Proverbs in My Country Old sayings, Words of Wisdom etc.

Group C

Definition

German ProverbsStille Wasser sind tief.

English: Calm waters are deep. Meaning: Just because people are shy or quiet doesn't meanthey are not interesting or intelligent.Origin: First official use by Friedrich Ludwig Schröder (German actor, manager and dramatist)

Lügen haben kurze Beine.English: Lies have short legs. Meaning: You will not get far in life when you lie. Someone willalways catch you.Origin: Translation of a verse in the Talmud.

Man soll den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben.English: Do not praise the day before the evening. Meaning: Do not be to happy and high-spirited about something before it is finished or before you can be completely sure about it.Origin: Modification of a biblical verse (`Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a daymay bring forth.’)

Most of the German proverbs and sayings have a religiousbackground or they are similar to biblical sayings. They remind peoplefor example not to lie, not to be unfair with or prejudge anyone andto be calm and balanced instead of rushed.

Japanese Proverbs・女心と秋の空English: women`s mind is like the weather of autumns.Meanings: a women`s mind is always mutable.

・河童の川流れEnglish: the best swimmer sometimes get drowned.Meanings: even if professionals, he sometimes takes a mistake.

河童（かっぱ）→One of japanese monster related to water. He is famous for good swimmer and his favorites is cucumber.

Japanese proverbs

• 敵は本能寺にありEnglish: ones enemy is in honnoji.Meanings: ones trues purpose lies elsewhere.Origins: Mitsuhide Akechi is subordinate of Nobunaga Oda who is one of famous general in the age of civil wars(戦国時代). In 1582 Mitsuhide was on his way to conquer the other place as Nobunaga`s subordinates, but he suddenly change his ways to Honnoji where Nobunaga stayed. And he betrayed Nobunaga and killed him.

Keep learning new things , as long as you are living.

今日事，今日畢

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today .

Everything you get, you should think of where it comes from and appreciate that.

Greek Proverbs

Ancient Greek Proverbs

Ellhnika

• Όποιος λέει αλήθεια, έχει τό θεό βοήθεια

• Whoever tells the truth has God’s help

Arceia Ellhnika

• Εάν δέν πάθεις, δέ θά μάθεις

• If nothing happens to you, you will never learn

Ellhnika

• Τό ξύλο βγήκε από τόν Παράδεισο

• The wood fell from paradise?

Arceia Ellhnika

• Τό γοργόν και χάριν έχει

• The quicker you do something, the better

Ellhnika

• Κάνε τό καλό καί ρίχτο στό γιαλό

• Do good deeds and throw them onto the glass

Arceia Ellhnika

• Άσκεφτος ο νους, διπλός ο κόπος

• Next to the non-thinking mind is work

Greek vs Ancient

• Ancient Greek proverbs are more philosophical

• Greek proverbs usually spawn from culture and religion

• My preference is Ancient Greek proverbs

– They use very powerful words

Proverb

• Jaｐanese 時は金なり• English Time is money.• Japanese 急がば回れ• English Haste makes waste./ If you hurry, take a long but steady

road.• Japanese 井の中の蛙大海を知らず• English The frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean. /

He that stays in the valley shall never get over the hill.• Japanese 漁夫の利• English Two dogs fight for a bone and the third runs away with it.• Japanese 類は友を呼ぶ• English Like attracts like./Jackdaw always perches by

jackdaw./Like breeds like.