ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഇരയിട്ടാലെ മീൻപിടിക്കാവു”
— English Translation:
You must cast bait if you wish to catch fish. (Nothing ventured, nothing gained; worthwhile outcomes require prior investment.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഇരുട്ടുകൊണ്ടു ഓട്ടയടച്ചാൽ വെട്ടം വീഴുമ്പൊൾ തഥൈവ”
— English Translation:
If you plug a breach with shadows, it remains wide open the moment light falls upon it. (Hiding defects with secrecy or deception provides zero protection when reality is exposed.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഇരവിഴുങ്ങീയ പാമ്പുപോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like a python that has swallowed its prey whole. (Lethargic, bloated, and utterly incapable of stirring or taking action.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഇരുതോണിയിൽ കാലുവച്ചാൽ വെള്ളത്തിൽ കിടക്കും”
— English Translation:
Place one foot in each of two boats, and you end up in the river. (Attempting to straddle conflicting loyalties or contradictory courses leads straight to disaster.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഇരിക്കുന്ന അമ്മമാരുടെ വാതിൽപോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like the front door of matriarchs seated on the porch. (Constantly open and exposed to passersby, never closed to public view.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഇരുത്തിയെ വെച്ചതുപോലെ”
— English Translation:
As if custom-seated and fitted into place. (Flawlessly apt, precise, and completely natural to the context.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഇരിക്കുന്നകൊമ്പു വരഞ്ഞാലൊ”
— English Translation:
What if you saw through the very bough you are sitting on? (Undermining the very authority, host, or patron that supports you is pure suicidal folly.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഇരുന്നു മരം മുറിച്ചാൽ താൻ അടിയിലും മരം മുകളിലും”
— English Translation:
If you sit beneath a tree while chopping it down, you end up underneath and the timber on top. (Careless laziness and poor planning ensure that your own work crushes you.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഇരിക്കുമ്മുമ്പെ കാൽ നീട്ടല്ല”
— English Translation:
Do not stretch out your legs before you have even taken your seat. (Do not presume comfort, entitlements, or rest before securing your footing.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഇരുന്നവൻ എഴുന്നീറ്റപ്പോഴെക്കു നിന്നവൻ പത്തുനാഴിക ദൂരെ”
— English Translation:
By the time the seated man stood up, the one already on his feet had covered ten leagues. (Readiness and prompt initiative grant an insurmountable lead over sluggish delay.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഇരിക്കുമ്മുമ്പെ നിലം നോക്കണം”
— English Translation:
Examine the ground before you sit down. (Look before you leap; assess risks carefully before committing to a situation.)

“”
— English Translation:
First sit down securely; only then stretch out your legs. (Secure your position and live within your means before expanding your comfort or ambitions.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഇരിങ്ങപ്പാറ പൊന്നായാൽ പാതി ദേവർക്കു”
— English Translation:
If the barren rock of Iringappara turns to solid gold, half goes to the deity. (Making grandiose, pious vows conditioned on impossible fantasies; promising what costs nothing to pledge.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഇരുന്നിരുന്നെകാദശിയും നോറ്റു, അറ്റമില്ലാത്ത ചാളയും പെട്ടു”
— English Translation:
Endured the solemn Ekadashi fast with holy patience, only to catch an endless haul of cheap sardines. (Enduring great trials and devout self-denial, only to receive a reward completely ill-suited or trivial.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഇരിപ്പിടം കെട്ടിയെ പടിപ്പുര കെട്ടാവു”
— English Translation:
Build the dwelling house first before erecting a grand gateway. (Secure basic shelter and essential needs before spending resources on pretentious outward displays.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഇരുന്നുണ്ടവൻ രുചിയറിയാ, കിളച്ചുണ്ടവൻ രുചിയറിയും”
— English Translation:
The one who eats in idleness knows not the taste of rice; he who digs the soil with a hoe knows its true sweetness. (Labor sweetens food; things earned by hard sweat carry a satisfaction inherited wealth never knows.)