Unofficial Cracow's Yiddish Page:Proverbs
Proverbs
A very short selection of Yiddish proverbs follows.
The original Yiddish version comes
first, then the transcription, English translation
and Polish counterpart with its English translation.
- Goldene keylim vern ka mol nit shvarts.
- Golden dishes will never turn black.
- Zlota nigdy rdza nie chwyci.
- Gold will never get rusty.
- Nit dos iz sheyn, vos iz sheyn, nor dos, vos es gefelt.
- Beautiful is not what is beautiful, but what one likes.
- Nie to piekne, co piekne, ale co sie komu podoba.
- Beautiful is not what is beautiful, but what one likes.
- A goldener shlisl efent ale tirn.
- A golden key opens all doors.
- Zloty klucz kazdy zamek otworzy.
- A golden key will open every lock.
- Az men shert di shepsn, freyen zikh di tsign.
- When one shears the wethers, the goats are pleased.
- Kiedy owce strzyga, na baranie skora drzy.
- When one shears the sheep, the skin on the ram trembles.
- Kiedy pieska bija, I lewek sie boi.
- When one beats the dog, a lion is also afraid.
- A shprikhvort, iz a vorvort.
- A proverb is a true word.
- Przyslowie prawde mowi.
- A proverb tells the truth.
- 'Odem yesode meofe vesofe leofe' - beyno-lveyno iz gut a trink bronfn.
- A man comes from the dust and in the dust he will
end - and in the meantime it is good to drink a sip of vodka.
- Proch jestes i w proch sie obrocisz.
- You are dust and you will become dust.
- Az Got git broyt, gebn mentshn puter.
- When God gives bread, the people give butter.
- Na kogo Pan Bog, na tego i ludzie.
- To whom God gives, to him also the people give.
- Der mentsh trakht, un Got lakht.
- A man thinks and God laughs.
- Czlowiek chodzi, Pan Bog nogi stawia.
- A man walks, God places the feet.
- Vos noenter tsu der shul, alts vayter fun Got.
- The nearer to the synagogue, the farther from God.
- Im blizej kosciola, tym dalej od Boga.
- The nearer to the church, the farther from God.
- Varf di kats vi du vilst, blaypt zi alts shteyn af di fis.
- You can throw a cat however you want, it always
stays on its feet.
- Rzuc, jak chcesz, kota, a on zawsze na nogi padnie.
- You can throw a cat however you want, it always falls
on its feet.
- Ver filt zikh, der meynt zikh.
- Who feels guilty, feels responsible.
- Kto sie do czego poczuwa, to go i obchodzi.
- Who feels guilty, feels responsible.
- Kluge kinder hobn kurtse jorn.
- Wise children have short years.
- Madre dzieci nie uchowaja sie.
- Wise children will not live long.
- A nar git, a kluger nemt.
- A fool gives, a wise man takes.
- Glupi daje, madry bierze.
- A fool gives, a wise man takes.
© by Magdalena Sitarz, January 1997.
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