ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഒല്ലി = പുതപ്പു; ഒളിച്ചു വയറ്റിൽ ഉണ്ടാകും, വെളിച്ചത്തുപെറും”
— English Translation:
Conceived in dark secrecy, but delivered in the open light. (Gloss notes that "Olli" means a blanket or covering; hidden misdeeds cannot stay concealed forever, as their consequences eventually emerge before the world.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഒഴക്കിനകത്തൊ കിഴക്കുമേക്കു”
— English Translation:
Searching for the four cardinal directions inside a quarter-pint cup? (Overanalyzing petty minutiae or looking for vast complexity where none exists.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഒഴുകുന്ന തോണിക്കു ഒരുന്തു”
— English Translation:
Giving a push to a boat that is already drifting with the stream. (Easily accelerating what is already in motion; or adding an extra blow to someone already falling.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഒരുവീട്ടിൽനിന്നു ഒരുവീട്ടിൽമാറിയാൽ ആറുമാസത്തെപഞ്ഞം”
— English Translation:
Shifting from one house to another brings six months of disruption and scarcity. (Frequent relocations drain resources and disturb domestic stability.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഒഴുക്കുപോകുന്നെടത്തോളമെ അഴുക്കും പോകു”
— English Translation:
The filth travels only as far as the current carries it. (Corruption spreads only as far as its enabling influence reaches; once the flow ceases, the sediment settles.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഒരുവീട്ടിൽ രണ്ടുപെണ്ണം ഒരുകൂട്ടിൽ രണ്ടുനരിയും ഒരുപോലെ”
— English Translation:
Two rival mistresses in one house are like two leopards in a single cage. (Conflicting authorities under one roof lead to inevitable, vicious strife.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഒഴുക്കു നീറ്റിൽ അഴുക്കില്ല”
— English Translation:
In moving waters, there is no stagnant filth. (Constant industry, movement, and transparency keep character, mind, and institutions clean and vital.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഒരു വെടിക്ക് രണ്ടുപക്ഷി”
— English Translation:
Two birds with a single shot. (Accomplishing two distinct objectives through a single action.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഒഴുക്കുനീറ്റിൽ പുഴുക്കു നോക്കാറുണ്ടോ”
— English Translation:
Does anyone inspect running water for worms and impurities? (A fast-flowing stream cleanses itself; in large, dynamic operations, minor trivial imperfections are naturally swept away.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഒരു വേനൽക്കു ഒരുമഴ”
— English Translation:
A single rain shower for an entire scorching summer. (A fleeting, welcome touch of relief amid prolonged and exhausting hardship.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഓകിൽ പോണതു പാളയിലാകട്ടെ”
— English Translation:
What is draining down the runoff channel might as well be caught in an areca sheath. (Salvaging whatever small portion you can from what is otherwise going to utter waste.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഒരെറ്റത്തിനു ഒരിറക്കമുണ്ടു”
— English Translation:
Every ascent has its corresponding descent. (What goes up must come down; peaks of power and fortune are followed by eventual downturns.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഓങ്ങും ഒച്ചയും ഒത്തിരിക്കുന്നു”
— English Translation:
The threatening swing and the loud shout are in perfect unison. (A dramatic display where aggressive posturing and noisy bluster match each other exactly.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഒരുതൂണുണ്ടെങ്കിലെ ഒരുമുറം ചാരിക്കൂടു”
— English Translation:
Only if a pillar stands firm can you lean a winnowing basket against it. (Even the humblest dependence requires a solid, upright foundation to lean upon.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഒരുദിവസംതിന്ന ചോറും ഒരുനാൾകുളിച്ച കുളവും മറക്കരുതു”
— English Translation:
Never forget the meal you ate even for a single day, nor the pond where you bathed even once. (Cherish enduring gratitude for every kindness and haven granted to you in life.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഒരു നന്ദി ചെയ്തവനെ ഉള്ളത്തിൽവെക്കണം”
— English Translation:
Keep the one who showed you a kindness enshrined within your heart. (True loyalty means remembering and honoring your benefactors.)