Proverbs & Maxims
   

  1. [tag resources proverbs_01]ز گهواره تا گور دانش بجوی[/tag]
    ze gahvāre tā gur dāneš bejuy
    “Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.”
  2. [tag resources proverbs_02]پرسیدن عیب نیست٬ ندانستن عیب است[/tag]
    porsidan e’yb nist, nadānestan e’yb ast
    “He that nothing questions, nothing learns.”
    Literally, “The shame is not in asking; shame is in not knowing.”
  3. [tag resources proverbs_03]چو استاده ای٬ دست افتاده گیر[/tag]
    co istādehi daste oftādeh gir
    “As long as you are standing, give a hand to those who have fallen.”
  4. [tag resources proverbs_04] در نومیدی بسی امید است پایان شب سیه سپید است[/tag]
    dar nomidi basi omid ast pāyān-e šab-e siyah sepid ast
    “The darkest hour is just before the dawn.”
    Literally, “There is much hope in hopelessness; for at the end of the dark night, there is light.”
  5. [tag resources proverbs_05]قطره دریاست٬ اگر با دریاست ورنه قطره قطره٬ دریا دریاست[/tag]
    qatre daryāst, agar bā daryāst varna qatre qatre, daryā daryāst
    “A drop is ocean only when it is in the ocean;
    otherwise, a drop is a drop and an ocean is an ocean.”
  6. [tag resources proverbs_06]سالی که نکوست٬ از بهارش پیداست[/tag]
    sāli ke nekust, az bahāraš peydāst
    “If the beginning is good, the end must be perfect.”
    Literally, “A good year is evident in its Spring.”
  7. [tag resources proverbs_07]گر صبر کنی٬ ز غوره حلوا سازی[/tag]
    gar sabr koni, ze γure halvā sāzi
    “With time and art the leaf of a mulberry-tree becomes satin.”
    Literally, “If you exercise patience, you may make a sweet-meat out of the sour grape.”
  8. [tag resources proverbs_08]مار گزیده از ریسمان سیاه و سفید می‌ترسد[/tag]
    mār gazide az rismān-e siyah va sefid mitarsad
    “Once bitten, twice shy.”
    Literally, “He who has been bitten by a snake, is (even) scared of a black-and-white rope.”
  9. [tag resources proverbs_09]هیچ ارزانی بی علّت نیست[/tag]
    hic arzāni bi e’lat nist
    “Nothing is cheap for no reason.”
  10. [tag resources proverbs_10]دروغگو کم حافظه است[/tag]
    doruγgu kam hafeze ast
    “A liar should have a good memory.”
    Literally, “A liar is forgetful.”
  11. [tag resources proverbs_11]عاقبت حق به حق‌دار می‌رسد[/tag]
    ā’qebat haq be haqdār miresad
    “Eventually justice serves he who is deserving.”
  12. [tag resources proverbs_12]ماهی را هروقت از آب بگیری تازه است[/tag]
    māhi rā har vaqt az āb begiri tāze ast
    “Never too late”
    Literally, “Whenever you catch the fish it is fresh.”
  13. [tag resources proverbs_13]بخند تا دنیا به رویت بخندد[/tag]
    bexand tā donyā be ruyat bexandad
    “Laugh and the world laughs with you.”
    Literally, “Smile, so the world smiles (back) onto your face.”
  14. [tag resources proverbs_14]جوجه را آخر پاییز می‌شمارند[/tag]
    juje rā āxare pāiz mišomārand
    “Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.”
    Literally, “They count the chickens at the end of the Fall.”
  15. [tag resources proverbs_15]شاهنامه آخرش خوش است[/tag]
    shāhnāme āxareš xoš ast
    “Praise a fair day at night.”
    Literally, “ Shahname is pleasant only at the end of it.”
  16. [tag resources proverbs_16]چو بد کردی٬ مشو ایمن ز آفات که واجب شد طبیعت را مکافات[/tag]
    co bad kardi, mašo iman ze āfāt ke vājeb šod tabiat rā mokāfāt
    “Like fault, like punishment.”
    “What goes around, comes around.”
  17. [tag resources proverbs_17]سال به سال٬ دریغ از پارسال[/tag]
    sāl be sāl, dariγ az pāsāl
    “Year after year we long for (what we left behind) the previous year.”
  18. [tag resources proverbs_18]تو نیکی می‌کن و در دجله انداز که ایزد در بیابانت دهد باز[/tag]
    to niki mikon o dar dejle andāz ke izad dar biyābānat dahad bāz
    “What goes around, come around.”
    Literally, “You toss charity in the Tigris, and God shall return it in the desert.”
  19. [tag resources proverbs_19]کوه به کوه نمی‌رسد٬ آدم به آدم می‌رسد[/tag]
    kuh be khu nemiresad, ādam be ādam miresad
    “Mountains don’t meet, but people do.”
  20. [tag resources proverbs_20]صبر تلخ است٬ ولیکن بر شیرین دارد[/tag]
    sabr talx ast, valikan bar-e širin dārad
    “Patient men win the day.”
    Literally, “Patience is bitter, but it has a sweet fruit.”
  21. [tag resources proverbs_21]سنگ مفت٬ گنجشک مفت[/tag]
    sang moft, gonješk moft
    “Nothing to lose!”
    Literally, “Stones are free and so are the sparrows.”
  22. [tag resources proverbs_22]طناب مفت ببیند٬ خود را دار می‌زند[/tag]
    tanāb moft bebinad, xod rā dār mizanad
    “He would even hang himself, provided that the rope is free.”
  23. [tag resources proverbs_23]میگم نره٬ میگه بدوش[/tag]
    migam nare, mige beduš
    “I say: ‘It’s a bull’; he says: ‘Milk it!’”
    “You cannot milk a bull.”
  24. [tag resources proverbs_24]هم خدا را می‌خواهد٬ هم خرما را[/tag]
    ham xodā rā mixahad, ham xormā rā
    “You cannot have your cake and eat it too.”
    Literally, “He wants the God and the date both.”
  25. [tag resources proverbs_25]مرغ همسایه غاز است[/tag]
    morγ-e hamsāye γāz ast
    “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.”
    Literally, “The neighbor’s chicken is a goose.”
  26. [tag resources proverbs_26]تنبل نرو به سایه٬ سایه خودش میآیه[/tag]
    tanbal naro be sāye, sāye xodeš miyaye
    “A lazy sheep thinks its wool heavy.”
    Literally, “Hey sloth, don’t go into the shade, the shade would eventually come to you.”
  27. [tag resources proverbs_27]هلو٬ برو تو گلو[/tag]
    hulu boro tu galu
    “Piece of cake!”
    Literally, “Oh peach, get into (my) throat.”
  28. [tag resources proverbs_28]حسنی به مکتب نمی‌رفت؛ وقتی می‌رفت٬ جمعه می‌رفت[/tag]
    hasani be maktab nemiraft, vaqti miraft, jome’ miraft
    “Finally when he decided to go to school, it was the weekend.”
  29. [tag resources proverbs_29]فلفل نبین چه ریزه٬ بشکن ببین چه تیزه[/tag]
    felfel nabin ce rize, beškan benin ce tize
    “A little body often harbors a great soul.”
    Literally, “Don’t look at the small size of the pepper; break it and it is pretty strong.”
  30. [tag resources proverbs_30]از اون نترس که های و هو داره؛ از اون بترس که سر به تو داره[/tag]
    az un natars ke hāy o ho dāre, az un betars ke sar be tu dāre
    “Fear not he who makes a lot of fuss; fear he who keeps to himself.”
  31. [tag resources proverbs_31]گل و خار همیشه با هم است[/tag]
    gol va xār hamiše bā ham ast
    “No rose without a thorn.”
  32. [tag resources proverbs_32]گل پشت و رو ندارد[/tag]
    gol poš o ru nadārad
    “A flower is beautiful from all sides.”
  33. [tag resources proverbs_33]زنبور همیشه پشت گله[/tag]
    zanbur hamiše pošt-e gole
    “A bee is always behind the flower.”
  34. [tag resources proverbs_34]شتر دیدی؟ ندیدی[/tag]
    šotor didi? nadidi
    “You see nothing, you hear nothing.”
    Literally, “Did you see the camel? No you did not!”
  35. [tag resources proverbs_35]کافر همه را به کیش خود پندارد[/tag]
    kāfar hame rā be kiš-e xod pendārad
    “Who is in fault suspects everybody.”
    Literally, “An infidel believes of everybody being of his own faith.”
  36. [tag resources proverbs_36]دیوانه چو دیوانه ببیند خوشش آید[/tag]
    divane co divane bebinad xošaš āyad
    “An ass is the most pleasing to another ass.”
    Literally, “A crazy person enjoys meeting another one.”
  37. [tag resources proverbs_37]دیگ به دیگ میگه: ”روت سیا“[/tag]
    dig be dig mige: rut siyā
    “Pot calling the kettle black.”
  38. [tag resources proverbs_38]دیوار موش داره٬ موش هم گوش داره[/tag]
    divār muš dāre, muš ham guš dāre
    “Walls have ears.”
    Literally, “Walls have mice, and the mice have ears.”
  39. [tag resources proverbs_39]موشه تو سوراخ نمی‌رفت٬ یه جارو هم به دمش می‌بست[/tag]
    muše tu surax nemiraft, ye jāru be domeš mibast
    “You needed this like you needed a hole in the head.”
  40. [tag resources proverbs_40]پز عالی٬ جیب خالی[/tag]
    poz-e āli, jib-e xali
    “Great boast, small roast.”
  41. [tag resources proverbs_41]میمون نمی‌تونه برقصه٬ میگه زمین کجه[/tag]
    meymun nemitune beraqse, mige zamin kaje
    “The monkey could not dance and blamed it on the floor as being crooked.”