Burmese Proverbs-Hla Pe

CONTENTS

VlIl

Kry to prommtiatiou

88

BUfmtSt texts

90

Suggrstionsforjilflh" Trading Abb,tviations

u~d

VariollS t OllfU S

ill the ttxt

IO?

Preface

108

109

This docs n Ot purport to be an exhaustive colk c tion of Burmese prollerb1. It is intended to pro vide 3. selection of them , which can ill ustr:l.te Burm ese proverbial wisdom. They have therefore been arnnged loosely under ftve headings, coveri.ng mw's character­ istics, behavio ur, rdations with others and the world he lives in. Each of these five sections is introduced by an explanatory Ilote, and the general Introduction will, I hope, help the reader appreci­ ate the meaning and implications of the proverbs. The preparation of such a work in English presents many complex pro blems, the most formidable being the translation of 13urmcse rhymed sayings into idiomatic English prose. capturing the ~pirit of d'e o riginal without sacrificing the sense: d,C two lang uages are e:ntircly diffcrent i.n structure and culttlral back­ ground. Mr H. F. Searle, co-ed.itor of the new Durmtst-Englislt Dictiollary. encouraged me in the compibtion of this book, read the manuscript and gave me wise counsel. But fo r his unstintcd help the work might not have been completed. 1 :un greatl y i.ndebted to J ohn Murra.y for invaluablc suggestions and criti­ cisms and also deeply grateful to M rs M . St.-arle, who spent many long .sessions with me translating French veo ions of DurmeS(: proverbs, as I have mentioned in the Introduction. U T in M aung of the B.B.C. read the manuscript and put forward several suggestions. I have accepted gratefully many cogent co mments by Mr J. Okcll, who tC2d the proofs. l dedicate this book to my two mento rs and fricllCis, M r C. W. Dunn and M r H . F. Searle, who have inspired me in ill my schol:istic pursuits. U l A PH

ox

Introduction >( it:ographicaJ and historio! factors-political, physic:!I, econ omic and human-all have:\ bearing on the birth o f J3urmesc proverbs.

Dunna has common frontiers with India on the west 2nd with China (through Ymman) on the north and north-o tahlt' 265. yc'zi takha ye()o tabIt'

266. bmoIJ'giIJ toLlE' 'thilJ tabk' youlJ 'cuji 'kbwe 'cuji Oi)lJou' royilJ'dolllJ mYE) myiIJ' dou!J

267. 268. 269· 270· 27J. 272. 273· 274· 275· 276.

nc'()e(Saoo' cbouU'~o' jo ' Owe&lbo' tamya'myo'

oyeP 10 ncbugo' saulJ'yo'

Gmo ul)'w you? !)O"Dwo'Je pyou7

'thoU'ai cwegaP 'ci 'flin loP !)oji!JY£~ It) to' ce?'kan aho!J'o 'to kha'yo!)'/)i pci!J9oi' 'do'tou!jgaP yo lJo?Ou ye'dwill'dt co' 277· 'kuIJ' oi cai7 toU!)O" po'

BURMESE TEXTS

99

278. sulo' JeP ye cho' 279. mi"j0tl!)90 ychmo hln' 280. 'ldlwe 0 ()Qye'joD~' chi

'soya'gnu

COll!) mou~shei~

pya 'awl: 282. Oa'khogo toi~'80 ' hoi!) '80llJ)go '00 kin ' khailJ 283. Oa'kho Ii'yo wundou) wlllJ 'bollE.' '6wn 28+ takhula'ko fa tGliugwogo twc' 285 . kl101pyogO Jwe hmo '}o' pODm i' 286. da?ro bmo'lo' h lo'pa til] ' kogwdJO kala'pa co'hmo' 2.81.

kalcilJ1.i"hmo!) OJ' 287. ph;)'ya hmo' lo' 'kOgWEbcJ pliu) t]lw,,'hmo' tau!)bo"hmo!) 6i'

288. chi"ti hmo' lo' 'pe'zaba 'mo'liuhma' 'phoOudo'hmCUJ ai' 289_ lJo'Oe'mi leinma1l.lo'(iilm' 'chi'muljncgoi' you'ma' 'myi!) '8i 1,l.WI::' 2\)0. thoilJne a'kOll!J'l.'ia tha"{iwa hmo' 'co'hmoO OJ'

291. 'Uodo' 'cou!jdaga 'coulJd;)IJonr' a'sbouf) 00'00' 'lJoda' khi!)'ji oIOl]'fuboga'lo 292. ehiU'bodt' 'chu!J'bo 'ci 29]. ku'6Q oo'bt; I]a'yc dabci'9a

ct'

294. noywc' 'hu'yo 'me 'cwcgo 00' tilJ 2.95. ct?uoyou 7 9olJdou~nE' cbo' 296. CWE' naywt 7 w£'hmo 00' 297. khin'jint' 'bi