ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആണില്ലാത്തെടത്തു ആവണക്കുതൂണു്”
— English Translation:
Where sturdy timber is absent, the flimsy castor stalk serves as a pillar. (In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king; poor substitutes pass for greatness in the absence of true worth.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആക്രാന്തവാതിൽ തുറ, ആനയെ പ്രാതൽ കഴിക്കട്ടെ”
— English Translation:
Throw open the doors of boundless appetite, let it eat an elephant for breakfast! (Mocking wild, bottomless greed that can never be sated.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആധിതന്നെ വ്യാധി”
— English Translation:
Mental anguish is itself a disease. (Chronic worry and anxiety wear down the body just like physical illness.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആഗ്രഹം വർദ്ധിച്ചാൽ അലച്ചിലും വർദ്ധിക്കും”
— English Translation:
As desires multiply, restless wandering and toil increase. (The more boundless one's cravings, the more exhaustive the struggle to satisfy them.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആണ്ടബാധ കൊണ്ടേപോകൂ”
— English Translation:
An affliction that has festered for a full year will depart only by taking a life. (Deep-seated, chronic troubles never resolve without exacting a heavy toll.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആച്ചൽ(ച്ചി)നോക്കിയെ കൂച്ചു(ട്ടു)കെട്ടാവു”
— English Translation:
Examine the depth and footing before fastening the ties. (Assess character and compatibility thoroughly before forming an alliance or entering a partnership.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആടയുണ്ടെങ്കിലെ കോടയുള്ളു”
— English Translation:
Outward dignity and fine appearances exist only if you have the basic clothing. (Prestige and presentation depend entirely on having the foundational means.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
അല്പനൈശ്വര്യം വന്നാൽ (അർത്ഥം കിട്ടിയാൽ) അർദ്ധരാത്രി കുടപിടിക്കും”
— English Translation:
When a low-minded man gains sudden prosperity, he parades with an open umbrella at midnight. (Vulgar, showy ostentation by those unaccustomed to good fortune.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
അളമുട്ടിയാൽ ചേരയും തിരിയും”
— English Translation:
Cornered in its hole, even a rat snake turns around to fight. (When driven into a corner with no retreat, even the timid will stand and fight.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
അല്ലലുള്ള പുലയിക്കു നുള്ളിയുള്ളകാടു പറയണ്ടാ”
— English Translation:
You don't need to explain thorny scrublands to a toiling forest woman. (Never lecture experienced laborers on the difficulties of their own trade.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
അളവുക്കു മിഞ്ചിനാൽ അമൃതവും നഞ്ചാം”
— English Translation:
When taken beyond measure, even nectar turns to poison. (Excess turns the greatest virtue or nourishment into poison.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
അല്ലലുള്ള പുലയിയെ ചുള്ളിയുള്ള കാടറിയു”
— English Translation:
Only the brambled wild knows the struggling laborer. (True suffering is understood only by those who share the same harsh life.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
അഴകുള്ള ചക്കയിൽ ചുളയില്ല”
— English Translation:
A jackfruit that looks stunning on the outside often has no sweet flesh within. (All that glitters is not gold; a dazzling exterior often hides total hollowness.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
അല്ലാത്തെടത്തിൽ ചെല്ലല്ലു; ചെന്നാല്പിന്നെ പോരല്ലു”
— English Translation:
Do not enter a place where you do not belong; but if you must go, do not back down. (Avoid dubious ground, but if duty takes you there, hold firm.)

“”
— English Translation:
One who calls every handsome stranger "father." (A shameless sycophant who curries favor with anyone wielding power or status.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
അവൻ പത്താൾക്കു ഒരുമെത്ത”
— English Translation:
He is a mattress accommodating ten men. (Someone extraordinarily accommodating and reliable, or one who lets everyone walk over him.)