Tuesday 19 March 2024 14:22:53 PHT

Boholano Proverbs

Tagbilaran, Tuesday, 8 October 2002

The Boholanos are fond of proverbs. They embody the morals and the wisdom of the people, and reflect their ideas and beliefs in a just a few well choosen words. Here we present a small collection of Boholano proverbs.

Since all Boholanos are keen bussiness people, we start with some proverbs related to business.

Visayan English
Aron dili ka limbongan,
Pangutana sa precio
Sa tolo ka tindahan
In order that you would not be cheated,
Ask the price at three shops.
Kon ikaw sa usa ka tawo maka utang,
Kinahanglan magpakita ka kaniya sa kanunay.
If you owe a man anything,
There is nothing like seeing him often.
Kon makapalit ka ug barato,
Ikaw ra ang matonto.
If you got a thing too cheaply,
You'll be taken in.
Kon gusto ka nga maka kita ug higala,
Pautanga siya ug ayaw paningla.
If one wishes to get friends with his fellows,
Let him buy on credit and never collect the money.
Ang mag baligya
Firming mokanta nga matamis ang iyang baligya.
The melon seller
Declares his melon sweet.

Of course, the Boholanos are also deeply religious, as is reflected in the following proverbs on religion and related subjects.

Kadtong magabuhat ug maayo panalanginan,
Kadtong magabuhat ug dautan, paninglan.
Those who lay up goodness prosper,
Those who lay up evil are destroyed.
Ang kasingkasing nga matarung, dili mahadlok;
Bisan linti ang madungog.
The upright in heart, fears not;
Not even the thunderbolts.
Ang familia nga naga tanum ug kaayohan, Nag ani ug Kapalaran;
Ang nag tanum ug kadautan, nag ani ug Lonlon kasakitan.
The family that accumulates virtue will have felicity;
But the family that increases in evil will have misery.
Sa katapusan, ang maayo ug dautan
Paga gantihan;
Ang pangutan mao,
Moabut ugma ug karon?
In the end, good and evil
will have its rewards,
The question is, will it come sooner or later?
Ang mga butang nga dili hikitan,
Ug dili hidungan sa tawo,
Sa langit hikitan ug hibaloan.
What man sees not,
And hears not,
Heaven sees and knows.
Ang kasingkasing sa mga tao,
Mao ang kasingkasing sa langit.
The heart of the people
Is the heart of heaven.

We conclude this collection with proverbs on a number of subjects.

Ang pag sulti, sapi,
Ang pag hilum, bulawan.
Speech is silver,
Silence is gold.
Ang puthaw madunot sa iyang
Kaugalingon nga ta-ay.
Iron is destroyed
By its own rust.
Ang Owang nga matulog
Paga dad-on sa solog.
A sleeping shrimp is carried away by the current.
Walay kauswagan
Kon walya inantusan.
There is no success
If there is no sacrifice.
Ang mag dula sa kalayo
Masunog gayud ug seguro.
He who plays with fire
Is surely burned.
Ang tanum nga kalabasa
Ang bunga pag biyaan
Sa iyang pag panaw.
A squash plant leaves its
fruits behind as it travels.
Ang pobre kon makalapas
Sa tanang tao hikitan.
A poor man's mistake is noted by all.
Ang sayog sa uban, himatngonan,
Apan ang imo, paga tabunan.
Other's faults you see clearly,
but not your own.
Ang tawo kon hadlok
Molukso bisan unsa kahabug.
There is no fence too high
for a frightened person.
Bisan ug unsa ka taas sa procession,
Mo pauli gayud sa kaugalingon.
No matter how long the procession be,
It always goes back to its starting place.
Unsaon pa ang kompay,
Kon patay na ang kabayo?
Oh what use is hay,
When the horse is already dead?
Ang nagdali,
makabali.
Haste makes waste.
Siguing pili,
Sa pinilian pauli.
Too much choosing
Leads to a poor choice.
Nagdaginot sa binlod,
Nag usik sa bugas.
Man in his attempt to own everything,
May lose things of much greater importance.
Puslan nga maligo,
Manglugod.
In doing a piece of work,
One must do it well.

If you know a Boholano proverb to contribute to this page, please use the feedback form below. Please give us both the Visayan and the English translation.

 

What readers think...

JEMAR Maano wrote:
Sunday, 15 November 2020 20:10:33 PHT
Philippine words of mirror?
thomas D tandog wrote:
Monday, 19 November 2018 01:51:22 PHT
gosto ko makamao boholano ug english
Julio wrote:
Monday, 2 June 2014 21:06:08 PHT
Can someone translate this for me Nawa lagi ako mata? Hahahaha ambot ba Igawas aki mata uy! Haahagah Lugitun ko na.hahaha
Onyot Tan wrote:
Thursday, 21 November 2013 10:06:09 PHT
I learned so much. Thank you. I love Bohol very much. This year I visited Bohol twice, before the earthquake. Before that I had visited Bohol about 5 times already. My first time to really eat in a fiesta was in Dauis in May of 1970. My friend Joe Torres brought me there. It was one of the best times of my life. Thank you for being so generous and hospitable. These days when I am in Bohol I stay at Matig-a Pension.
nelvie wrote:
Saturday, 2 July 2011 18:21:36 PHT
.so nice and impressive!!!

Read all 122 comments by readers.

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