ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
തനിക്കു ചുടുമ്പോൾ കുട്ടി അടിയിൽ”
— English Translation:
When the embers burn one's own feet, one puts the child underneath to stand on. (Extreme, ruthless selfishness; in moments of desperate self-preservation, human nature can push even dependents into harm's way.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തഞ്ചത്തിനു വളംവേണ്ടാ; വളത്തിനു തഞ്ചംവേണ്ടാ”
— English Translation:
Skill needs no extra manure, and rich manure needs no cunning trick. (True mastery and rich innate substance do their own work; when genuine quality is present, artificial gimmicks are unnecessary.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തട്ടാൻ പെങ്ങടെതും തട്ടും”
— English Translation:
A dishonest goldsmith will shave gold even from his own sister's ornament. (An ingrained, compulsive vice or professional greed spares neither family ties nor moral conscience.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തടിച്ചാൽ പെടുക്കും, ചടച്ചാൽ കുരക്കും”
— English Translation:
If it fattens up it collapses in sickness; if it grows lean it barks in misery. (A chronically defective constitution or unmanageable enterprise where neither prosperity nor hardship brings relief.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തടുപ്പാൻ ശക്തിയുള്ള കാലത്തു അറിവില്ല”
— English Translation:
In the years when one has the physical strength to resist, one lacks the wisdom to know how. (Youth is wasted on the young; vigor comes in youth when discernment is missing, and wisdom arrives only when physical strength has faded.)

“”
— English Translation:
Whoever picks up the club is declared the hunter. (Might makes right; whoever brazenly wields force or claims credit passes for the rightful master.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തട്ടാൻ തൊട്ടാൽ പത്തിന്നെട്ടു (എട്ടാൽ ഒന്നു)”
— English Translation:
If the goldsmith touches it, only eight parts in ten remain (or one part in eight is skimmed). (A traditional folk caution against the inevitable cut or commission shaved off whenever dealing with dishonest intermediaries.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തത്രപ്പെട്ടാൽ താടിയും മീശയും വരുമൊ”
— English Translation:
Will a beard and mustache sprout simply because you are in a frantic hurry? (Natural maturation and organic growth cannot be accelerated by frantic impatience; everything requires its due season.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തട്ടാനെ പിരടി പിടിച്ചുന്തിയപോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like grabbing an evasive goldsmith by the scruff of the neck and shoving him forward. (Using forceful, direct coercion to compel a procrastinating, slippery party to deliver on their promise.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തനിക്കല്ലാത്തതു തുടങ്ങരുതു”
— English Translation:
Never embark on what is not suited to your station or nature. (Do not meddle in crafts, roles, or enterprises that lie entirely beyond your aptitude and calling.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തനിക്കിറങ്ങിയാൽ തനിക്കറിയാം”
— English Translation:
When the affliction descends upon oneself, one understands its true weight. (Only when misfortune, grief, or pain strikes you personally do you comprehend what others endure.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഡില്ലിയിൽമീതെ ജഗഡില്ലി”
— English Translation:
Beyond Delhi lies Jagadilli. (No matter how supreme an imperial authority or power may seem, there is always a higher force, greater domain, or deeper turmoil beyond it.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചോറുണ്ടാകുമ്പോൾ ചാറില്ല, ചാറുണ്ടാകുമ്പോൾ ചോറില്ല, രണ്ടും ഉണ്ടാകുമ്പോൾ ഞാനില്ല”
— English Translation:
When there is rice, there is no broth; when there is broth, there is no rice; and when both are ready, I am not there. (The tragicomedy of chronic bad timing; complementary elements never align when one is present to enjoy them.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തകൃതിപ്പലിശ തടവിന്നാകാ”
— English Translation:
Runaway compound interest cannot be recovered when the borrower is broken or behind bars. (Pushing demands and extortion to unreasonable extremes guarantees that you recover nothing at all.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചോറിൽകിടക്കുന്ന കല്ലെടുത്തു മാറ്റാൻ വയ്യ, ഗോപുരംകെട്ടാൻ കല്ലു ചുമക്കാം പോലും”
— English Translation:
Unable to remove a tiny pebble from a bowl of rice, yet boasting of hauling stones to erect a temple tower. (Incapable of performing the simplest practical tasks, yet bragging of tackling colossal, heroic feats.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തക്കം എങ്കിൽ തക്കം; അല്ലെങ്കിൽ വെക്കം”
— English Translation:
If the opportune moment is here, seize it; otherwise act with swift dispatch. (Strike while the iron is hot; either wait patiently for the ideal opportunity or act immediately without lingering indecision.)