Welsh proverbs

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A - B - C - Ch - D - Dd - E - F - Ff - G - Ng - H - I - J - L - Ll - M - N - O - P - Ph - R - Rh - S - T - Th - U - W - Y

[edit] A

• "Adar o'r unlliw, ehedant i'r unlle."
  • Translation: "Birds of the same colour fly to the same place."
  • English Equivalent: "Birds of a feather flock together."

• "A ddwg ŵy a ddwg fwy."
  • Translation: "He who steals an egg will steal more."

• "Adfyd a ddwy wybodaeth, a gwybodaeth ddoethineb."
  • Translation: "Adversity brings knowledge and knowledge wisdom."

• "A fo ben, bid bont."
  • Translation: "If you want to be a leader, be a bridge."
  • Possible Interpretation: To become a leader, you must help others achieve their aims. Or - To be a leader, you must mediate.

• "Allwedd arian a egyr pob clo."
  • Translation: "Money is the key that opens all locks."

• "Am gwymp hen y chwardd ieuanc."
  • Translation: "The young laugh when the old fall."

• "Angel pen ffordd, diawl pen tân."
  • Translation: "An Angel on the road, a Devil at the fireplace."
  • Possible Interpretations: Someone who appears virtuous in public may be a brute in his home. OR Someone, although shy, may still be a tiger in bed.

• "Araf bach mae dal iâr."
  • Translation: "Catch a chicken slowly."

[edit] B

• "Bai ar wrach dorri ei chlun."
  • Translation: "Breaking her hip is the old woman's fault."

• "Bûm gall unwaith - hynny oedd, llefain pan ym ganed."
  • Translation: "I was wise once: when I was born I cried."

[edit] C

• "Caiff dyn dysg o'i grud i'w fedd."
  • Translation: "Man learns from the cradle to the grave."

• "Canu cyn borefwyd, crio cyn swper."
  • Translation: "To sing before breakfast is to weep before supper."

• "Cartref yw cartref, er tloted y bo."
  • Translation: "Home is home, however poor it may be."

• "Cenedl heb iaith yw cenedl heb galon."
  • Translation: "A nation without a language is a nation without a heart."

• "Cof a llithr, llythyrau a geidw."
  • Translation: "Memory slips, letters remain."

[edit] Ch

• "Chwarae troi'n chwerw, wrth chwarae gyda thân."
  • Translation: "Playing with fire will eventually turn bitter."

[edit] D

• "Deuparth gwaith yw ei ddechrau."
  • Translation: "Starting the work is two thirds of it."

• "Digrif gan bob aderyn ei lais ei hun."
  • Translation: "Every bird relishes his own voice."

• "Diwedd y gân yw'r geiniog."
  • Translation: "At the end of the song comes payment."

• "Dyfal donc a dyr y garreg."
  • Translation: "Tapping persistently breaks the stone."

• "Dywed yn dda am dy gyfaill, am dy elyn dywed ddim."
  • Translation: "Speak well of your friend; of your enemy say nothing."

[edit] Dd

[edit] E

• "Eang yw'r byd i bawb."
  • Translation: "The world is wide to everyone."

[edit] F

• "Fel iâr ar ben domen."
  • Translation: "Like a hen on a heap."

[edit] Ff

[edit] G

• "Gall pechod mawr ddyfod trwy ddrws bychan."
  • Translation: "A great sin can enter by a small door."

• "Gorau adnabod, d'adnabod dy hun."
  • Translation: "The best knowledge is to know yourself."

• "Gorau prinder, prinder geiriau."
  • Translation: "The best shortage is a shortage of words."

• "Gormod o bwdin dagiff gi."
  • Translation: "Too much pudding will choke a dog."

• "Gwell dysg na golud."
  • Translation: "Better educated than wealthy."

• "Gwell fy mwthyn fy hun na phlas arall."
  • Translation: "Better my own cottage than the palace of another."

• "Gwell swllt da na sofren ddrwg."
  • Translation: "Better a good shilling than a dud sovereign."

• "Gwna dda dros ddrwg, uffern ni'th ddwg."
  • Translation: "Repay evil with good, and hell will not claim you."

• "Gŵr heb bwyll, llong heb angor."
  • Translation: "A man without prudence is a ship without an anchor."

[edit] Ng

[edit] H

• "Haws twyllo baban na gwrachen."
  • Translation: "A boy is easier cheated than an old lady."

• "Heb ei fai, heb ei eni."
  • Translation: "He who has no faults is not born."

• "Hedyn pob drwg yw diogi."
  • Translation: "The seed of all evil is laziness."

• "Henaint ni ddaw ei hunan."
  • Translation: "Old age comes not on its own."

• "Hen y teimlir ergydion a gaed yn ifanc."
  • Translation: "The old feel the blows that were aquired when younger."

• "Hir yw pob ymaros."
  • Translation: "All waiting is long."

[edit] I

[edit] Ll

• "Llaeth i blentyn, cig i ŵr, cwrw i'r hen."
  • Translation: "Milk for a child, meat for a man, beer for the old."

[edit] M

• "Mae'r hwch wedi mynd drwy'r siop."
  • Translation: "The sow has gone through the shop."

• "Meistr pob gwaith yw ymarfer."
  • Translation: "The master of all work is in its practise."

• "Mwyaf y brys, mwyaf y rhwystr."
  • Translation: "More the hurry, more the obstacles."

[edit] N

• "N'ad fi'n angof."
  • Translation: "Forget me not."

• "Na ad i'th dafod dorri dy wddf."
  • Translation: "Let not your tongue cut your throat."

• "Nerth gwlad, ei gwybodaeth."
  • Translation: "The strength of a nation is its knowledge."

• "Nerth hen, ei gyngor parod."
  • Translation: "The strength of the old is their ready counsel."

• "Ni cheir da o hir gysgu."
  • Translation: "No good will come of over sleeping."

• "Nid aur yw popeth melyn."
  • Translation: "Everything that is glitters is not gold."

• "Ni edrych angau pwy decaf ei dalcen."
  • Translation: "Death considers not the fairest forehead."

[edit] O

• "O bob trwm, trymaf henaint."
  • Translation: "Of all weights, old age is the heaviest."

[edit] P

• "Pan fo llawer yn llywio fe sudda'r llong."
  • Translation: "When the steersmen are many the ship will sink."

• "Po callaf y dyn, anamlaf ei eiriau."
  • Translation: "The wiser the man, the fewer his words."

• "Po hynaf fo'r dyn, gadwaethaf fydd ei bwyll."
  • Translation: "The older the man, the weaker his mind."

[edit] Ph

[edit] R

[edit] Rh

• "Rhaid cropian cyn cerdded."
  • Translation: "You must crawl before walking."

• "Rhoi'r ffidil yn y to."
  • Translation: "Put the fiddle in the roof." - To give up

[edit] S

• "Segurdod yw clod y cledd."
  • Translation: "A sword's honor (literally 'credit') is its idleness."

[edit] T

• "Teg yw edrych tuag adref."
  • Translation: "It is good to look homewards."

• "Tri chynnig i Gymro."
  • Translation: "Three attempts for a Welshman."

• "Tri chysur henaint: tân, te a thybaco."
  • Translation: "Three comforts of old age: fire, tea and tobacco."

• "Troi'r dŵr at ei felin ei hun."
  • Translation: "Turning the water at its own mill."
  • Possible Interpretation: "Spoken of someone arranging something for his own benefit."

• "Tyfid baban, ni thyf ei gadachau."
  • Translation: "The child will grow, his clothes will not."

[edit] Th

[edit] U

[edit] W

• "Wrth gicio a brathu, mae cariad yn magu."
  • Translation: "Whilst kicking and biting, love develops."

[edit] Y

• "Y cyntaf i'r felin gaiff falu."
  • Translation: "The first to the mill grinds."

• "Y mae dafad ddu ym mhob praidd."
  • Translation: "Every flock has its black sheep."

• "Y mae mwy nag un ffordd i gael Wil i'w wely."
  • Translation: "There is more than one way to get Wil to bed."

• "Y mae taten ddrwg ym mhob sach."
  • Translation: "There is a bad potato in every sack."

• "Yr hen a ŵyr a'r ieuanc a dybia."
  • Translation: "The old know and the young suspect."

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