ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
പോയബുദ്ധി ആനപിടിച്ചാൽ വരുമോ”
— English Translation:
Once good judgment has fled, can even an elephant drag it back? (Once a rash, foolish decision has been made, all the physical might in the world cannot reverse the fallout.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പൊന്നുംകുടത്തിനു പൊട്ടെന്തിനു”
— English Translation:
Why does a pot of solid gold need a decorative vermilion blemish? (True excellence, natural beauty, and flawless character require no superficial cosmetic adornment.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പോയ മുയൽ പെരിയ മുയൽ”
— English Translation:
The hare that got away was a giant hare. (Exaggerating the size, value, or brilliance of an opportunity or prize only after it has been lost.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പൊന്നുംതൂമ്പായുണ്ടായാലും ഇരിമ്പുംതൂമ്പാ കൂടാതെ കഴിയുമോ”
— English Translation:
Even if you have a golden spade, can you manage without an iron spade? (Costly ornaments and elite luxuries can never replace the rugged, humble tools required for real work.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പോയാൽ പൊറുക്കുവാൻ പൊണ്ണാച്ചിയുംമതി”
— English Translation:
When you must simply make do, even clumsy Ponnachi will suffice. (When pride is stripped away and needs are urgent, any humble, makeshift arrangement is welcomed.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പെറ്റമ്മെക്കു ചിലവിനും കൊടുക്കരുതു, സന്ധ്യക്കു വിളക്കും കൊളുത്തരുതു”
— English Translation:
Giving no sustenance to one's own mother, and lighting no evening lamp before God. (The depth of moral depravity; abandoning both filial duty to parents and reverence to the divine.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പൊട്ടക്കളിക്കു പൊരുളില്ല”
— English Translation:
A fool's game holds no substance or meaning. (Frivolous, mindless pastimes and foolish endeavors yield nothing of lasting worth.)

“”
— English Translation:
Did you ever feed a bowl of rice to your own mother, that you now go measuring out grain for your grandmother? (Neglecting the primary, immediate duty right before your eyes while making grandiose gestures for distant relations.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പൊട്ടച്ചക്കിനു പുണ്ണൻകാള”
— English Translation:
For a cracked oil-press, a sore-ridden bullock. (A pathetic match of defective assets; pairing one broken, dilapidated tool with another.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പെറ്റവൾ ഉണ്ണുന്നതുകണ്ടു വറടികാതംപറഞ്ഞാൽ ഫലമെന്തു”
— English Translation:
What is gained if the barren woman travels leagues gossiping out of spite at seeing the nursing mother feast? (Malicious envy and slander against another's well-earned blessings accomplish nothing and only reveal inner bitterness.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പൊക്കാളിവെച്ചാൽ വക്കാണം ഉണ്ടാം”
— English Translation:
Cultivating Pokkali wetland paddy brings bitter brawls. (Farming shared, tide-washed saline wetlands inevitably leads to constant boundary disputes and watercourse quarrels.)

“”
— English Translation:
When the mother who bore you dies, your own father becomes like a distant uncle. (The loss of a mother dissolves the warm core of domestic affection, often leaving maternal orphans estranged even from their father.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പെറ്റവൾക്കറിയാം പിള്ളവരുത്തം”
— English Translation:
Only the mother who gave birth knows the pain and struggle of having a child. (Only those who have personally endured the labor and sacrifice truly understand the true cost of an endeavor.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പെറ്റവൾ ഉണ്ണുന്നതുകണ്ടു മച്ചി കൊതിച്ചാൽ കാര്യമൊ”
— English Translation:
Is there any point in a barren woman envying the rich feast served to a nursing mother? (Coveting the rewards and privileges of achievement without having borne the toil and pain that earned them is futile.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പെറ്റതള്ളക്ക് തവിട് ഇടിക്കയില്ല, ആരാന്റെ തള്ളെക്ക് ഇരുമ്പിടിക്കും”
— English Translation:
Unwilling to pound soft rice bran for one's own mother, but ready to forge heavy iron for a stranger's mother. (Neglecting simple, vital duties toward one's own family while exerting back-breaking labor to win favor from outsiders.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പെറ്റതെല്ലാം മക്കളും നേടിയതെല്ലാം ധനവുമല്ല”
— English Translation:
Not all who are born are true children, nor is all that is accumulated true wealth. (Numbers do not guarantee worth; ungrateful progeny bring grief, and perishable hoardings do not equal real security.)