Ladino Proverbs and Sayings (Waaay long!)

Am 12/07 22:38  Nik Taylor yscrifef:

> Yes, please.  I don't think I've ever seen more than a word or two of
> Ladino, and I wonder how close it is to Spanish.
>
Well, here goes.

First the important bit:

Moshe Lazar (ed), The Sephardic Tradition: Ladino and Spanish-Jewish
Literature, New York: WW Norton & Co (1972).

Okay that's enough bibliography and should cover any copyright problems
(I hope :)

Now on to the good bits:

1. Cada uno sabe su salmo, ma el _Hazan_ sabe dos.
        Everyone knows his own single psalm, but the cantor knows two.

_N_, hebrew word italicized in the text, accented letters are written as
capitals.

2. El ganar y el perder son _Haverim_.
        Winning and losing are close companions.

3. La mentira tiene pies curtos.
        Falsehood has short legs.

4. Mano que se corta con _din_, no duele.
        The hand that is curt off with justice does not hurt.

5. Mas vale una dracma de _mazal_ que una oca de ducados.
        A single ounce of luck is worth more than a whole pile of money.

6. Mucho gasto y mal sa'bado.
        Too much spending brings a bad Sabbath.

7. Roba pitas, besa _mesusot_.
        He steals bread, and kisses the mezuzah.

8. Si MoSe morio', _Adonay_ quedo'.
        Moses may be dead, but God endures.

9. Si _neviim_ no somos, de neviim venimos.
        We may not be prophets but we descend from them.

10. La verdad va enriva como la aceite.
        Truth, like oil, rises to the surface.

11. Por hablar la verdad, se pierde la amistad.
        Speak the truth and lose friends.

12. Quien con perros se acuesta con pulgas se levanta.
        He that beds down with dogs gets up with them.

13. Del loco y el nin~o se sabe la verdad.
        Truth is found in the mouths of babes and fools.

14. Dime con quien conoscas, te dire quien sois.
        Tell me whom you know, I'll tell you who you are.

15. Mal de muchos, consuelo de locos.
        The sorrow of the many is the consolation of fools.

16. La limpieza es junto a riqueza.
        Cleanliness is next to wealth.

17. Paciencia es paz y sciencia
        Patience is peace and wisdom.

18. Hasta que al rico le viene la gana, al pobre se sale la alma.
        Before the rich man makes a move, the poor man's soul can fly
        away.

19. La hambre y el frio traen a la puerta del enemigo.
        Cold and hunger bring one to the enemy's door.

20. El cabello largo, el muelo corto.
        Long in hair short in sense.

21. Mujer sin creaturas es un a'rbol sin frutas.
        A childless woman is a tree without fruit.

22. Mue'rete, te querere bien.
        After you die, I shall be your friend.

23. De una pulga lo hacen gamello.
        To make a camel out of a flea.

24. De boca a boc va fin a Roma.
        From mouth to mouth and on to Rome.

25. Boca de miel, corazo'n de hiel.
        Honey mouth, heart of poison.

26. Mira la madre, tome la hija.
        First look at the mother, then take the daughter.

27. Lo das la mano, y quiere el pie.
        Give him an inch and he wants a foot.

28. Mejor es verguenza en cara que dolor en corazo'n.
        Better an embarrased look than a pained heart.

29. Quien hijo cri'a, oro hila.
        To rear a child is to spin gold.

30. Quien no tiene hermano, como si fuera de una mano.
        He who lacks a brother lacks a hand.

31. Rey sin gente no vale niente.
        A king without a people is worthless.

32. Pagan justos por pecadores.
        The righteous pay for the sinners.

33. Ni miercoles sin col, ni vuda sin dolor, ni mochacha sin amor.
        No Wednesday without sun, no widow without sorrow, no lass
        without a lover.

34. Culebra que no mi morde, que viva mil an~os.
        The snake that doesn't bite me, let it live a thousand years.

35. Quien quiere mulo sin tacha, se queda sin nada.
        Who demands a mule without blemish ends up with nothing.

36. El que te hace rei'r, te quiere ver llorar.
        He that makes you laugh wishes to see you cry.

37. Cuel ciego quiere tener ojos?
        What blind man does not wish for eyes?

38. Cada uno por se, Dios por todos.
        Each one for himself, God for all.

39. Las manos hacen, el Dios ayuda.
        Where hands work God assists.

40. Un oi'do puerta, otro ventana.
        One ear a door, the other a window.

41. Non mi mires la color, mi'rami la savor.
        Don't judge me by my colour, judge me for myself.

42. En tiempo de hambera no hay mal pan.
        In times of hunger no bread tastes bad.

43. El Dios te guarde de puta vieja, y de mercador nuevo.
        God save you from an old whore and an inexperienced merchant.

44. Quien no tiene su casa es vecino de todo el mundo.
        He that has no home is everyone's neighbour.

45. Casa mio, nido mio.
        My home, my nest.

46. La boca hace, la boca deshace.
        The mouth makes, the mouth unmakes.

47. Mas vale caer en un rio furiente, que en baca de gente.
        Far better to fall into a raging torrent than into people's
        mouths.

48. Si asnos de does pies no habi'a, los de cuarto mucho vali'an.
        Were there no two-legged asses, those with four would be
        priceless.

49. Boca dulce abre puertas de hierro.
        Kind words open iron gates.

50. Asno callado, por sabio contado.
        The silent ass is considered wise.

51. No hay mejor espejo que un amigo viejo.
        No better mirror than an old friend.

52. Caras vemos, corazones no conosemos.
        Faces we see, hearts we do not see through.

53. Aboltar cazal, aboltar _mazal_.
        A change of scene, a change of fortune.

54. Afo'gase en copo de agua.
        He drowns in a glass of water.

55. Lo que no te agradece no lo hagas al de enfrente.
        Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do to
        you.

56. Agua que no es de beber, dejala correr.
        Water which is not for drinking, let it run.

57. Quien se levanta de man~ana, viste en seda.
        The early riser will be dressed in silk.

58. Faste amigo con el huerco, hasta que pases el ponte.
        Befriend the hangman until you are over the bridge.

59. Amor de madre, ni la nieve lo faze enfriar.
        Not even ice can freeze a mother's love.

60. Uno an~o mas, un _seHel_ mas.
        One year older, one year wiser.

61. Cada uno se arrasca onde le come.
        Everyone scratches where it bites.

62. Arvoles pecan, ramos lloran.
        The trees sin, the branches wither.

63. El que va al ban~o no sale sin sudar.
        If you don't want to sweat, stay out of the steambath.

64. Quien barvas ve, barvas honra.
        When you see gray hairs, honour them.

65. Bendicha tripa de madre que tal fijo pario'.
        Blessed be the mother that bore such a son.

66. Quien esta' para los bezos deve de estar para los pedos.
        Who takes kisses must accept kicks.

67. Fas el bien, no mires a quien.
        Do good, no matter to whom.

68. La boca le va como el culo de la baba.
        Her tongue wags like a duck's tail.

69. Mas vale un boro conocido, que un savio para conocer.
        Better a fool we already know than a wise man we don't know.

70. Quien camina por el sol save la savor de la sombra.
        Whoever walks in the sun knows the pleasure of shade.

71. En cayer tu enemigo no te alegres.
        Do not rejoice at the fall of your enemy.

72. Caza sin mujer y barca sin timo'n, lo mismo son.
        A house without a woman is like a rudderless ship.

73. El cazar es un regalo, el parir es un mal paso, el criar mal todo el
an~o.
        Marriage is a gift, birth a passing pain, the rearing of
        children an ache for the whole year.

74. Mas vale cien an~os en cadena que un an~o debaxo de la tierra.
        Better a hundred years of captivity than one year in the grave.

75. En la ciuda' de ciegos, beato quien tiene u ojo
        In the city of the blind the one-eyed man is king.

76. _DarSa, haHam_, cuando hay quien te oiga.
        Preach, rabbi, only when you have an audience.

77. Ma's duele la palavra del amigo que la cuchillada del enemigo.
        The words of a friend hurt more than an enemy's sword.

78. Cada dia da una buelta el mundo y la mujer cada segundo.
        The earth makes one revolution per day, a woman one revolution
        per second.

79. El Dios es tadrozo mas no es olvidadozo.
        God may act slowly but he never forgets.

80. La mejor elocuencia, la vedra'.
        Truth is the greatest eloquence.

81. Escrito esta' en la palma, lo que va a sufrir el alma.
        In the palm of the hand is written the fate of man.

82. El farto no cree al fambrento.
        The well-fed doesn't believe the starving.

83. Poco favlar es salu' para el puerpo.
        To talk little is good for the health.

84. Una fija: una maravilla.  Dos: con savor.  Tres, malo es.  Cuatro
fijas y una madre: mala vieje's para el padre.
        One daughter is wonderful; two pleasant; three bad.  But four
        daughters and one mother mean an evil old age for the father.

85. Los fijos al rubi', el marido al tcharchi'.
        Sons to the rabbi, husband to work in the market.

86. Los fijos y las fijas son pechkires de meza.
        Sons and daughters are the ornaments of one's table.

87. La gallina beve al agua y mira al cielo.
        The chicken drinks and then looks at heaven.

88. Al gamello le demandaron por que' tiene corcova.
        As well ask a camel why it has a hump.

89. Cuando _gane'den_ esta' acerrado, _guehinam_ esta' siempre abierto.
        While the Garden of Eden may be closed, hell is always open.

90. Quien con gatos va, a maullar se ambeza.
        Who lives with cats learns to meow.

91. Guay! cuando el _amares_ favla _leshon hakodesh_.
        Beware when the ignoramus quotes Scripture.

92. _HaHam_ y mercader, alegri'a de la mujer.
        He that is both wise man and merchant rejoices a woman's heart.

93. Hoy vizir, aman~ana rizil.
        One day vizier, the next dismissed.

94. Cada huerco tiene su mes.
        Every devil reaps his harvest.

95. No me llores por ser prove, sino por ser solo.
        Weep not for my poverty but for my loneliness.

96. Madre que pario' culevros, se apiado' de ellos.
        The mother bore snakes and had pity on them.

97. El mal viene a quintales, se va miticales.
        Trouble comes in gallons and departs in drops.

98. Maldicho basin de oro, que vierte sangre de otro.
        A curse on the pot of gold made at another's expense.

99. De la mano a la boca, se piedre la sopa.
        Between hand and mouth the soup may be spilled.

100. Dame un grano de _mazal_, y echame en las fundinas de la mar.
        Give me a grain of luck and throw me into the depth of the sea.

101. Quien a muchos sierve, mucho peca.
        He sins much who serves many.

102. No ondo naces, sino onde comes.
        Not where you are born but where you eat.

103. No nacio' que ya sarnudo'.
        Not yet born and already sneezing.

104. Y el _haHam_ yerra en la _Tora_.

105. Ya llevo' los males de _Paro'_.
        He's had as many woes as Pharaoh.

106. Quien mucho pensa, no se le fada _YeruSalai'm_.
        He who hesitates will never reach Jerusalem.

- andrew.
--
Andrew Smith, Intheologus                       hobbit@earthlight.co.nz

                      "Piskie, Piskie, say Amen
                   Doon on your knees and up agen."

                    "Presbie, Presbie, dinna bend;
                   Sit ye doon on mon's chief end."
                               - Attributions unknown.