Azerbaijani proverbs

Azerbaijani proverbs are smart sayings in Azerbaijani.

Proverbs

A

Ağıl başda olar, yaşda olmaz

Literal translation: Intelligence is in the head, not in the age

Meaning: You do not have to be old to be intelligent

Ağac bar verəndə başın aşağı dikər

Literal translation: Tree would bend when it bears fruit

Moral: One should be modest even if he or becomes rich and influential

Ağıllı düşmən nadan dostdan yaxşıdır

Literal translation: Wise enemy is better than a foolish friend

Meaning: Foolish friends are more dangerous than an enemy who is intelligent.

B

Bilməmək eyib deyil, soruşmamaq eyibdir

Literal translation: Shameful is not the one who doesn't know, but the one who doesn't ask

Simple: The one who does not ask is more shameful than the one who does not know, but asks.

Bir buğda əkməsən, min buğda biçməzsən

Literal translation: Without sowing a single wheat you would not harvest thousand ones

Simple: One small action can help change what happens in the future.

Ç

Çox bilən quş dimdiyindən tələyə düşər

Literal translation: Smart bird gets trapped in its beak

Simple: People who are too intelligent may end up hurting themselves.

D

Dama-dama göl olar, axa-axa sel olar

Literal translation: Drop by drop would make a lake, ...

Meaning: Be patient

Dil yanılar, doğrusunu deyər

Literal translation: Tongue may muddle up and say the truth.

Ə

Ədəb bazarda satılmaz

Literal translation: Politeness is not sold in the bazaar

Simple: It is not easy to be polite.

Əvvəl düşün, sonra danış

First think, then speak

H

Halva-halva deməklə ağız şirin olmaz

Literal translation: Mouth will not be sweet when you say "sweet"

Meaning: Just talking won`t get the things done. In order to make your mouth sweet you should act rather than just talk.

Haram malın bərəkəti olmaz

Literal translation: Unearned riches are unlawful or forbidden (Haram in Islamic law)

Meaning: You will not profit from something that you obtained in an unlawful way. Sooner or later it will turn against you.

Hər ağac öz dibinə kölgə salar

Literal translation: Every tree casts shadow on its own bottom

Meaning: Everybody takes care of their own, a tree casts shadow only on those who are close, the rest are on their own.

K

Kiminin əvvəli, kiminin axırı

Literal translation: Someone's end is someone's beginning

Kasıb öləndə molla xəstə olar

Literal translation: Mollah is sick when the poor is dying

Meaning: Nothing is done just out of simple kindness: if you`re poor and dying, even Mollah will pretend to be sick in order not to come and say the last prayer by your bed.

Kişi tüpürdüyünü yalamaz

Literal translation: A man would not lick what he spit

Meaning: A man should stand by his words.

Kişi sözü üzə deyər

Literal translation: A man says his word to the face

Köpəyin qarnı tox gərək

Literal translation: Dog has to have its stomach full

Meaning: Treat those in your service well and they, in turn, will treat you well

Kül başıva

Literal translation: Ash on your head.

Meaning: Loser

M

Meşə çaqqalsız olmaz

Forest always has its jackal

Meaning: Seedy characters are to be found everywhere

Molladan adam, Palıddan badam!

Literal translation: Mollah is a human, if an oak will produce an almond.

Meaning: It`s impossible for a mollah (a priest) to be humane

O

Ot kökü üstə bitər

Literal translation: Grass grows on its roots

R

Rəhmət düzənə, lə'nət pozana!

Literal translation: Bless the builders, damn the slayers!

Simple: Those who help should be praised, those who try to stop them should not.

Rəngimə bax, əhvalımı xəbər al!

Literal translation: Look at my color (face), know my mood!

T

Tazıya tut deyir, dovşana qaç

Literal translation: To tell the dog to catch, and the rabbit to run.

Meaning: To play your enemies off against each other.

Simple: To try make your enemies work against each other to gain a win for yourself.

Tez duranla tez evlənən uduzmaz

Translation: Those who get up and marry early, achieve success.

Idiomatic translation: The early bird catches the worm.

Y

Yetənə yetir, yetməyənə bir daş atır

Literal translation: Overtakes whom gets, and stones whom doesn't

Meaning: Referring to someone who harasses everyone.

Azerbaijani unknown

1. A mad man drops a rock into water well, so that thousand wise men can not take it out.
2. Beauty without virtue is a curse.

Simple: Even if one is beautiful, if he or she does not have a good heart, he or she is still a bad person.

1. One's own simple bread is much better than someone else's pilaf.
2. Speak not of what you have read, but about what you have understood.

Simple: Teach others what you really know and not what you just read about.

1. Until spring comes, nightingales do not sing.

Simple: Things happen only when the right time comes.