Tagbilaran, Tuesday, 8 October 2002 04:56:09
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.