Burmese Proverbs

Sayings of Burmese origin

• When it rains, collect the water.
• Water can wear away even the hardest rock.
• The voluntary obedience of people depends on who is commanding them.
• The person who makes an error should be taught, and not made fun of.
• The excessively kind-hearted person becomes a slave.
• The child who is given everything he asks for usually won’t succeed in life.
• The blind person never fears ghosts.
• Strength is defeated by a strong strategy.
• Sparrows who emulate peacocks are likely to break a thigh.
• Seven days is the length of a guest’s life.
• Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty.
• Only with a new ruler do you realize the value of the old.
• One sesame seed won’t make oil.
• No matter how much care is taken, someone will always be misled.
• No child was ever born without having been conceived.
• Many people count other people’s faults and ignore their own.
• If you trust before you try, you will repent before you die.
• If you truly want honesty, don’t ask questions you don’t really want the answer to.
• If you take big paces you leave big spaces.
• If you like what you are doing, nothing is too far and no job is too hard.
• Excessive talk is sure to include errors.
• Every road leads somewhere.
• Even if the truth is buried for centuries, it will eventually come out and thrive.
• Don’t use up your arrows before you go to battle.
• Beware of a man’s shadow and a bee’s sting.
• Alertness and courage are life’s shield.
• A stupid act entails doing the work twice over.
• A hero only appears once the tiger is dead.
• A good character is real beauty that never fades.
• A good character is more valuable than gold.
• A diligent person will soon prosper.

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar

Burma, is a sovereign state in southeast Asia bordered by China, Thailand, India, Laos and Bangladesh. One third of Burma’s total perimeter of 1,930 kilometres (1,200 miles) forms an uninterrupted coastline along the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. Burma’s population of over 60 million makes it the world’s 24th most populous country and, at 676,578 square kilometres (261,227 sq mi), it is the world’s 40th largest country and the second largest in Southeast Asia. (Source)

The Burmese language is the official language of Burma. Burmese is the native language of the Bamar and related sub-ethnic groups of the Bamar, as well as that of some ethnic minorities in Burma like the Mon.

“Kaba Ma Kyei”  ( Till the End of the World) is title the national anthem of Burma (Myanmar).

Lyrics:

Where prevail justice and independence,
It’s our country … our land.
Where prevail equal rights and correct policies,
For people to lead a peaceful life,
It’s our country … our land.
We solemnly pledge to preserve,
The Union, and the heritage, for perpetuity.

Until the world ends up shattering, long live Burma!
We love our land because this is our real inheritance.
Until the world ends up shattering, long live Burma!
We love our land because this is our real inheritance.
We will sacrifice our lives to protect our country,
This is our nation, this is our land and it belongs to us.
Being our nation and our land, let us do good causes to our nation in unity!
And this is our very duty to our invaluable land.