقتیندا یئتیشه ر‬ Literary Meaning: the grape will be ripe when it is supposed to be ripe, no matter how hasty the gardener is. Don’t haste for anything, as there is a time for anything to happen ‫باغبانئن گول واختی قوالغی ائشیتمز‬ Literary Meaning: The gardener becomes deaf when the flowers are ready for picking. People don’t want others around them when they earn good fortune. En: He that has a full purse never wanted a friend. ‫باغدا اریک واریدی سالم علیک واریدی باغدان اریک گورتولدی سالم علیک‬ ‫گورتولدی‬ Literary Meaning: there was greeting between us as long as there was apricot in the garden. Now that apricots is over, greetings is over too. People are around you as long they get benefit from you. ‫باال بالدان دا شیرین‬،‫بال شیرین‬ Literary Meaning: Honey is sweet but one’s child is sweeter than honey. Children are the sweetest beings that parents have. ‫باال لی قارغا بال یئمه ز‬ Literary Meaning: a raven which has a baby can’t eat honey. Parents prefer their children’ welfare to their own. ‫ حرکت ده دیر‬،‫برکت‬ Literary Meaning: Blessing is in moving. The only way to become successful is to work hard. ‫بِش بارماخ بشیده بیر اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: Not all five fingers are the same. People are different.

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‫بُش تابوت باشئندا آغالماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to cry on an empty coffin. En: To flog a dead horse. ‫بُش توتان برک یییر‬ Literary meaning: the one who takes it too easy, gets beaten too hard. To be extremely easy-taking and reckless in life, makes the person face hard blows. ‫بِش ده آالجاغئم یوخ اوچ ده وئره جاغئم‬ Literary Meaning: I don’t have anything to get at five or anything to pay at three. I am free as I am neither claimant nor debtor. ‫بِش یاشئندا قویون اللّی یاشیندا قاضی نی آالر‬ Literary Meaning: A five-year old goat can buy a fifty years-old judge. Bribe opens all the blocked ways. ‫بوباشدا سئزئلداماخ اُوباشدا آغالماخدان یاخشئدئر‬ Literary Meaning: To moan in the beginning is better than crying at the end. Better to talk the terms of deal openly at the beginning in order to avoid disagreement at the end. ‫بو گونون صاباحی دا وار‬ Literary Meaning: every today has a tomorrow. One must foresee the future. ‫ هر گلن باخار گئدر‬،‫بودونیا بیر گوزگودور‬ Literary Meaning: this world is a mirror, everyone looks at it and passes by. Life is short. ‫بوردا منم باغداددا کور خلیفه‬ Literary Meaning: I rule here and Caliphate in Baghdad. To be an arrogant and proud person. ‫بولالنئخ سودان بالئخ توتماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to catch fish from muddy water.

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To make advantage of the uncertain situation. To be opportunist. ‫بورنو یئللی اولماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to have airy nose. To be very proud. ‫بورنوندان توتسان جانی چئخار‬ Literary Meaning: s/he would die if you held his/her nose. To be very weak ‫بوغدا بوغدادان بیته ر‬ Literary Meaning: wheat grows from wheat. En: As you sow so shall you reap ‫بوقارا او قارا یا بنزه مز‬ Literary Meaning: this black is not like the other blacks. This situation seems to be more serious than the previous ones. ‫بوگون قیزین دوگمه ین صاباح دیزین دویه جاخ‬ Literary Meaning: That who does not beat her daughter today, will beat her knees tomorrow. Parents should behave their children as long they are children otherwise they will face problem in adulthood. ‫بوالغ سو توکمه یی ایله بوالغ اولماز گئره ک اوزو جوشا‬ Literary Meaning: you can’t fill a river by carrying water into it, it must flow by itself. You can’t motivate a person by force. Motivation should come from inside. ‫بوالنماسا دورولماز‬ Literary Meaning: it will not be clear without being blurred. En: After rain comes fair weather ‫بونالردان فاطییا تومان اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: one can’t make pants for Fatima from these (pieces) One can’t count on this solution and must think of a better way. ‫بونون ایپینین ائوستونه اودون یئغماق اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: you can’t stack wood on his/her rope.

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You can’t rely on this person ‫بَی وِئرن آتئن دیشله رینی سایمازالر‬ Literary Meaning: One should not count the teeth of the horse given by lord. En: Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth ‫بؤرکونو قوی قاباغئنا‬ Literary Meaning: Put your hat before you. Be fair ‫بیر اَلده ایکی گارپئز توتماغ اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: it is not possible to carry two water melons in one hand. En: If you run after two hares, you will catch neither. ‫ بیر جووالدوز اوزگیه‬،‫بیر اینه اوزووه وور‬ Literary Meaning: Sting yourself with a small needle when you sting others with a big needle. En: Sweep before your own door ‫بیر آلما گویه گئدیپ یره دوشنجاخ مین دفه فئرالنار‬ Literary Meaning: an apple going up will roll thousands of time before it falls down. An event may experience many changes until it reaches to its final status that is why one should not be quick in judgments. ‫بیر آیاغی قبیرده اولماخ‬ Literary Meaning: To have one leg in grave. To be too old. ‫بیز بخت آچانوخ اَرَ گدن دَییروخ‬ Literary Meaning: we don’t get married but help others get married. We pave the way for others success but we can’t be successful ourselves ‫داما داما گو’ل اوالر‬،‫بیر بیر مین اوالر‬ Literary Meaning: one on one makes thousands and drop on drop makes lake.

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En: Many a little makes a mickle. ‫بیر تخته سی اسکیک دی‬ Literary Meaning: one stack of his/her (mind) is missing. s/he has part missing (s/he is stupid). ‫اون تیکه نی ده بیلمز‬، ‫بیر تیکه نی بیلمه ین‬ Literary Meaning: the one not grateful for one morsel, will not be grateful for thousands of morsels. An ungrateful person is ungrateful no matter how much you give her/him ‫بیر داش ایله ایکی قوش وورماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to hit two birds with one stone. En: To kill two birds with one stone ‫بیر دَلینین گویویا سالدئغی داشی مین دانا عقیلی چیخاردا بیلمز‬ Literary Meaning: thousands of wise people can’t take out the stone a mad has dropped in a well. En: A fool may throw a stone into a well which a hundred wise men cannot pull out. ‫بیر ساعتدی تنبکی یانیر االن دئیر نه توسسو سیدی‬ Literary Meaning: it is one hour that tobacco is burning, now s/he asks “what this smell? Unaware of about what goes on around. ‫ مین سوز دئییلمز‬،‫بیر سوز اولماسا‬ Literary Meaning: people would not say many things if there were not one thing. En: there is no smoke without fire ‫ هامی کور سنده کور‬،‫بیر کنده گیردین‬ Literary Meaning: when you enter a village, everyone blind you blind too. En: When at Rome, do like the Romans do ‫بیر گول ایله باهار اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: spring does not come with one flower.

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To fulfill a purpose, a lot of efforts is required ‫بیرلیک هاردا دیریلیک اوردا‬ Literary Meaning: life is where there is unity. Liveliness lies in unity ‫بیری باتمان گلسه او بیری گره یاریم باتمان گله‬ Literary Meaning: If someone is one baatmaan, the other should be half baatmaan (unit of measuring weight). One of the two arrogant people should compromise. ‫ طوفان اُندان گُپار‬،‫بیری یییر بیری باخار‬ Literary Meaning: One eats and others watch, that is why storm happens. Injustice results in uprising. ‫بیرینه پاپئش تیکماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to sew bootees for someone. En: to frame somebody ‫بیزیم گلین بیزدن قاچار اوزون توتار گوتون آچار‬ Literary Meaning: our bride avoids us, she covers her head but reveals her buttocks. To be ashamed of what you should not be and not to be ashamed of what you should be. ‫بیکارلئخ بیعارلئخ‬ Literary Meaning: not working is being remiss. It is a remiss person who is idle. ‫بئش بارماخ بئشیده بیر اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: not all five fingers are the same. People are different. ‫بئش قئرانلئق یوغورت کیمین اوزون توتماخ‬ Literary Meaning: To look solid like a five-toman yoghurt. To be unapproachable and proud.

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‫پ‬ ‫ مرد رند آژلیخدان اولر‬،‫پاخما اولماسا‬ Literary Meaning: the smart would die in hunger if there was no naive. En: one man’s loss is one man’s gain. ‫ کیمه دییم دردیمی؟‬،‫ آلاله یوخاری دا‬،‫پادشاه اوزاغ دا‬ Literary Meaning: God is up there and king is too far away, to whom shall I say my pains? Refers to the desperate situation where one has no one to get help of. ‫پاسلی دمیردَن قئلئنج اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: you can’t make sword from rusted iron. Do your investment on right place ‫پاکات ایچینده سؤز دئماخ‬ Literary Meaning: To say words in bag. To speak covertly. ‫پامبئغئنان باش کسماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to be authoritative in a very gentle way. En: To cut one’s throat with a feather ‫ یاش یا قورو‬، ‫پُخ پوخدور‬ Literary Meaning: shit is shit, either wet or dry. Bad is bad no matter how the appearance looks. ‫پُخ یییَنین قاشیغی بلینده اوالر‬ Literary Meaning: the one who wants to eat shit, should carry his /her spoon on her/his back. When embarking to do something, one should count on his/her own facilities and capabilities, not others’ ‫پنیری دری ساخالر قادئنی اری‬

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Literary Meaning: goatskin preserves the cheese and the man protects his wife. En: A good Jack makes a good Jill ‫پول اَلین چرکیدیر‬ Literary Meaning: money is hand filth. Money is not valuable ‫پولی جیبین دلیر‬ Literary Meaning: His money is making hole is his pocket. En: His money burns a hole in his pocket. ‫پیس یرده توکان آچمئشام‬ Literary Meaning: to open shop in a bad place. En: To fish in troubled waters. ‫پولو پوال وئرماخ‬ Literary Meaning: give money to money. Give money to something which is worthy of buying. ‫پول پول گتیرر‬ Literary Meaning: money brings money. En: money begets money ‫پیچاق اوز دسته سین کسمز‬ Literary Meaning: knife does not cut its handle. En: Don’t cut the bough you are standing on ‫پیچاق وورسان قانی چئخماز‬ Literary Meaning: if you stab him with knife, no blood comes out. To be extremely mad at someone or something. ‫پیس اوالدی نه آتماغ اوالر نه اوتماغ‬ Literary Meaning: it is neither possible to throw nor swallow a bad child. It is neither possible to abandon nor tolerate a bad child. ‫سئچدی اوستون باسدئردی‬، ‫پیشی یه دئدیلر پوخون درمان دی‬ Literary Meaning: The cat was said: your dung is cure, it shit and covered it.

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the more you implore, the more reluctant the stingy person to share ‫پیشییین آغزی اَته چاتماز دئیه ر مینداردی‬ Literary Meaning: The cat can’t reach the meat, he says: “it is dirty”. Those who can’t reach a favored things or situation, start talking bad behind it

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‫ت‬ ‫تاری یازانی بنده پوزا بیلمز‬ Literary Meaning: Human can’t change the destiny written by God. En: No flying from fate. ‫تایلی تایئن تاپمالی‬ Literary Meaning: Everyone should look for the one of same type. Everyone should socialize with the one who is similar to him/her. En: birds from the same feather, fly together. ‫ترلی چالئر توربالی اوینور‬ Literary Meaning: the one selling Tare (Allium ampeloprasum persicum; a kind of vegetable) plays music and the one with sack is dancing. The ultimate point of disorder and chaos ‫تک اَلدن سس چئخماز‬ Literary Meaning: There is no sound in single hand. En: One man, no man ‫تکلئخ آلالها گلیب‬ Literary Meaning: Being alone is peculiar only to God. Human being is not meant to be alone. ‫تکه ده قوچ هنری اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: goat does not have the art of a ram. A weak person can’t perform like a strong one. ‫ اره گئتسده خئیر گؤرمز‬،‫تلسن قیز اره گئتمز‬ Literary Meaning: the girl who hurries to marry, does not get married and even if she does, she won’t be happy. En: Haste makes waste

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All things come to those who wait Everything comes to him who waits ‫ قئزی زیرنگ اوالر‬، ‫تنبل قادئنئن‬ Literary Meaning: a lazy mother has a peppy girl. A lazy mother usually has a peppy girl. ‫توخون آجدان خبری اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: A full person is not aware of a hungry person. The rich class is usually unaware of lower class ‫اورکدن سو ایچر‬،‫توک ایله دری‬ Literary Meaning: skin and hair get water from heart. The way skin and hair look is indicative of the psychological status of the person. ‫توال ایتدن ده مردار اوالر‬ Literary Meaning: puppy is dirtier than bitch itself. Children inherit the bad behaviors of parents in stronger ways. En: Like parents, like children ‫تولکو سوواخلی باغا گیرمه ز‬ Literary Meaning: the fox never enters a garden which has walls. No one can damage the property which is protected ‫تولکوسن آسالن ایله چیخما ساوشا‬ Literary Meaning: if you are a fox don’t look for fight with lion. Don’t challenge yourself with someone stronger than yourself. ‫ قویروغوم‬:‫تولکویه دئدیلر هانی شاهیدین؟ دئدی‬ Literary Meaning the fox was asked? “Who is your witness? It said: “my tail”. Refers to a situation where one’s excuse is worse than one’s mistake. ‫تویدا اوینایانین بویون گوره رلر‬ Literary Meaning: people see the body of the person who dances in wedding. En: The higher the ape goes, the more he shows his tail.

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‫تویدان سونرا ناغارانین فایداسی اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: there is no use to play drum after wedding. En: There's a time and a place for everything. ‫ یئنه ائشَلنمگیندن قالماز‬، ‫تویوغو بیر خالوار بوغدانین ایچینه سالسان‬ Literary Meaning: if you put the hen inside plenty of seeds, it won’t stop scrabbling the ground. A hard-working man can’t quit working hard even if he gets drowned in wealth ‫تویوغون اوشدوغی کوللوغا جان اوالر‬ Literary Meaning: the hen can fly only up the dunghill. An unintelligent person can’t make great decisions ‫تویوغون بیر قیچی وار‬ Literary Meaning: hen has only one leg. To be stubborn and stick to your own idea ‫تویوق نه قدیر کؤکله او قدیرده بوزدومو داراالر‬ Literary Meaning: the fatter the hen, the tighter its vent. The richer, the stingier. ‫محبّت آرتیرار‬،‫تیکه گارین دویورماز‬ Literary Meaning: morsel does not feed, rather increases the love. Sharing bits does not feed, rather creates friendships and love

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‫ج‬ ‫جاالنان سو بیر داها کوزه یه قِییتمز‬ Literary Meaning: the water poured on ground never returns back to ewer. En: what is done cannot be undone What is lost is lost ‫ کامال گاالر‬،‫جامال گئدر‬ Literary Meaning: beauty goes, good manner remains. Beauty is temporary but nice behavior remains. ‫جان آلالها ورماخ‬ Literary meaning: to give soul to God To be extremely lazy for doing something. ‫ جان ائشیت‬،‫جان ده‬ Literary Meaning: say my soul, hear my soul. Do kindness to see kindness. ‫جان شیرین اولور‬ Literary Meaning: soul is sweet. Soul (life) is sweet ‫جان وئره ر مال وئرمز‬ Literary Meaning: s/he is ready to give life (die) but not to give money. To be very stingy. ‫ ماال گلسین‬،‫جانا گلن‬ Literary Meaning: May what is supposed to happen to our soul, happen to our money. Better to lose money than health. ‫ آت دان یئیین گئدر‬،‫جانی آغریان اِئشک‬ Literary Meaning: The donkey which has pain runs faster than horse.

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The one in pain works harder. ‫ صفا گورمز‬،‫جفا چکمه ین‬ Literary Meaning: the one who does not see pain, does not enjoy. En: If there were no clouds, we should not enjoy the sun. No pain no gain ‫ گویدن س… یاغار‬، ‫ن دوعاسی مستجاب اولسا‬....‫جند‬ Literary Meaning: if the prayers of a bitch were accepted, it would rain p….s. The world is not run by the wishes of wicked people. ‫جواهر جیندا آراسیندا اوالر‬ Literary Meaning: the jewelry always lies in ragged cloth. En: don’t judge the book by its cover ‫جوجه نی پاییزدا سایارالر‬ Literary Meaning: chickens are counted at the end of autumn. En: Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched ‫جوجه همیشه سبت آلتئندا قالماز‬ Literary Meaning: chicken never stays under basket forever. En: truth will out. ‫جوجه یومورتادان چیخار گابئغئنی بینمز‬ Literary Meaning: chicken hatches and looks down on its own shell. Children usually don’t accept their parents. ‫جهننمه گئدن اؤزونه یولداش آختارار‬ Literary Meaning: the one going to hell looks for a company. An outlaw always looks for a partner for his wrong doings. ‫جهوت کیمن پول یئغماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to collect money like Jews. To be stingy and money lover.

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‫چ‬ ‫گئدر پیشییین پئشوازینا‬،‫چاخئری توکسن سیچانین بوغازینا‬ Literary Meaning: If you pour alcohol in mouth’s throat, it will look for cat People should not be counted on beyond their potentials. ‫چادرا سئزلئخ دان ائوده قالماخ‬ Literary Meaning: To stay at home for not having Chador. No to show the real face because the occasion does not arise. ‫ چاغئرمایان یئره باخمازالر‬،‫چاغئران یئردن قالمازالر‬ Literary Meaning: don’t skip from where you have been invited to, don’t look at the place where you have not been invited. Don’t go where you are not invited and don’t miss going where you are invited ‫ چاالر الر قاپئنی‬،‫چالما قاپئمی‬ Literary Meaning: don’t knock on my door, they will knock on your door. Don’t make trouble for others as they can make trouble for you ‫ آلماسی قیزارار‬،‫چالیشان قازانار‬ Literary Meaning: the one who works earns, and his/her apples get red (ripe) En: No money, no honey No pain, no gain ‫چوخ اوجا سئچیپ هله بیرده باشئندان دیشلیر‬ Literary Meaning: s/he thinks he has not shit high, on top of it, he bites it from top. To defend a wrong deed ‫چوخ زرینگلیخ جوانمرگلیخ گتیرر‬

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Literary Meaning: too much smartness makes one die young. To be too shrewd harms the person himself finally. ‫چوخ گزن چوه بولر چوخ یاشیان یوخ‬ Literary Meaning: the one who travels a lot knows more not the one who lives long. Knowledge comes through experience not living long. ‫چوخ محبت تئز آیرلئخ گتیر ر‬ Literary Meaning: too much love causes early separation. Lovers separate faster. ‫چوخ یماخلئخ آدامی آز یماخدان دا گویار‬ Literary Meaning: eating much hampers eating little. To have greed for obtaining more makes you lose the little you already have En: The camel going to seek horns lost his ears ‫چومچه آش دان ایستی اولوپ‬ Literary Meaning: ladle is warmer than soup. En: to be more catholic than pope. ‫ گؤر لذت‬،‫چه زحمت‬ Literary Meaning: work hard, then enjoy. En: no pain, no gain ‫ سویو کوزَهدَه‬، ‫چؤره یی سوفرادا گؤرؤب‬ Literary meaning: s/he has seen the bread on the table and water in ewer. En: to be born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth ‫ قاپاغئنئ تاپار‬، ‫چؤلمَک گَزَر‬ Literary Meaning: the pot rolls and finds its lid. En: birds of a feather flock together ‫چیبان مئندار اولماز اوره ک بوالندئرار‬ Literary Meaning: wen is not unclean but it makes human feel sick. Some problems are not serious but they challenge human same way as hard problems do.

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‫چیراخ اوز دیبینه ائشئخ وئر مز‬ Literary Meaning: the lamp does not shed light around on its own base. En: The darkest place is under the candlestick

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‫ح‬ ‫ آغئز شیرین اولماز‬،‫حالوا حالوا دماغینان‬ Literary Meaning: mouth does not get sweet only by saying “Halva”. En: wishes don’t wash the dishes ‫حامام سویو ایله دوست توتماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to make friends by bath water. To make friends by spending the money from others’ pocket. ‫ ده قلیان چکر‬...‫حسن ده قلیان چکر حسین ده قلیان چکر؛ منیم ده پولوم اولسا س‬ Literary Meaning: Hassan smokes hobble bubble, Hussein smokes too, if I had money, my p….. would smoke too To live well, we don’t need others’ advice, we need money. ‫حق ایله باطیلین آراسی دورد بارماقدئر‬ Literary Meaning: the distance between wrong and right is just four fingers. The border between wrong and right is too close. ‫ وئرمه لی ده ییل‬،‫حق آلمالئدئر‬ Literary Meaning: right is not given, it should be taken. To get our right, we have to fight for it. ‫حق داشی آغئر اوالر‬ Literary Meaning: the stone of right is heavy. It is the right person who finally wins. ‫حق سوز آجی اوالر‬ Literary Meaning: right word is bitter. Truth is hard to accept. ‫حق سوز آخار سوالری ساخالر‬ Literary Meaning: right words stop the streaming water. Truth have great power.

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‫ همدان اوزاخ کردیسی یاخئن‬/‫حکماوار‬ Literary Meaning: Hokmabad / Hamadan is far but its patch is close. To prove oneself one needs not to go far away. ‫حکیم اشه اتی بویوروپ‬ Literary Meaning: Doctor has ordered donkey flesh. To insist on doing something impossible. ‫حیرصین دوولته زیانئ وار‬ Literary Meaning: anger damages property. Control yourself when you get angry as you might damage your own property. ‫اینسانئن ایشینه‬، ‫حیوانئن دیشینه باخارالر‬ Literary Meaning: one looks at animal’s tooth but people’s deed. En: The work shows the workman

49

‫خ‬ ‫ عمی دن دده‬،‫خاالدان ننه اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: aunt can’t be mother, uncle can’t be father. No body, except the true parents of a child really care for the child. ‫خانم سئندئران قابئن سسی چئخماز‬ Literary Meaning: the dishes broken by the woman makes no sound women misuse their authority at home to cover up their own mistakes. ‫خکه خکه دئیینجه قئش چئخار‬ Literary Meaning: the winter comes to end while you keep on asking for “coal”. En: If you want a thing done well, do it yourself ‫خلقین ایسسی آشئنا سویوخ سوگاتماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to mix cold water to someone’s hot soup. To make trouble for the glooming business of people. En: To put a spoke in somebody’s wheel ‫خیاطئن اینه سی ایتمسه گونده اون دانا کوینک تیکر‬ Literary Meaning: the tailor could sew ten suits a day if his needle would not get lost. People look for pretext to justify their laziness ‫ خئییر گوتور‬، ‫خئییر وئر‬ Literary Meaning: give goodness, take goodness. Be good to get goodness payback. En: Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours

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‫د‬ ‫ دادسئز سؤز باش آغریسی‬،‫دادلی سؤز جان آرزوسو‬ Literary Meaning: Sweet words are the heart desire, bitter words are headache. People always run from sharp tongue and prefer kind treatment ‫ نه بیلیسَن لذّتینی؟‬،‫دادمامیسان قاز اَتینی‬ Literary Meaning: you have not tasted the goose meat, how can you know the taste? Don’t judge about what you have not experienced. ‫داش دوشدوغو یرده آغردی‬ Literary meaning: stone is heavy where it is fallen. One is welcome more in his/her own homeland. ‫ آدام آداما یتیشر‬،‫داغ داغا یئتیشمز‬ Literary Meaning: two mountains never meet each other but two humans do. En: Men may meet but mountains never. ‫ قاباغا گئشسن دییرلر بیج دی‬، ‫دالیا قالسان دئیرلر گیج دی‬ Literary Meaning: if you advance, they will call you bastard, if you are left behind, they call you stupid. People always have something to criticize you. ‫دامارا باخئپ قان آلماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to look at the vein and get blood. To get benefit and advantage from others as much as they afford to give. ‫دانئشدی گوللر آشدی‬ Literary Meaning: s/he talked and flower flourished.

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Being reckless and inconsiderate while talking. ‫دانئشماخ گوموشدن اولسا دانئشماماخ قئزئلدان دئر‬ Literary Meaning: if talking is silver, silence is gold. En: Speech is silver but silence is gold. ‫داعوا آراسئندا نرخ تعیین الماخ‬ Literary meaning: to determine price in the middle of a quarrel. Being opportunist by talking about one’s favorite conditions right in the middle of other’s fight. ‫ آرابانی چکن آتدیر‬، ‫دایچا نه قدر برک گاچسا‬ Literary Meaning: no matter how quick the colt runs, it is the power of the horse which carries the coach. It is the experience which runs a business not the power of youth. ‫ ددوخ یکه دانئش ددی یکه گامیش‬،‫ددوخ دانئش ددی گامیش‬ Literary Meaning: we said talk, s/he said: ox, we said talk big, s/he said: big ox. Not to be considerate while talking and talking recklessly. ‫ هر گلنی وور دئدی‬،‫دده م منه کور دئدی‬ Literary Meaning: my father has told me you are blind, so hit anyone who passes by. To be aggressive towards others. ‫درد الیندن اُخورام گلن دییر عشقه باخ‬ Literary Meaning: I am singing from pain, people say look at the passion of love! People always judge you by appearance. ‫درد بیر دانا اولسا چکماغا نه وار‬ Literary Meaning: if there were only one trouble, one could easily bear it. People usually have lots of troubles and problems to bear. ‫دردلی دینگن اوالر‬ Literary Meaning: the one with so many pains, nags a lot. Pains makes one nag a lot.

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‫دئوز سوزی اوشاخدان ائشیت‬ Literary Meaning: listen the right words from the child En: Truth comes out of the mouths of babies and sucklings ‫دوزلوخدا یرییه بولمور شخم دا شالخ آتئر‬ Literary Meaning: s/he can’t walk on smooth road, s/he kicks in ploughed land. To challenge yourself with something which is beyond your real capabilities. ‫ یورولماز‬، ‫دئوز یول گه ده ن‬ Literary Meaning: one who goes the right path, never gets tired. being righteous gives one power to follow his/her path ‫دُزَن آپارار دایانان مقصده چاتار‬ Literary Meaning: the one who waits, wins, the one who tolerates, reaches the destination. En: Slow and steady wins the race All things come to those who wait Everything comes to him who waits ‫دنیا بشدی آخری ِهشدی‬ Literary Meaning: the world is five, its end is nothing. Life is too short and too valueless. ‫دوز ییییپ دوز گابی سئندئرما‬ Literary Meaning: to eat salt and to break the saltshaker. En: Never cast dirt into that fountain of which you have sometime drunk. ‫ دوشمن آیاغا‬،‫دوست باشا باخار‬ Literary Meaning: friend looks at your head, the enemy looks at your foot. Friends judge you according to your thoughts but enemies judge you according to your appearance. ‫ تازیه دییر توت‬، ‫دووشانا دییر گاچ‬

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Literary Meaning: s/he tells the rabbit to run and tells the dog to catch it. To bring to enemies into confrontation for one’s own benefit. ‫دوالنان آیاغا داش دیه ر‬ Literary meaning: the stone touches the walking foot En: a cat in glove catches no flies A close mouth catches no flies. ‫ کاسیب اوتورار پولالرین سایار‬، ‫دولتلی پول چیخاردار‬ Literary Meaning: the rich earns money, the poor sits and counts his money. Rich people are not content with little money, but a poor one becomes quickly content with little money. ‫دوواخ آخار گودوشون تاپار‬ Literary Meaning: pot lid rolls and finds its own pot. People socialize with the ones of their own type. En: birds of a feather flock together ‫آدامی غم‬، ‫دوواری نم یئخار‬ Literary Meaning: damp destroys the wall, grief destroy human. Anguish kills human. ‫دوه دن بویوک فیل وار‬ Literary Meaning: elephant is bigger than camel. There is always someone who has the upper hand. ‫دوه دن ده بیر قیل غنیمتدیر‬ Literary Meaning: one single hair from camel is a gain. To fleece something from a rich stingy person is a gain. ‫دوه دیزین بینیپ خانیم اوزون بینیپ‬ Literary Meaning: camel is in love with its knees, the lady is in love with herself. Refers to a selfish and proud woman who has also many shortcomings ‫دونین اولوسی ده اششه دن بویوکدور‬ Literary Meaning: a dead camel is still bigger than an alive donkey.

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Some good people who are powerless are still far better than powerful but bad bad-natured people ‫ دئدی هارام دوزدی کی‬، ‫دوه یه دئدیلر بُینون ایریدی‬ Literary Meaning: the camel was asked: “why is your neck bent?” it says “where is the right part of my body?” Refers to a person who has many inadequacies and faults. ‫دیلی دیش دورمور‬ Literary Meaning: his/her tongue does not stand idle. En: The tongue of idle person is never idle. ‫دیشلیین ایت هورمز‬ Literary Meaning: a barking dog never bites. En: a threatened blow is seldom given Great barkers are no biters ‫دیلی دیینین گُتی یییر‬ Literary Meaning: the one whose tongue talks, gets his / her ass beaten. One should control her/his tongue not to face problem. ‫دینه نی وار‬، ‫دینمییَنین‬ Literary Meaning: The one who is silent has someone to protest for her. There is someone who protects you where you are not able of protecting yourself. ‫دییرمان نوبتینن ایشلر‬ Literary Meaning: the windmill works by turn. Everything is working by turn and order. ‫ اوست داشی اُوزون الدورور‬،‫دییرمانین آت داشی دینمیر‬ Literary Meaning: the nether millstone is silent, the upper millstone kills itself. The person who is truly in problem is silent but the one with small problems moans and complains a lot. ‫دئدی دئدی مالکه دیر‬

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Literary Meaning: saying something repeatedly turns it to reality. Repeat something until it becomes reality. ‫دئوین قوالغئنا قورقوشوم‬ Literary Meaning: May the lead fill the ears of monster. May the God protect us from bad wills and intentions. (a superstitious expression)

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‫ذ‬ ‫ذکرسیز مومنی شیطان آلالدار‬ Literary Meaning: Satan deceives the believer without prayer. One should be always in contact with God ‫ذوقسوز طاعت بارسئز آغاشدئر‬ Literary Meaning: the worship without enthusiasm is like a fruitless tree. Be pure and eager while worshipping

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‫ر‬ ‫لعنت پوزانا‬، ‫رحمت دوزه نه‬ Literary Meaning: May the God bless the one who builds, and damn the one who destroys. En: It is easier to pull down than to build ‫رنگیمه باخ احوالئمی خبر آل‬ Literary Meaning: look at my face color and then ask about how I feel. One’s appearance is indicative of how one feels. ‫روزوسو گلن زامان یوخو توتار کؤپه یین‬ Literary Meaning: Dog falls asleep when it is time for its sustenance to be given. An unlucky person misses the chance of his/ her life due to negligence

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‫ز‬ ‫زحمت چکمییَن راحاتلئغئن قدرینی بیلمز‬ Literary Meaning: the one who does not work hard, never knows the value of comfort. Only the one who tolerates pain knows the taste of success. ‫زحمت سیز بال دادانمازسان‬ Literary Meaning: you can’t taste honey without working hard. En: No money no honey ‫زحمتی مشاطه چکر لذتی داماد آپارئر‬ Literary Meaning: the hairdresser works hard, the bridegroom takes the joy. En: One beats the bush, and another catches the bird ‫زُرونان پازار اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: one can’t make a deal by force En: You can take a horse to the water but you cannot make him drink. ‫زیانئن یاریسئندان گییتماق قازانجدئر‬ Literary Meaning: to draw back from the middle of a loss is victory. To avoid the loss at any point is gain. ‫زئرنانی گن طرفدن چالماخ‬ Literary meaning: to play the Soorna (a musical instrument like clarinet) from its bell side. Making a task more complicated and difficult by doing it in wrong way.

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‫س‬ ‫ گلر زامانی‬، ‫ساخال سامانی‬ Literary Meaning: don’t throw the chaff away, there comes the time you will need it. En: Keep a thing seven years and you will find a use for it. ‫ساخال منی ساخلییم سنی‬ Literary Meaning: take care of me to take care of you. En: A good Jack makes a good Jill. ‫ قیزارا قیزارا اولمه ک یاخشئدئر‬، ‫ساراال ساراال قالماخدان‬ Literary Meaning: to die with red face is better than living with yellow face En: better a glorious death than a shameful life. Better die standing than live kneeling. ‫ساققالیم یوخدی سوزوم گئشمیر‬ Literary Meaning: No one believes me as I have no beard. Being male counts more than being wise. ‫سام یئلی اولماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to be summer wind To be moody ‫سرباز نه بیلیر هیوا کالدئر‬ Literary Meaning: soldier does not care if quince is green. En: Hunger finds no fault with cookery. ‫سس سیز طیاره اولماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to be the silent airplane. En: to be as dangerous as silent water.

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‫سفه ننه نین سفه ده قئزی اوالر‬ Literary Meaning: a stupid mother has a stupid daughter. En: like mothers, like daughters. ‫سالم سالمتلئخ گتیره ر‬ Literary Meaning: saying “salam” brings health. Saying “salam” brings health. ‫سن اوخیانی من توخورام‬ Literary Meaning: I weave the ones you read. What you see now, I had experienced and lived long time back ‫ اینکلری کیم ساغا؟‬، ‫ من آقا‬، ‫سن آقا‬ Literary Meaning: you are sir, I am sir, who shall milk the cows now? A situation where work remains undone because two men who are supposed to do it avoid doing it, as they take themselves as noble. ‫ خالیق بیلر‬، ‫ بالئخ بیلمسه‬، ‫سن چوره یی آت سویا‬ Literary Meaning: you throw the bread into sea, no matter fish does not see it ‫و‬important is that God knows it. En: good deed is never lost ‫اهلل دان برکت‬، ‫سندن حرکت‬ Literary Meaning: moving from you, blessing from God. It is working hard which makes blessing. ‫سو ایچینده سوسوز اولماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to be thirsty in the middle of water. Not to be able to make use of too many things one already has. ‫سوبیر یئرده قالسا اییله نر‬ Literary Meaning: water stinks if it stands still. The one who does not work, gets corrupted. ‫سوت گولونده اولماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to have the feeling of milk. To have no pains or problems in life. ‫سوتونن گلن سوموگونن گئدر‬

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Literary Meaning: what comes with milk goes with bone. Our nature never changes ‫سودا بوغوالن سامان چؤپوندن یاپئشار‬ Literary Meaning: the one who drowns, takes hold of chaff. En: A drowning man will catch at a straw ‫ سؤز گؤز آچار‬،‫سؤز سؤزی آچار‬ Literary Meaning: talking brings talking and talking open the eyes. Talking begets talking and it makes you wise. ‫آرشئن بئزی‬،‫سؤز سؤزی گتیره ر‬ Literary Meaning: talking brings talking, and peddler brings cloth. Talking begets talking ‫سوز وار خلق ایچینده سوز وار خولق ایچینده‬ There are some words which should not be said in public and there are En: Wash your dirty linen at home ‫ سؤز وار دلر گچر‬، ‫سؤز وار گلر گچر‬ Literary Meaning: there are some words which come and go, there are words which thrust and go. En: Many words hurt more than swords. ‫سؤزو آت یره صاحبی گؤتوره ر‬ Literary Meaning: drop the word on the ground, and its owner will pick it up. The addressee of an implicit remark usually knows that it is directed to her/him. ‫سُزون دوزون اوشاق دئیر‬ Literary Meaning: the right word is always said by child. En: Truth comes out of the mouths of babes and sucklings. ‫سوزی اوجوز آلیپ باها ساتماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to buy the words cheap and sell them expensive. To listen to one’s talk apparently with good intention, but to save them for using against that person when the occasion rises. ‫سوماخ پاالندا سو داشئماخ‬

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Literary Meaning: To carry water in a sieve En: To draw water in a sieve ‫سویو بُش اُلماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to have loose water (weak essence) Not to have strong character ‫تؤلکولر آسالن‬،‫سیچانالر پلنگ اوالمازالر‬ Literary Meaning: mice can’t be panthers, foxes can’t be lions. No one can go beyond the limit of his or her capabilities. ‫سیدر کافیر موفته اولسا اوزان اول‬ Literary Meaning: lie down and die if the cedar and camphor are cheap. Life is not easy and free and even death is not cheap. ‫ه سریماخ‬....‫س‬ Literary Meaning: to twist people around one’s p…s To befool people and tease them. ‫سئرچه ندیر کلله پاچا سی نه اوال‬ Literary Meaning: sparrow itself is nothing, let alone its soup Small thing does not have great benefit ‫سئشمر کی اجاالر‬ Literary meaning: s/he does not shit lest s/he feels hunger. To be very stingy. ‫سئنان قول بویوندان آسالنار‬ Literary Meaning: the broken arm hangs on the neck A family always bears the pain of any of its members.

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‫ش‬ ‫شاهید ده ایمان یوخ شاهدا عدالت‬ Literary Meaning: there is no faith in beauty, there is no justice in king Beauties are unfaithful and kings are unfair ‫ خرماندا یابا الشما یاسان‬،‫شرطی شوخومدا کس‬ Literary Meaning: put your conditions while plowing season not to fight in harvest season. Talk about the terms of work before you begin it. ‫شووه ره ن مزاج اولماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to have the nature of descurainia. To be moody ‫شیرین سوز ایالنی یوواسئندان چئخاردار‬ Literary Meaning: sweet words can take the snake out of its nest Sweet words makes friends ‫شعر غزل دِماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to say poem and sonnet To say nonsense

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‫صطظ‬ ‫صبر ایله حالوا پیشر ای قورا سندن‬ Literary Meaning: you green grape! With patience, halva is made of you. En: Patience is a plaster for all sores ‫طعنه لی سوزدن ایتی قئلئنج یاخشئدئر‬ Literary Meaning: better get the sharp sword than bitter sarcasm En: Many words hurt more than swords ‫ظولم ایله آباد اوالن عدل ایله ویران اوالر‬ Literary Meaning: the prosperity made by oppression, will be ruined by justice. Oppression has no good end. ‫ظولمون آخیری اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: oppressing has no end. Don’t be oppressive.

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‫عغ‬ ‫عاغئل عاغئلدان اؤتکم اوالر‬ Literary Meaning: two wits are better than one wit. En: Many men, many minds. Four eyes see more (better) than two ‫عجله ایشینه شیطان قارئشار‬ Literary Meaning: Satan meddle with the work done in hurry. En: haste makes waste. ‫عذاب مالکه سی اولماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to be the angle of agony To be others’ headache in a nonstop way ‫عوضین بدل آددا اوغلو وار‬ Literary Meaning: “revenge” has a son known as “retaliation” Every action has a reaction. ‫ یئنه وطن یاخشئ دئر‬،‫غوربت جنت اولسادا‬ Literary Meaning: even if exile is heaven, home is far better. Home is sweeter than exile

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‫فق‬ ‫فینجان اُیناتماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to play with cups Not to be serious and be moody ‫قادئن وار ائو یاپار قادئن وار ائو ییخار‬ Literary Meaning: there is a woman who builds house, there is a woman who destroys a house. Not all women are meant to be a good wife ‫ کیشنین یاالغی باققال دوکانی آچار‬، ‫قادئنئن یاالغی سمنی گویار‬ Literary Meaning: a foodie woman cooks Samanoo (wheat pudding), a foodie man opens a shop. Foodie people choose jobs which has to do with eating ‫ داغالری دومان آالر‬، ‫قارا باخت داغالرا چیخسا‬ Literary Meaning: If an unfortunate climbs the mountain, mist covers everywhere. En: An unfortunate man would be drowned in a teacup. ‫قارا قارغانئندا باالسی اوزونه خوشدور‬ Literary Meaning: even the black crow loves its baby En: Every mother thinks her own gosling a swan ‫قارداشالر ساواشدئالر ابله لر ایناندئالر‬ Literary Meaning: brothers fight, idiots believe. Blood is thick that is why the members of a family never get separate truly. ‫قارغادان قناری اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: crow can’t be canary. One can’t go beyond its limits

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‫قارقئشئن ایکی باشی اوالر‬ Literary Meaning: cursing has two ends The bad wills and curses one has for others might go back to that person himself/herself. ‫ اُز عقلون هارا گئتمیشدی؟‬،‫ خلق سنه دئدی خانئم‬،‫ قئزئم‬:‫قاری قئزئنا دییر‬ Literary Meaning: the woman tells her daughter: my dear! People called you “lady”, but why did you believe it? One should not overvalue himself /herself because of others’ praises. ‫قاقا اولمایان یئرده ایدیه قاقا د ئیر لر‬ Literary Meaning: where there is no food, sea-buckthorn is food. En: Among the blind, the one-eyed man is king ‫قانی قانیله یومازالر‬ Literary Meaning: blood should not be washed with blood. It is not right to take revenge. ‫ قئلئشدان ایتی دیر‬،‫قلم‬ Literary Meaning: pen is sharper than sword Pen has more power than sword. ‫قئزی اوالن قیرمیزی دُن گیمز‬ Literary Meaning: the one who has a daughter, does not put on red dress. When you have a girl, you spend so much on her that nothing much is left for you as mother. ‫قئش گئدر ئوزی گره لئخ کُموره گاالر‬ Literary Meaning: winter goes but it is the coal whose face remain black. hard days end anyway and the shame and bad fame remains for those who made it harder. ‫قولتوغا گارپز ورماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to give water melon to his/her under arms. To praise someone unrealistically in order to fool person.

68

‫قیسمتدن آرتئخ یماغ الماز‬ Literary Meaning: one can’t eat more than kismet. En: no flying from fate He that is born to be hanged shall never be drowned

69

‫ک‬ ‫کاسیب اوشاغی گؤرمه میش باالسی اولمویاسان‬ Literary meaning: May one never be the child of either a poor man or a deprived one. Poor and deprived are greedier. ‫کاسیب عقیلدن کاسیب اوالر که کاسیب اوالر‬ Literary meaning: a poor man is poor because he has poor wisdom. What makes a man poor is not lack of money, but lack of wisdom. ‫ وارلییا اغول اولما‬،‫کاسیبا غول اول‬ Literary meaning: be the servant of a poor man but not the son of a rich man Sometimes being the child of a rich family is way difficult. ‫کاسیبین گونو ایتین گونو‬ Literary meaning: the life of a poor man, is the life of a dog. A poor man lives life in misery like a dog. ‫کفنین جیبی اولماز‬ Literary meaning: shroud had no pockets. En: shroud had no pockets. ‫کوزه سو یولوندا سئنار‬ Literary meaning: the pitcher goes often to the well but it is broken at last. Our life is spent for our goals. ‫کیشی توپوردوعون یاالماز‬ Literary meaning: man should not lick what he spits. It is not right to take back what you have promised. ‫گازان گازانا دییر گوتون قره‬ Literary meaning: the pot calls the other pots “black-bottomed”.

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En: the pot calls the kettle black. ‫ دییر اتاق ایریدی‬،‫گلین اوینیه بیلمیر‬ Literary meaning: bride can’t dance and says “room is lopsided” En: bad workman quarrels with his tools. ‫گلدی گاشئن دوزلده ووردی گوزون چیخارتدی‬ Literary meaning: she wanted to make the eyebrow, but made the eye blind. To destroy something while trying to build something else ‫گمیده اتوروپ گمیچی گوزی چیخارتماخ‬ Literary meaning: to stay in ship and fight with Capitan. To mess up with someone, our life is at his/ her mercy. ‫ گوتوم سایما‬، ‫گوالغیم اشیت‬ Literary meaning: hear my ear, don’t care about it my ass. One should not care much about too many things one hear. ‫گونلی بالئخ ایستین گوتون گویار بوزلو سویا‬ Literary meaning: the one who wishes for fish, should put his ass in cold water. En: who that will eat the kernel, must crack the nut That will thrive, must rise at five He that would eat the fruit must climb the tree He that would have eggs, must endure the cackling of hens He who could catch fish must not mind getting wet He who would search for pearls, must dive below ‫گورخان بتر وورار‬ Literary meaning: the one who is afraid, bits harder. Those who feel greater danger, they take stronger defensive actions. ‫گورخانی گواالرالر‬ Literary meaning: the one who is scared, is chased If you show your fear, they will attack you more. ‫ ادامئن یره باخانئندان‬،‫گورخ سویون اخارئندان‬

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Literary meaning: be careful about running deep waters and the people who look down. En: Be aware of a silent dog and still water. ‫گورخولی باش سالمت اوالر‬ Literary meaning: the head which is scared is healthy. En: caution is the parent of safety. ‫گوزل آقا گوزلدی ووردی چیچیک ده چیخارتدی‬ Literary meaning: the beauty of Mr. beauty was not enough, he got smallpox on top of it. Misfortunes find an unfortunate person one after another. ‫گومشیا امید اوالن شام سئز گاالر‬ Literary meaning: the one who pins his hope on neighbor, will have no dinner En: he goes long barefoot, that waits for dead man’s shoes ‫گیر مجنونون گوزونه باخ لیالنین اوزونه‬ Literary meaning: go inside Leyli’s eye and look at Majnun’s face En: beauty lies in lover’s eye ‫گئرخ گازانا بیر دامازلئخ اولماخ‬ Literary meaning: to be a poisonous drop enough for forty pots. A person capable of spoiling many good relationships. ‫گئرئالن گوشون داندی‬ Literary meaning: the one who gets killed belongs to the army Even doing a small part of a big task is a big gain.

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‫لمن‬ ‫التام التام ناراحاتام‬ Literary Meaning: I am thug and I am looking for trouble. Refers to a thug who looks for trouble. ‫مردار اسگییه هش زاد اولماز‬ Literary Meaning: nothing happens to a dirty piece of cloth. Nothing happens to a bad person. ‫مردی گاچا گاچا نامرد اِلماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to turn a good man to a tyrant by chasing him. To turn a good person to bad one by steadily oppressing him/her. ‫ن کسر اوز الینه ایش ورر‬......‫مسلمانئین ایشی اولماز س‬ Literary Meaning: an idle Muslim cuts his p…s and makes trouble for himself. To make problem for oneself due to being idle. ‫مسلمانئن سونکی عقلی‬ Literary Meaning: Muslim’s second thought. Muslims don’t give deep thought at the beginning and then regret the consequences. En: Wise after the event. ‫نرگس بیلدی تبریز بیلدی‬ Literary Meaning: if Narges knew, Tabriz would know If a gossiping person knew something about you, s/he would spread it among everyone. ‫ میثگالنئان چئخار‬، ‫نوخوشلوخ باتمانئنان گلر‬ Literary meaning: disease comes in baatmaan and leaves in gram. Disease has a hard and sudden beginning but, it takes long to get to leave body.

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‫نَه کی وارین هُال گُشماخ‬ Literary Meaning: to attach his whole family to plow (to plough the land) To torture the person. (To push the plow to plough the land -which is done by bull- is an unbearably difficult task for human being, therefore, to attach the plow to someone and his / family means giving extreme torture) !!!‫نَه یاتدین نه یوخو گورسن؟‬ Literary Meaning: how long did you sleep to have a dream?!!! To judge a situation in a strangely quick way without having good knowledge about it. ‫نیت هارا منزل اورا‬ Literary Meaning: wherever the wish, there is the destination. Our wishes direct us towards our goal. ‫وارینی وئرن اوتانماز‬ Literary Meaning: the one who gives what s/he has never feels shy. People spend and live as much as they afford. ‫ووردی داشا چئخدی باشا‬ Literary Meaning: (s/he) beat it on stone and brought to end. s/he spend the whole money and finished it quickly.

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‫ه‬ ‫هامنی بَزر اُزی لوت گزر‬ Literary Meaning: s/he embellish others, but walks modest him/herself A person who takes care of others and their needs but ignores her/himself. ‫هر نه توکسن آشا چیخار قاشئغئوا‬ Literary Meaning: whatever you put in soup, it will come in your own spoon Later or sooner we will see the results of our own deeds En: As you brew, so must you drink As you make your bed, so must you lie on it As you sow, so shall you reap ‫هرزه سوزون مرزه جوابی اوالر‬ Literary Meaning: the answer to a nasty (bitter) word is savory. The answer of bitter word is a bitter word. ‫هر کس یری ائزونه طرف گازار‬ Literary Meaning: everyone digs the land towards himself. En: Every miller draws water to his own mill. ‫هش کس ائوز یوغوردونا توش دئمز‬ Literary Meaning: no one calls his own yoghurt sour. En: every ass loves to hear himself bray. Each bird loves to hear himself sing. ‫هش پیشیه دده سی احسانئندا سیچان توتماز‬ Literary Meaning: no cat hunts mouse for its father’s charity. No one does a good for others for free.

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‫ی‬ ‫یا آدئوا الیق یا آدینا الیق‬ Literary Meaning: either something worthy of your name, or something worthy of his/her name One should behave either according to his/her own value or the addressee’s value. ‫یاتانی اویاتماماخ‬ Literary Meaning: not to let the unaware person to wake up. Let a neglectful remain neglectful. ‫ اوزاغا گئتمه جانیم چئخیر‬، ‫یاخینا گلمه اییین گلیر‬ Literary Meaning: don’t approach me, you stink, don’t go far I will die. To be shaky in feelings towards someone. ‫یاغئشدان گورتولدوخ دولیه راست گلدوخ‬ Literary meaning: to survive from rain but get trapped by storm. To be trapped by a worse problem while trying to run away from a bad one. ‫یاغماسا دا گورولدور‬ Literary Meaning: even if s/he does not rain, at least s/he is thundering. S/he supports verbally even if s/he can’t do anything in practice. ‫یارئسی یئر آلتئندادی‬ Literary meaning: Half of her/his is under ground. To be extremely sneaky person. ‫یای وار قئش وار چوخ ایش وار‬ Literary Meaning: there is summer, there is winter, there is a lot to do Be patient, there is so much to do. ‫یتیمه وای وای دین چخ االر چره ورن الماز‬

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Literary Meaning: there are so many people who feel pity for an orphan but none feeds him/her. People show sympathy to orphans but practically they don’t do anything to lessen their pains. ‫یتدی ده اوینامیان یتمیش ده اوینار‬ Literary Meaning: the one who does not play at seven, plays at seventy Human should experience everything at its right age otherwise it will pop up at mature age as a complex. ‫یتدیه گلمیین یتمیشه گلمز‬ Literary Meaning: that who does not become mature at seven, won’t be mature at seventy. En: A fool at forty is a fool indeed. ‫یولداشئن یاخچئسی آداما قلیه داشی یدیردر‬ Literary Meaning: the best friend makes you eat hematite Don’t trust your friends fully. ‫یومورتاسیندان چیخمامیشدان باش یارئر‬ Literary Meaning: it has started smashing others’ head even before hatching To be aggressive even at very young ages. ‫ گورن دسین ها بله‬،‫یولداشیوی باب اله‬ Literary Meaning: choose good friends, so that others praise you En: A man is known by his friends ‫یووپ یووپ آخیرین مندارالماخ‬ Literary meaning: to wash and wash and make it dirty at the end. To give a lot of effort to do something but destroy all the efforts at the end.