5. Fruits/Vegetables: Kashmiri Proverbs

Kashmiri Proverbs constructed on the names of fruits and vegetables:

1.

ژوٗنٹ چِھہ ژوٗنٹِس وُچِھتھ رنگ رٹان

Choont chi choontis wuchith rang rataan.

An apple gets colour from seeing an apple.

Meaning: A person takes the characteristics of a company he keeps.

2.

بُجہ لبؠاو کُجہ تل ژوٗنٹ؛ ادہٕ گییے فۆت ہؠتھ

Bujih labyav kujih tal choont; adah gayey photh heth

An old woman once found an apple under the tree, and she went with a basket afterwards.

Give them an inch and they will take a mile.

3.

دچھ کمِیوٗ کھیی؟

پردیو ! مے دۄپ پننیو ما

Dachh kamyu khey?

Pardev ! Mey dopp panenev ma!

Who ate the grapes?

Strangers! I thought our own related ones.

Benefit of one's fruit, if taken by strangers doesn't feel bad when relations are estranged.

Fruit here is metaphor for any thing belonging to the owner.

4.

بادم کھۄتہ چھے بادام گوٗج آسان ٹٲٹھ

Baadaam khotte chheh baadaam gooij aasaan taaet

More than the Almond it's the kernal that is loved.

A son's or daughter's offspring is more close to heart of a person.

Always used in this context.

5.

چھانس یلیہ پانس پیٹھ پیوان سُہ چِھہ لاگان یِکلہٕ کنہِ ۄوستہ ہاکھ نل

Chhanas yelli paanas peth pewaan su chhi laagaan yikli kanni wosteh haak nall.

When the carpenter is burdened with responsibility of his own self, he uses the stalk of spinach instead of large wooden beam.

Meaning: It's very easy to squander the money or resources of other person.

6.

وٲنٹس ڈوٗنس کھیے زِہ کینہہ تہ ژوژِس کیاہ کھیکھ

Waentis dunis kheyizi kenh te chhochhis kyah khekh

You may eat something out of hardshelled walnut but what will you eat out of the walnut with worthless kernel.

Used for a person who is worthless.

7.

بُڈہٕ مٲل کتھ پیی تہ ژوکؠن ژیرن؛

یِم ہا چِھی بُڈا مرنٕن کیرن

Budde maael kath pey te chhoken chheran; Yim ha chhi budda marnin keran.

O old man! See what your appetite asks for; the sour apricots.

These are, O old man, the indications of impeding death.

Used when for a person who takes up a task that is futile as well as dangerous.

8.

مودُر دٲن ژوکہ نہ تہ ژوک دٲن مودرہٕ نہ

Modur daen chhokih ne te chhok daen modarih ne.

A sweet pomegranate will not become sour, and a sour pomegranate will not become sweet.

The disposition of a person doesn't change.

9.

ۄوزلہ کنہ ژوپ کرُن

Wuzali kani chhopp kadun.

To bite on the red(ripe) side (of an apple).

To appropriate the better part of anything without caring for others. Being selfish.

10.

منگوُن ہۓ تھٲوِزؠن ٹنگہ وارِ منز تتہ تہ کرِ منگہٕ منگ

Mangawun hai thaewizen tange-wari manz tatih ti karih manga-mang. 

Even if you place a beggar in the midst of a grove of pear trees, there, even, he will beg.

Old habits die hard.

 

11.

ہارہٕ ٹنگ تہ زلہ نۓ؛ موہرہٕ ژوٗنٹ زٕلِتھ

Haari tang ti zilinai; mohri choont te zilith.

If the pear cost only a cowrie it will not be peeled ; but if the apple cost a mohur it will be peeled.

Usually pears are eaten after being peeled and apples are eaten unpeeled. But when u get a thing at dirt cheap price, it's worth is lessen automatically in your mind. And when u get a cheap thing at higher price, it's value increases in sub-conscious manner and is treated in luxurious way.

12.

اکھا گومُت وِرہٕ، وِرِ منگان ٹنگ

Akha gomut virrih, virri managaan tang.

A person drowned (and) asking pears from the willow.

A state of confusion.

13.

اندرہ گوم وِرِ ہیوٗند دۅدُر تہ نؠبرہٕ روٗدُم ژؠرِ ہیوٗند رنگ

Andreh gom virri huend dodur te nebreh ruudum cheyri huend rang. 

Within me is the rottenness of the willow, and without continues the colour of the apricot.

Used by a person who seems alright from outward appearances but is distressed inside.

14.

کوٗر بڈنس تہ ژیر پپنس چَھنہ تٲر لگان

Kuur baddnas te chyer pappnas chheh ne taaer lagaan.

It doesn't take much time for a girl to maturime and an apricot to ripe.

15.

گرِ تِہ ہاکھ، پرِ تِہ ہاکھ؛ ناکھۓ زُوا گرِ دراکھ

Garri ti haakj, parri ti haakh; naakhai zua garri draakh.

Collards green in my own home and collards green in another’s home. 

O self, you ventured out of your home in vain.

Used when a person expects better things outside but gets same things that are already available at home.

Haakh is a staple vegetable of Kashmiris and is cooked too frequently to the degree of being fed up with it.

16.

ندرؠن مٲل تہ ڈمبیوک ہِتھ

Nadren mael ti dambyuk hith.

Wish of nadur, but pretence of dumb. 

Appetite for the Nadur but pretence of the Dumb.

Nadur is the stalk of the Lotus. Dumb is thin, small Nadur.

Similar one in another form:

گُرسس مٲل تہ ژۅڈ ہؠتھ پتہٕ کنہٕ

Gursas maael ti chhodh heth patte kanni.

Appetite for the buttermilk and the pot kept(hidden) behind the back.

Pretending not to seek anything but preprations already done for its acquisition.

17.

اکھ چِھۄیو مسہ، بیاکھ ہاکہ رسہ

Akh chhiwyov masse, byaak haake rasse. 

One man is intoxicated with the juice of the grapes, another with the gravy of the collards green.

Pride dwells in everyone—it is just what thing brings it forth.

18.

پانہ چھُ وانگنس سُم، یڈ چھؠس آنگنس سُم

Paane chu waangnas sum, yedd chhes aangnas sum.

The size of brinjal plant and appetite (as large as) a courtyard.

Used for a person who is gluttony.

19.

الہِ ژٹِتھ چونٹ

Alli chhatith choant

The mouth carved out of gourd.

Big-mouthed person.

20.

الن ہیندٕ دعٲےخٲرہٕ وانگنن سگ

Allan hiendi daekhareh wanganan sagg.

The brinjals getting irrigated by the blessings of gourds.

When a person also receives benefits even though the intended benefit was for another one.

21.

اے ہاکھ، ژٕ کتہ آکھ

از خانۂ مۅمہ تاک

نہ ژے نوٗن، نہ ژے پاکھ

برو بنشین بالاے طاق

Aye hakh chi katti akh?

Az khanai Mumah Taak.

Na chey nuun na chey paakh. 

Birav binishin bala-i-taak.

O collards green, whence came you?

From the house of Mumah Taak.

You are neither salted nor cooked soft. 

Heugh ! go and sit on the window.

22.

آرِٕم کٔڈ نہ مُج تہ فکیرن دورُس ہَلَم

Aarim kedd ne mujj te phakeeran dorus halam. 

The gardener was yet to dig out the radish that the beggar offered the skirt of the gown (as begging bowl).

Urdu equivalent: گاوں بسا نہیں لُٹیرے آگۓ

23.

پیہ نہ شرٚپان تہ آمؠن گۅگلن داران ٲس

Piyih ne shrapaan te aamen goglan daraan aaes.

Cannot digest rice-water, yet he opens his mouth for uncooked turnips.

Foolish bravado.