Excerpts from
"Burmese Proverbs",
by Hla Pe,
published by
John Murray,
London, 1962
From the dust jacket:
It is the function
of a proverb
suddenly to get through
one's cherished defenses
with its devastating wisdom
and biting, pertinent truth.
Proverbs can be defined
as the distilled wisdom of a race
and the Burmese have a magnificent
collection of several thousands.
+++
From the Notes
from the chapter
called "Human Characteristics":
It is easier to go wrong
in sizing up a person
than in assaying
a piece of gold or silver,
so says
an old adage.
Burmans have however many touchstones
by which to test a man's character.
One of these is his reaction in adversity,
which brings out the worst or best in a man;
another is his manner of speech,
since they seldom trust a suave person;
the third is the shape of his forehead and of his knees;
and finally his outward appearance
is an index to his character.
is an index to his character.
Once a man has passed the test
he is worth his weight in gold
and will not sink into oblivion,
since "a genuine ruby will not be scorched
if tossed into the fire
nor will it sink
if thrown onto the mud".
Human types cannot always be divided
so neatly into the worthy and the worthless.
There is a type whose latent potentialities
manifest themselves
only when the right time comes.
To many Burmans
everyone has a fine prospect before him,
unless he has proved himself an ignoramus.
There is a consensus of opinion about ignorance,
and the futile and superfluous actions
which result from it.
Lack of material wealth is preferred
to lack of intelligence.
A fool is mentally blind, mentally deaf
and insensitive to all the beautiful things...
... above all he is,
to quote the proverb,
" a buffalo
before which
it would be futile
to play a harp".
Many proverbs portray him as
a dunderhead, a braggart and an idiot
all combined.
Burmese women have a separate place
in this section.
"They wear a skirt only three cubits long
whereas a man's nether garment
is twenty cubits long."
In other words a man is
a future Buddha
whilst a woman is not.
She is characterized as being vain
and wanting to preserve her looks
or enhance them when she is elderly.
Beauty is however only skin deep,
since a good-looking woman
devoid of virtues
is like a butea flower,
which is all beauty without fragrance.
Able women may leave their mark on history,
but only at the expense of their domestic duties;
and a woman is likely to ruin a whole kingdom
by her lack of a sense of proportion.
She is also painted
as an embodiment of wiles,
of which "...there are as many
as the grains of sand on nine mats".
Nevertheless, the women of Burma
have been praised for their quick wit,
their business sense, their skill
in household management.
Thus far credit is given to them,
for men claim that women's achievements
are limited.
Women
are not therefore
complimentary
but
supplementary
to men.
This view is reflected
in the distorting mirror
of Burmese literature.
(p. 16 - 18)
+++
Only
rivers and streams
can disappear
without a trace;
a people
cannot.
(p. 18)
Only when he meets adversity
will you know his character.
[= Danger brings out the best in a man.]
(p. 18)
If you want to know his origin
look at his conduct.
[= "Manners maketh man."]
(p. 18)
Seeing the bark
you know the tree;
seeing his expression
you know his character.
(p. 18)
A real ruby
cannot sink
in the mud.
[= A man of real merit
cannot sink into obscurity.]
(p. 19)
An ember about to blaze
glows brightly.
[= Said of a man
who gives an indication of his power.]
(p. 20)
Playing a harp before a buffalo.
[= To cast pearls before swine."]
(p. 20)
He has not learnt anything
though all the palm-leaves
have been used up.
[Oblong strips cut from palm-leaves,
after being smoothed and polished, were
in general use as writing material
until 150 years ago.
They are still used for special purposes
such as the preparation of horoscopes.]
(p. 21)
The silk is all used up,
but Maung Pon
never learned to play the harp.
[Burmese harp-strings are made of silk
and easily broken.]
(p. 21)
You can't get who rice by pounding bran.
[= "You can't make a silk purse
out of a sow's ear."]
(p. 21)
If you try to sharpen a rotten bamboo
it won't take a point.
[Cf. "Rotten wood cannot be carved,
and mud walls cannot be plastered."
-- Chinese proverb]
(p. 21)
Digging a well on high ground.
[= Misdirected effort.]
(p. 21)
Water falling into sand.
[= Vain effort.]
(p. 21)
When the torrent comes
he tries to dam it up
with sand.
(p. 21)
Flipping sesamum seeds
into an elephant's mouth.
[= "A drop in the ocean."]
(p. 21)
The moon shining
in the hollow of the bamboo.
[= Buried talent. Applied to someone
who shows off his skill and ability
where they cannot be appreciated.]
(p. 22)
Giving a good dream to a dumb person.
[Cf. "Like a dumb person dreaming in his sleep."
Thai proverb.
He cannot repeat the dream.]
(p. 22)
When the disease is not known
there is no remedy.
(p. 22)
In a forest where there is no heart-wood
the castor-oil plant rules.
[= "Among the blind, a one-eyed man is king."]
(p. 22)
It may take
an embryo Buddha
to answer
a buffalo-herd's question.
[= "A Fool may ask more questions
in an hour
than a wise man
can answer in seven years."
A favorite retort given by
those who are at a loss
when confronted with a question
they cannot answer.]
(p. 22)
A stupid act
entails doing the work
twice over.
(p. 22)
Ask when you don't know;
wash when you're dirty.
(p. 22)
Those who are unaware
walk over it;
those who are aware
unearth it and eat it.
[ Concerns "Eyes" and "No-Eyes".
A reward awaits the observant.]
(p. 22)
If you don't observe
you won't see a cave;
if you do observe
you see a speck of dust.
A jar half full of water splashes about.
[Cf. "Still water runs deep."]
(p. 23)
He who talks isn't strong;
he who's strong doesn't talk.
[= "Those who know don't speak;
those who speak don't know."]
(p. 23)
The blind man is not afraid of ghosts.
[= An ignorant person is reckless of consequences.]
(p. 23)
He gets along on his journey
but he does not know
the villages on his route.
[Cf. "The Fool wanders; the Wise Man travels."]
(p. 23)
Ignorance is more troublesome than Poverty.
[= "Better to be a beggar than a Fool."]
(p. 23)
If a woman wrecks a country
it is well and truly wrecked.
A big wave! it's under the boat;
a big mountain! it's under the feet.
[= Women will always be subdued by men.]
(p. 24)
+++
Notes
from the chapter
called
"Human Behavior"
In this second section
we see many and varied
sides of human behavior
through the lens
presented by these proverbs.
The series of pictures
which greets our eyes
tends to be unattractive.
This is deliberate; the proverbs serve as a warning
and stimulate reflection on human weaknesses.
Man is egoistic, self-opinionated, self-willed.
He advertises himself
like the seven shameless creatures
which call out their names.
[Of the seven creatures,
the first is a reptile
and the rest are birds.
They are:
the large crowing lizard or gecko,
the pied crested cuckoo,
the Burmese spotted owlet,
the Bengal brown fish-owl,
the Burmese red-wattled lapwing,
the common iora
and the Malay koel.]
A self-satisfied man,
like a rogue,
sees in another
a fault as small
as a sesamum seed,
but in himself
he does not see a fault
as big as a coconut.
A self-willed person
through obstinacy
brings his own destruction
upon himself.
The moral
is quite clear:
be selfless.
Some men
are comparable
to a puffed-up frog,
and they are often
of the kind
which basks
in the reflected glory
of others.
These people
are like
"a yokel employed
as a footman,
grinning as if
the royal insignia
he has to carry
were his own".
Burmans regard pomposity
with amusement
and, whenever opportunity arises,
they take great pleasure
in pricking the bubble.
A pompous person
is often likened
to the chameleon
(in the Mahosadha Jataka)
with a pennyworth
of silver round its neck,
which filled it with vainglory.
And those who swagger about
in the light of other people's achievements
are also described as vultures
who look like golden birds
because they are perching
on a golden hill!
Another is the vainglorious extrovert.
An individual of this species
is prepared to go to any length
so long as he can make a great impression
on other people.
He is the crow
in the fable
who wears peacock feathers.
When such a person
does a work of merit,
such as alms-giving,
it is likely
that he will proclaim from the roof-top
that he is the alms-giver!
In seeking limelight
to satisfy his vanity
he goes on
from pretension to pretension.
He will live in a plank house --
a dwelling that was a sign of opulence
in olden days -- while feeding
on the cheapest kind of food,
namely roselle leaves.
Vanity goes hand in hand
with boastfulness and blustering.
How often do we meet a vain person
whose big talk is lacking in weight?
His boasting and vaunting
are cynically compared to the booming
of a New Year's Day cannon.
Such people are apt
to entertain great expectations
and nourish high aspirations
without regard to their own worth or ability,
or to decorum and propriety.
The proverbs in the sub-section on "Great Expectations"
show these people up as wretched beings
trying to reach out for something which is not meant for them:
they are like a person whose head is among the clouds,
crying out for the moon.
Their achievements fall far short of their expectations
and their further efforts usually end in disaster
like that of "the sparrow which imitated the strut
of the peacock".
The next sub-section on "Despair" is a grim warning
to those whose aspirations have been frustrated.
In such a plight and driven by despair a man may have recourse
to extreme measures like the Garuda
which, having exhausted all its ideas,
took to boiling salt (the occupation of the forlorn).
[Garuda,
a mythical bird, half man, half bird.
He is the king of birds
and the greatest enemy
of the Naga (serpents).
He is usually represented
as having the head, wings, talons
and beak of an eagle,
and the body and limbs of a man.]
Desperation may drive a man
from bad to worse
and when he finally realizes that his situation
cannot deteriorate any further,
he will in his desperate mood declare:
"I have become
a dog
and
I am not afraid
of excrement".
Burmans' views
on dishonesty and crookedness,
with their concomitant betrayal
of trust,
as seen in the proverbs
are most enlightening.
Honesty is of course the best policy,
but dishonesty should be forgiven
if the end justifies it.
They believe that
fundamentally
a man
is
neither honest
nor dishonest;
it is
the question of expediency
versus
morality
that makes him
what he is.
After all it is easy
to be moral
on
Two Thousand Pounds Sterling a year,
but it is not easy
to be moral
on Two Hundred Pounds Sterling.
Dishonesty is therefore
an aberration,
whereas crookedness,
according to the proverbs,
is a permanent feature
which can never be altered.
Believers in these proverbs
of course forget the one saying:
"An error may go on forever,
but it can be set right in a moment",
which is somewhat equivalent to
"It's never too late to mend".
These views have made many a Burman cautious.
He is not ready to place confidence
in his servants or friends, or in his wife
or even in his children.
He would quote Mahosadha,
the embryo Buddha,
who said that one's secret
should not be confided to anyone.
The secret would be out
and one would be betrayed.
One of the Burmans'
favorite stories of betrayal
is about a wife
offering a sword by the handle
to the robber
(with whom she has fallen in love)
while he was fighting
with her husband.
Such sweeping views
have led Burmans to suspect
even "their knees".
Dishonesty, crookedness and betrayal of trust
are no doubt bad traits of human nature;
but ingratitude is the worst of all.
It is ten thousand times more unbearable
than the winter wind.
Burmans who insist
that he who has had even a glass of water
from a person
must show his gratitude,
are shocked to see an ungrateful man
turning against his benefactor.
He would certainly liken such a man to a dog,
an animal of despicable nature.
The proverbs in the subsection
"Once bitten, twice shy"
have been created by men
who have had bitter experiences in their lives!
Three other kinds of human weakness
are also dealt with in these proverbs:
retaliation, timidity, and contempt for familiar objects.
Retaliation falls into two categories.
One is revenge in kind:
"A tooth for a tooth".
The other is spite:
"Unable to beat the foreigners,
he pitches on the Arakanese".
[There are no historical records of Burmese armed forces
wreaking their vengeance on the Arakanese people
because they had been defeated by foreign forces.
Probably this is a reference to one of the instances
when ill-treatment was meted out to the Arakanese
by the Burmese when they were engaged in war
with the British between 1824 and 1826.]
To the Burman Buddhists paying back in one's own coin
is not the answer, for, if enmity is met with enmity,
it will merely prolong the strife.
[Cf.
"For not by hatred
are hatreds ever quenched
here in this world.
By love rather
are they quenched.
This is an eternal law."
-- from the Dhammapada]
They will say:
"If I worsted him,
some other person
was bound to worst me".
Forbearance and even humility
are advocated to overcome
this animal-like reaction
which stems from anger and spite.
The Burmese language
has only one word
for both timidity and cowardice.
The meaning is inferred
from the context or situation,
or from both.
Burmans maintain
that to fear
is human.
Fear or timidity has its own advantages:
it keeps the timid out of trouble.
On the other hand cowardice is derided.
A coward is held up to ridicule,
especially when he tries to keep up appearances
by tackling a dangerous feat.
There are many such proverbs.
Courage is a different matter.
A brave man
"though frightened
seldom runs".
A faint-hearted man misses his chances,
while a brave one attains greatness.
A really valiant man can rout ten thousand soldiers.
[This is a reference to the incident
in which Mahosadha, the embryo Buddha,
single-handed scored a victory
over eighteen invading armies.]
Familiarity, it is said, breeds contempt,
but with the Burmans, it does more than this.
Between
a student and his teacher,
too long a contact
is likely to breed disrespect
on the part of the student --
he may address his teacher
as "my dear brother";
between
a wife and her husband,
constant companionship
is apt
to
produce apathy;
and
between friends
familiarity
often leads
to
one taking advantage
of the other.
It therefore creates
in the people concerned
a frame of mind
that is made up of
indifference,
antipathy
and
contempt.
Hence the proverb:
"When together
(two people)
squabble,
when apart
they yearn for each other".
Absence
does make the heart
fonder.
It may not be
inappropriate
to end this section
with some notes
on old age.
Burmans generally look upon an old man
as physically weak and mentally set in ideas,
although there are some sprightly old people
who are more than a match
for many a younger man in active life.
Intellectually, an old man
is regarded as a symbol of wisdom,
experience and sound judgment.
Illogical though it may sound,
there are many proverbs
which say
"He (an old man) ate rice first"
and
"He was born first",
implying that he
is more learned and mature.
Most Burman Buddhists
are well acquainted
with the exhortation:
"Show respect to a man
who is older in age,
higher in status,
and
greater in achievements".
[From pages 25 - 29]
He doesn't see his own ill-favor,
but the ill-favor of others
makes him want to laugh.
(p. 29)
In another's, yes,
but in his own eye
he sees no dirt.
(p. 29)
Equate your feelings
with other people's
and you
won't be ill-mannered.
[= "Do unto others
as you would
they should do unto you."]
(p. 30)
Only the sufferer
knows how his belly aches.
[= "No one knows like the wearer
where the shoe pinches."]
(p. 30)
Mr. Go-One-Better
posturing with a harp
without being able
to play it.
[= An imposter.]
(p. 31)
A cotton dress
wants to be
put alongside
a silk one.
[= Said of a person
trying to claim
that someone
above him in status
is his equal.]
(p. 32)
Wearing a blue cotton skirt
she tries to reach Tawadeintha.
[= Tawadeintha is the second
of the six
celestial abodes.]
(p. 32)
He lives in the bushes
but
his spirit is in the heavens.
[= Standing in the gutter
and looking at the stars.]
(p. 32)
He aimed at a princess
and married
a bazaar woman.
[= He falls short of his
great expectations.]
(p. 32)
Said to be marrying a captain,
she married a sailor.
(p. 32)
If you take big paces
you leave big spaces.
[= Don't aim too high
lest you cannot achieve it.]
(p. 32)
A swollen idea can bring ruin.
(p. 32)
If you have no ideas,
join the Forces;
if you have no rice,
boil beans.
[= No skill or talent is involved.]
(p. 33)
Eat a section of garlic; you smell of garlic.
Eat two sections; you smell the same."
[= "As well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb."]
(p. 33)
A broken forehead cannot be worse.
[= Things cannot be worse.]
(p. 33)
Someone with ringworm
fears no freckles.
A man turned pig
no more fears filth.
[= The plight of a desperate person.]
(p. 33)
What is darker than midnight?
(p. 33)
A full gut supports moral precepts.
[= "An empty sack cannot stand upright."]
(p. 33)
Empty pockets, empty promises.
(p. 33)
This bullock has escaped before.
[= It will do it again.]
(p. 33)
Trust a slave, you lose an eye;
trust your children, you lose both.
A betrayed trust is a mortal thrust.
[= It is one's trusted friend who does it.]
(p. 34)
The blow on your back reveals the bandit.
(p. 34)
Keeping a viper
in your waist-pocket.
[= Betrayal]
(p. 34)
The monkey that I brought up
tries to scare me.
[= Ingratitude]
(p. 34)
Turn away
and he throws a stone.
(p. 35)
An ungrateful person loses his way.
(p. 35)
The sparrow was hit by a stone before.
[= "The burnt child dreads the fire."]
(p. 35)
Once you have died
you know how to lay out (the corpse).
[= "Experience is the mother of wisdom."]
(p. 35)
You break the pot, I break the bowl.
[= "Tit for tat."]
(p. 35)
You bite my cheek, I bite your ear.
(p. 35)
He will be ruined who tries to ruin others.
(p. 36)
Enmity should not be repaid with enmity.
(p. 36)
Let enmity stop short,
but love linger on.
He who seeks refuge under a tree
may be crushed;
safer to take refuge
under a man.
[= Men are kinder than the natural forces.]
(p. 36)
Timidity relieves one of responsibility.
(p. 36)
One dies of shame but not of fear.
(p. 36)
The hero appears only when the tiger is dead.
[= Cowardice]
(p. 36)
He would like to ride a difficult buffalo
but hasn't enough courage.
(p. 37)
The black elephant
dare not look
at the
royal white elephant's face.
[= People of low origin
have not the courage
to mix with those in high position.]
(p. 37)
Faint hear misses the chance,
bravery wins a throne.
[= "Faint heart never won fair lady."]
(p. 37)
One can but fall to earth
or rise
to the golden umbrella.
[= "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
Earth signifies death,
and the golden umbrella,
kingship.]
(p. 37)
The brave don't die,
or if they do,
avoid hell.
[= "Cowards die a thousand deaths."
"It is Fear, not Death, that kills."}
(p. 37)
Although cowardly, be slow to run.
(p. 37)
One capable man, and a force
of ten thousand
was crushed.
(p. 37)
You despise the master
after a long time at school.
[= "Familiarity breeds contempt."]
(p. 37)
The man from Hell
is not afraid
of hot ashes.
(p. 38)
+++
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