ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
പിലാവിന്റെകാതൽ പൂതലാകുമ്പോൾ തേക്കിന്റെ ഇളന്തല പച്ചവിടും”
— English Translation:
By the time jackfruit heartwood decays into spongy rot, a teak sapling's tender shoot is only just unfurling its green. (Disparity in endurance and lifespans; institutions, materials, and men mature and decline across vastly different scales of time.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പാൽവിളമ്പിയെടത്തു പഞ്ചതാര; മോർവിളമ്പിയെടത്തുപ്പ്”
— English Translation:
Sugar where sweet milk is poured, and salt where sour buttermilk is served. (Exercising proper discretion; providing the exact complementary accompaniment suited to each distinct occasion.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പിള്ളകരയാതെ തള്ളമുലകൊടുക്കുമോ”
— English Translation:
Will a mother nurse her child if it does not cry? (The squeaky wheel gets the grease; you must speak up and vocalize your need if you expect attention and help.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പാളയംപോയ നിരത്തുപോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like a highway after a military regiment has marched through. (A scene of absolute desolation, ruin, and trampled emptiness in the wake of an overwhelming force.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പാഴിൽ അപ്പന്റെമീശകളഞ്ഞു, തൂക്കവുമില്ല”
— English Translation:
Shaved off father's mustache in vain, and it didn't even fetch any weight on the scales. (Making an irreverent, shameful sacrifice that yields absolutely no practical gain or profit.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പാഴിൽപോകുന്നതു പശുവിൻവയറ്റിൽപോകട്ടെ”
— English Translation:
What is destined to spoil might as well go into the cow's belly. (Rather than letting surplus go to utter waste, channel it to nourish dependents or domestic animals.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പാമ്പും ചേമ്പും ചെറുതു മതി”
— English Translation:
A little of a serpent and a little of wild taro are quite enough. (Potent and dangerous things need only small doses to show their power; even a tiny snake carries venom, and even a scrap of wild taro causes torment.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പിടലികൊഴുത്തആടു ഇടയനു അടങ്ങുയില്ല”
— English Translation:
A goat whose neck has grown thick and fat will no longer obey the shepherd. (When a subordinate grows overly prosperous, puffed up, and powerful, they become insolent and defy authority.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പാമ്പും പഴകിയതു നന്നു”
— English Translation:
Even of venomous serpents, an old, familiar one is preferable. (Better the devil you know than the devil you don't; an accustomed danger can be anticipated and navigated safely.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പിടിക്കുമ്പോൾഞെക്കീടാഞ്ഞാൽ ഇളക്കുമ്പോൾകടിക്കും”
— English Translation:
If you do not squeeze tight when you grasp it, it will bite when shaken. (Subdue a hazard or adversary decisively from the very outset; hesitation and a weak grip invite painful retaliation.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പാമ്പോടുവേറായ തോൽ പോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like the shed skin cast off by a serpent. (Something completely dead, lifeless, and discarded, holding no value or connection to the life that outgrew it.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പിടിച്ചതിനെവിട്ടു പറക്കുന്നതിൻവഴിയെ പായരുത്”
— English Translation:
Do not let go of what is firmly in hand to chase after what is flying away. (A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush; never abandon secure assets to gamble on elusive prospects.)

“”
— English Translation:
One who can steer a war chariot beneath a woven straw mat. (A master of covert intrigue who maneuvers massive, complex schemes entirely concealed from public view.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പിടിച്ചതുമറന്നിട്ടു മറന്നതുപിടിക്കുംമുമ്പെ വശമാക്കേണ്ടതെല്ലാം വശമാക്കെണം”
— English Translation:
Before dropping what you hold to grasp what was forgotten, make sure you have fully secured all that must be mastered. (Consolidate your current ground thoroughly before impulsively jumping into new or neglected ventures.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പാറ്റിതുപ്പിയാൽ പള്ളിയറയിലും തുപ്പാം”
— English Translation:
If you learn to spit in a fine mist, you can spit even inside the royal bedchamber. (If an act is executed with sufficient subtlety, discretion, and finesse, one can get away with the most forbidden conduct unnoticed.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പിടിച്ചമീനിനു കല്ലുപ്പും മണ്ണുപ്പും ഇടുക”
— English Translation:
Curing the already-caught fish with rock salt and dirty dirt-salt alike. (Taking careless, slipshod liberties with an asset once it is securely captive and can no longer escape.)