ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
കട്ടെറുമ്പിനെ പിടിച്ചു ആസനത്തിൻ കീഴിൽ വെക്കുന്നതുപോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like catching a stinging carpenter ant and tucking it under your own seat. (Deliberately inviting acute, self-inflicted pain and avoidable trouble upon oneself.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കടിച്ചതുമില്ല പിടിച്ചതുമില്ലെന്നായി”
— English Translation:
Ended up neither with a bite in the mouth nor the prey in hand. (Falling between two stools; pursuing multiple targets and ending up completely empty-handed.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കട്ടോനും കടം കൊണ്ടോനും വറ്റോനും വലവീതോനും അടങ്ങുകയില്ല”
— English Translation:
The thief, the borrower, the bankrupt, and the net-fisherman will never sit still. (Guilt, debt, absolute destitution, and anxious anticipation keep a person perpetually restless.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കടിഞ്ഞാണില്ലാത്ത കുതിര ഏതിലേയും പായും”
— English Translation:
A horse without a bridle will bolt wild in any direction. (Without discipline, guidance, and restraint, unrestrained energy rushes headlong into ruin.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കട്ടോനെ കാണാഞ്ഞാൽ കണ്ടവനെ പിടിച്ച് കഴുവേറ്റുക”
— English Translation:
If the actual thief cannot be found, seize the first bystander and impale him on the stake. (Arbitrary, tyrannical authority that scapegoats innocent people simply to show quick results.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കടുകീറി കാര്യം; ആനകൊണ്ടു ഓശാരം”
— English Translation:
Splitting a mustard seed when bargaining over business, but giving away an entire elephant for free. (Penny-wise and pound-foolish; haggling over microscopic details while blithely suffering massive losses.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഓരായത്തിൽ കല്ലിടുന്നപോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like dropping a stone down a bottomless chasm. (Pouring resources or advice into a void where they vanish without a trace or response.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കടന്ത (കടന്തൽ) കൂട്ടിനു കല്ലെടുത്തെറിയും പോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like hurling a stone squarely into a hornet's nest. (Rashly provoking a dangerous, collective hornet's nest that will swarm back to destroy you.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഓർത്തവൻ ഒരാണ്ടു; പാർത്തവൻ പന്തീരാണ്ടു”
— English Translation:
The one who merely pondered lasted one year; the one who settled down and persevered lasted twelve. (Patient endurance and steadfast presence vastly outlast theoretical contemplation.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കടപ്പുറം കിടക്കുമ്പോൾ കാൽക്കൂത്തൽ കിടക്കണമൊ”
— English Translation:
When the vast open seashore lies before you, must you curl up with your knees pressed to your chest? (Why live cramped and timid when boundless room and opportunity surround you?)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഓലകളയാത്തോൻ നാടുകളയും”
— English Translation:
He who refuses to surrender a worthless scrap of palm leaf will end up losing his whole estate. (Stubbornly clinging to petty paperwork and trivial rights costs one the greater kingdom.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഓലക്കണ്ണിപ്പാമ്പുകൊണ്ടു പേടിപ്പിക്കേണ്ടാ”
— English Translation:
Do not try to frighten me with a serpent woven from dry palm fronds. (Senseless bluffs and paper tigers will not intimidate someone who knows the truth.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഓലപ്പുരക്കും ഓട്ടുപുരക്കും സ്ഥാനംഒന്നു”
— English Translation:
Both the thatched hut and the tiled mansion occupy the same earth under heaven. (Wealth may differ, but fundamental human mortality and dignity level all dwellings.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഓവിയുണ്ടങ്കിൽ ഉലക്കപ്പുറത്തുംകിടക്കാം”
— English Translation:
Where there is peace and inner quiet, one can sleep soundly even atop a wooden pestle. (Contentment and a clear conscience bring rest regardless of rough surroundings.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഔചിത്യംഇല്ലാത്ത നായരെ അത്താഴംഉണ്ണാൻ വരികെടൊ”
— English Translation:
Calling an ill-mannered fellow to come join you for supper! (Inviting trouble by extending hospitality to someone completely devoid of tact and manners.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഓട്ടക്കാരനു പാട്ടം ചേരുകയില്ല”
— English Translation:
A tenancy lease does not suit a roving wanderer. (Steady farming and stable institutions require rooted discipline, not erratic roaming.)