Proverbial Wisdom from Nepal
Sayings of Nepalese origin
God’s name in mouth but knife in pocket.
Someone who had nothing got bananas; he ate it without peeling it.
The farmer grows the corn, but the bear eats it.
When there is opportunity you have to be ready to break a diamond.
If you do right things, you don’t have to worry.
Explaining heaven to the King of Gods.
Look at the neck and swallow the bone.
Eating potato but boasting to be eating sweets.
Hold short services for minor gods.
Vanity blossoms but bears no fruit.
Too much sugar is bitter.
You can say “God Bless” to an ox going downhill but can’t try to hold him down.
The elephant got in but its tail is stuck.
Can’t do it oneself and blames other for its reason.
Coconut in the hands of a monkey.
The one who went to eat the meat drowned in the liquid.
The god who made the mouth will provide the food.
An eating mouth is not stopped by the mustache.
Hard work’s reward is good.
Wealth is both an enemy and a friend.
The one who is guilty has the higher voice.
It is the mind that wins or loses.
If you only depend on others, you will soon go hungry.
To take revenge on an enemy, give him an elephant — first he must thank you for the gift, and then the elephant’s appetite will deplete your enemy’s resources.
You have a lot of friends if you have money; otherwise there are only strangers.
Even the devil slaves for the fortunate.
Talking too much makes a trouble.
Opportunities come, but do not linger.
The Ox that has no horns is named “Sharpy”.
Unable to dance because the stage is crooked.
A speaker needs no tools.
Sin cries from afar.
Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a country located in South Asia. With an area of 147,181 square km (56,827 sq mi) and a population of approximately 27 million, Nepal is the world’s 93rd largest country by area and the 41st most populous country. It is a landlocked country located along the Himalayas and bordered to the north by China and to the south, east, and west by India. Nepal is separated from Bangladesh by the narrow Indian Siliguri Corridor and from Bhutan by the Indian state of Sikkim.
Kathmandu is the nation’s capital city and largest metropolis.
The major languages of Nepal are Nepali, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Tharu, Tamang, Nepal Bhasa, Bajjika and Magar, Doteli, Urdu and Sunwar. In addition, Nepal is home to at least four indigenous sign languages.
“Sayaun Thunga Phool Ka” is the national anthem of Nepal.
Lyrics:
Woven from hundreds of flowers, we are one garland that’s Nepali
Spread sovereign from Mechi to Mahakali
A shawl of nature’s wealth unending
From the blood of the braves, a nation free and non-moving
A land of knowledge, of peace, the plains, hills and mountains tall
Indivisible, this beloved land of ours, our motherland Nepal
Of many races, languages, religions, and cultures of incredible sprawl
This progressive nation of ours, all hail Nepal!
I appreciate whoever did this work. However I think it is necessary to improve a little in some of the proverbs because in my opinion some of the translations are not conveying correct meanings. In some of them, word to word translation may be correct but what they convey are unclear. Since I am not good in nepali-english translation I can not suggest any improvement or correction. In my opinion many of Nepali proverbs have English version/equivalent as well( not translation but sense or expression) .