ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചെമ്പിൽ അമ്പഴങ്ങാപുഴുങ്ങിതിന്നിട്ടും ജീവിക്കണം”
— English Translation:
One must survive even if it means subsisting on sour hog-plums boiled in a copper pot. (One must bear the harshest privations and bitterest austerity to endure through life.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചേതം വന്നാലും ചിതംവേണം”
— English Translation:
Even if material loss strikes, let personal decorum and honor be maintained. (Financial setbacks may be unavoidable, but dignity, integrity, and good conduct must never be sacrificed.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചെമ്പു് പുറത്തായിപ്പോയി”
— English Translation:
The base copper underneath has been exposed. (The gilt has worn off; hidden fraud, inferiority, or true colors have been revealed to the world.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചെമ്പെന്നുംചൊല്ലി ഇരുമ്പിനു കാലു (ചോര) കളഞ്ഞു”
— English Translation:
Calling it copper, one ran one's legs off (or bled dry) for mere iron. (Wasting immense labor, sacrifice, or wealth pursuing something believed to be precious that turned out to be worthless dross.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചെമ്മാനം ഉണ്ടായാൽ മഴയുണ്ടാകും”
— English Translation:
A crimson evening sky heralds impending rain. (Clear natural omens and unmistakable signs reliably forecast coming events.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചുമ(വ)രുണ്ടെങ്കിലെ ചിത്രമെഴുതാവു”
— English Translation:
Only if there is a wall can a fresco be painted. (A solid physical foundation, good health, and basic resources are indispensable before pursuing decorative or higher achievements.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചെമ്മാനംകണ്ടാലന്നു മഴപെയ്തില്ലെങ്കിൽ പിന്നക്കൊല്ലം പെയ്തില്ല”
— English Translation:
If it does not rain on the day the crimson sky appears, it will not rain for the rest of the year. (If a clear and certain omen fails to materialize at once, all subsequent timing and expectations are thrown into disarray.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചുളയില്ലാത്ത ചക്കയും കട്ടു, ചമ്പാടൻവഴക്കുമുണ്ടായി”
— English Translation:
Stole a jackfruit that had not a single sweet flake inside, and ended up with a massive public brawl to boot. (Taking immense risks and inviting public ruin for a prize that turns out to be utterly worthless.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചെമ്മീനും ചുരക്കായും കറിവെച്ചിട്ടെനിക്കെന്ത്യെടീ കള്ളീ, ചെമ്മീനും ചുരക്കായും കറിവെച്ചിട്ടൊണ്ടൊടൊ കള്ളാ”
— English Translation:
"Why haven't you served me the prawn and gourd curry, you deceitful woman?" English Translation:
"Did I ever cook a prawn and gourd curry, you deceitful man?" (Picking bitter domestic quarrels over imaginary offenses and non-existent feasts.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചെക്കിപ്പൂവോട ശൈത്താൻചുറഞ്ഞപോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like the devil recoiling in disgust from the sacred ixora blossom. (A corrupt, depraved nature instinctively recoiling from holiness, beauty, and moral purity.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചെറിയതലക്കു വലിയതൊപ്പിവെച്ചപോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like placing a giant hat upon a tiny head. (Conferring an oversized title, honor, or responsibility upon someone lacking the stature to carry it.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചാമയുടെ മൂപ്പു്”
— English Translation:
The rapid maturation of little millet. (Something that ripens, passes, or burns out very quickly; a fleeting, short-lived phase.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചീഞ്ഞചോറ്റിനു ഒടിഞ്ഞ കയിൽ (തവി)”
— English Translation:
For spoiled rice, a snapped serving spoon. (Base, low-grade fare served with broken implements; matching poor quality with poor tools.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചാമ്പത്തോണിക്കു ചീമ്പക്കുഴക്കോൽ”
— English Translation:
For a rotten, waterlogged canoe, a cracked, puny oar. (A thoroughly dilapidated, defective setup with mismatched tools bound for imminent failure.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചീത്തക്കണ്ണിൽ നല്ലതുകാണുകയില്ല”
— English Translation:
A diseased eye can see nothing good. (A biased, corrupt, or cynical mind finds flaws and ill intentions in everything it observes.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചാരിയാൽ ചാരിയതുമണക്കും”
— English Translation:
Lean against something, and you will smell of whatever you touched. (Association rubs off; you inevitably take on the traits and reputation of the company you keep.)