Yiddish proverbs
From Wikiquote
Proverbs in the Yiddish language.
With original Yiddish[edit]
- .אויף איין שלאַג פֿאַלט קיין בוים ניט אום
- Af eyn shlag falt keyn boym nit um.
- Translation: A tree doesn't fall with one blow.
- English equivalent: Little strokes fell great oaks.
- Meaning: A difficult task cannot be accomplished quickly. It is achieved gradually in small steps.
- Source: Bernstein, Ignaz (1988). Jüdische Sprichwörter und Redensarten. Fourier Verlag. p. 279. ISBN 3-925037-25-X.
- .אויף פֿײַער זאָל מען קיין בוימל ניט גיסן
- Af fayer zol men keyn boyml nit gisn.
- Translation: Don't pour oil on fire.
- English equivalent: Don't add fuel to the fire.
- Meaning: Don't make a bad situation worse by making an injudicious remark.
- Source: Stutchkoff, Nahum (1950). דער אוצר פֿון דער ייִדישער שפּראַך. YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. p. 454. ISBN 0-914512-46-3.
- אַ מאָל איז די רפֿואה ערגער פֿאַר דער מכּה.
- A mol iz di refue erger far der make.
- Translation: Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease.
- Source: Stutchkoff, Nahum (1950). דער אוצר פֿון דער ייִדישער שפּראַך. YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. p. 423. ISBN 0-914512-46-3.
- .אַז מען לעבט, דערלעבט מען
- Az men lebt, derlebt men.
- Translation: When one lives, one experiences.
- Meaning: If you live long enough, you live to see surprising things.
- Source: Furman, Israel (1968). יידישע שפריכווערטער און רעדנסארטן. Hamenora Publishing House. p. 219.
- .פֿון אַ חזיר-שווענצל קען מען קיין שטרײַמל ניט מאַכן
- Fun a khazer-shventsl ken men keyn shtrayml nit makhn.
- Translation: You can't make a shtreimel from a pig's tail.
- English equivalent: You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear.
- Meaning: You can't make a good product with bad materials; you can't achieve something good without the proper preparations.
- Source: Bernstein, Ignaz (1988). Jüdische Sprichwörter und Redensarten. Fourier Verlag. p. 105. ISBN 3-925037-25-X.
- .דער מענטש טראַכט און גאָט לאַכט
- Der mentsh trakht un Got lakht.
- Translation: Man plans and God laughs.
- English equivalent; Man proposes, God disposes.
- Source: Furman, Israel (1968). יידישע שפריכווערטער און רעדנסארטן. Hamenora Publishing House. p. 248.
- .דאָס עפּעלע פֿאַלט ניט ווײַט פֿון ביימעלע
- Dos epele falt nit vayt fun beymele.
- Translation: The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
- Meaning: Children follow the example of their parents.
- Source: Bernstein, Ignaz (1988). Jüdische Sprichwörter und Redensarten. Fourier Verlag. p. 193. ISBN 3-925037-25-X.
- .אַ באַרג מיט אַ באַרג קומט זיך ניט צונויף, אָבער אַ מענטש מיט אַ מענטשן יאָ
- A barg mit a barg kumt zikh nit tsunoyf, ober a mentsh mit a mentshn yo.
- Translation: Two mountains can't come together, but two people can.
- Meaning: There is always a way for people to find common ground.
- Source: Stutchkoff, Nahum (1950). דער אוצר פֿון דער ייִדישער שפּראַך. YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. p. 30. ISBN 0-914512-46-3.
Bibliography[edit]
- Ayalti, Hanan J., (ed.), Yiddish Proverbs, New York, 1949.
- Bernstein, Ignaz and B. W. Segel, Jiddische Sprichwörter, Frankfurt a. M., 1908.
- King, Alan, Alan King's Jewish Joke Book, Crown; 1st edition (October, 2002)en:Yiddish proverbs
External links[edit]
- Yiddish Wit - Yiddish proverbs in Yiddish (Hebrew letters), YIVO transliteration, and English translation.
