Turkish Proverbs (001-100)

❖

He who sells cheap, sells quickly.

The stairs are mounted step by step.

The priest does not eat pilaff every day.

Show pity to the lowly, obedience to the lofty.

Do not leave undone what is in your power to do.

❖

Tread not on a rotten plank.

Patience is the key of joy.

An intelligent foe is better than a silly friend.

The fool continues procrastinating,
the wise man waits a fit occasion.

Eat and drink with a friend, but have
no business transaction with him.

❖

Even the cock is jealous concerning his hen.

The ignorant person is like a cock out of season.

Unless there be a sowing there will be no reaping.

A garden scarecrow is not a man.

There is no one in the world without pain.

❖

Patience is safety, haste is blame.

The pear falls not far from its tree.

People are masters over people
till arriving at the throne of God.

A forked peg will not enter the ground.

Do not be the partner of one more
powerful than yourself.

❖

Of every perfection there is a decline.

The ignorant person is like a cock out of season.

To work without payment is better than sitting idle.

The teeth of a gift horse are not inspected.

The sabre cuts not its own scabbard.

❖

Season resembles not season.

The foreigner attaches a handle to an egg.

He who dreads fire, guards himself even from smoke.

When an opportunity is in your hand do not allow it to pass.

Opposition to everyone is a mistaken act.

❖

One must ask the delight of opium from one that smokes it.

Opportunities mean rubies.

Every misfortune is a counsel.

He who comes to the mill consents to his turn.

There are many who fall into the
misfortunes of their companions.

❖

If we have not money, let us have honor.

Satisfaction of the heart is better than wealth.

There is no fruit from a dry tree.

He who at first suffers afterwards finds ease.

A clever thief surprises the master of the house.

❖

Money covers blame.

He who marries early makes no mistake.

No flock without dog and shepherd.

From a base person comes no
fidelity, from a harlot no shame.

He who gives the money makes the fife play.

❖

Mischief comes not from a friend.

Instead of opening your mouth, open your eyes.

The mouth of a young bird is big.

The old fox does not fear the trap.

If the dog's prayer were accepted,
there would be a shower of bones from heaven.

❖

Of prayer there must be acceptance.

The mosquito is without a soul,
but its whizzing vexes the soul.

A thief needs no key.

The testimony of the heart is
stronger than a hundred witnesses.

Lawful property is not lost.

❖

He who has had his mouth burnt
is prudent on another occasion.

He who sees death, consents to sickness.

A true word needs no oath.

The fish stinks from his head.

The dog that knows not how to bark
brings the wolf to the sheep.

❖

Profit is the brother of loss.

A stone you would not have expected hurts your head.

A straightforward word is bitter.

He who pays no heed to the words
of his elders mounts a wild horse.

Death is a black camel that kneels at every door.

❖

Desire is for the handsome and rich.

The testimony of the liar is not accepted.

A weapon is an enemy even to its owner.

Cotton cannot play with fire.

Custom is nature to a man.

❖

Do not bring weariness to a council
by having all the talk to yourself.

Music befits a house where there is a wedding.

Though speech be silver, yet silence is gold.

Without provisions, one does not start upon a journey.

Taking counsel is a noble precept.

❖

He who eats cheese finds water.

Wherever the head goes, the foot also goes.

Good advice is given, good esteem is not given.

He who chastises not his children
is himself at last chastised.

The dog bites not his master.

❖

First think, then speak.

While the tree is a sapling it is bent.

One must look at a man's company.

Contentment is an inexhaustible treasure.

A thousand regrets do not pay one debt.

❖

There is no friend to a man like his mother.

In the place where there are many cocks,
the morning is early.

A calf of little worth is better than an ox
in which you have only a share.

If the bald knew a remedy he would rub it on his own head.

A neighbor that is near is better than a relative of no benefit.

❖

An open mouth remains not hungry.

Difficulties teach a man.

Beware of an enemy, even though he be only an ant.

The end of every disgraceful action is repentance.

He who is wasting away with trouble must seek remedy.

❖

The fox comes forth from a hole
you would not have expected.

The end of haste is repentance.

Resignation is fitting for destiny.

When death comes, the dog presses
up to the wall of the mosque.

A debt is extinguished by force of paying,
a journey by force of walking.

❖

Turkish Proverbs (101-200)

❖

A debt is not paid with words.

A debt, of which there is no written
acknowledgment, is not demanded.

This world is the unbeliever's paradise.

Destiny spoils plans.

Every departure has an arrival.

❖

It is a good thing to listen to
the words of one woman in forty.

He who conceals his origin is a bastard.

He who keeps his head at home,
loses not his hat in the crowd.

There is not a single season without fruit.

A camel's head does not pass
through the eye of a needle.

❖

A true friend is better than relations.

In an office of trust there must be no treachery.

With patience the sour grape becomes
sweet and the mulberry leaf, satin.

The face of an official is cold.

Without hammering there is no fastening.

❖

Ask the banker about gold, the jeweller about gems.

A diamond, though men throw it
in the mud, is still a diamond.

The dog barks and the caravan passes on.

He who takes no thought at first will at the last repent.

The sparrow has no song, but plenty of twitter.

❖

Press not the tail of a sleeping snake.

A remedy without pain is not to be hoped for.

The knife cuts not its sheath.

The head that bends is not cut off.

They who guard against treachery are few.

❖

A sweet tongue deceives many folks.

The master of the house is the servant of his guest.

However lean the meat may be, it goes well upon bread.

There is no grape without a stalk.

A camel might go to Mecca forty times,
but that doesn’t make him a pilgrim.

❖

The arrow that is shot returns not back.

A belly is nearer than a brother.

Many ants kill a camel.

He who saves the ship is the captain.

A caravan does not turn back at the howling of a dog.

❖

With one arrow two birds are not struck.

He who goes out on a journey without a guide loses his way.

In proportion as anger comes, sense departs.

The head that is cut off does not shoot again.

The bee stays not in a hive that has no honey.

❖

A good friend is shown in a black day.

The vulture catches not the fly.

A dog that means to bite does not show his teeth.

It is proper that the tongue of a debtor be short.

No forest without a bear.

❖

The brave dies, his name remains.

A bird is not taken with the hand.

Business opens business.

Vinegar at a cheap rate is sweeter than honey.

Abundance is from activity.

❖

Do not leave to morning the business of evening.

In the estimation of the nightingale,
a cage of gold is a prison.

One calamity is better than a thousand counsels.

In every business be steadfast.

Violence spoils the game.

❖

If violence comes by the door,
law goes out by the chimney.

Two captains sink a ship.

One guest loves not another guest;
the master of the house dislikes both.

The multitude is like a flock of sheep.

Though the rain fall for forty years it
does not pass into marble.

❖

That which is far from the eye is far from the heart.

Bread, unless it be chewed, is not swallowed.

He whom the heart loves is the handsome one.

If the carriage be not greased, it does not move on.

In the place where the cat is not found,
there are plenty of rats.

❖

Never do business with a relative.

A camel with bells is not lost.

Beauty cannot be by force.

The village that is in sight needs no guide.

Water flows to the low ground.

❖

The camel carries the burden,
the dog does the panting.

When the carriage has been smashed,
they who show the road are many.

Even the ant has his bite.

An athlete does not tell all his secrets.

The camel that leads the file pays
no attention to the rear.

❖

Beauty passes, but perfection remains with us.

It is good to listen to the words of one woman in forty.

A true word needs no oath.

The dog knows the hand that gives him bread.

The horse ambles according to his master.

❖

A halterless horse is not mounted.

Gold takes no rust.

Running water takes no defilement.

Waiting is more grievous than fire.

If the head be left empty, it is not well.

❖

A goose and a girl are never satisfied.

A building without foundation is soon demolished.

One neighbor's fowl seems
a goose to another neighbor.

There is no axe that cannot penetrate a tree.

The buyer repents, the seller also repents.

❖

The tool works, the hand boasts.

The tongue slays quicker than the sword.

A hungry bear does not play.

The account of the donkey is different from
the account of the donkey-man.

A doubtful bargain spoils the stomach.

❖

The hand that gives is above that which receives.

One armpit cannot hold two watermelons.

Water is not carried out in a sieve.

Two watermelons do not go under one armpit.

Too much barley makes the horse burst.

❖❖❖

Turkish Proverbs (201-300)

❖

Two horses are not tied to one stake.

In the spot where honey is, flies too are found.

A single advantage is worth a thousand sorceries.

Death in time of youth, poverty in time of age, are hard.

They who are skillful in art do not
continue in slipper making.

❖

The hungry ass runs more strongly than the horse.

The world is ruined by tyranny,
it is not ruined by pickaxe and spade.

Beauty displays perfection.

Vigilance and precaution are safety.

It is the human tongue which makes
tremble both man and beast.

❖

Good actions are not lost.

One does not descend into a well by a rotten rope.

Everybody beats the donkey that has no owner.

May your charity increase as much as your wealth.

Look not at the shape, look at the character.

❖

Everyone admires his own character.

A man without a trade, a tree without fruit.

A man believes that he has been born,
he does not believe that he will die.

The wound of the hand heals;
the wound of the tongue heals not.

The truth can be told even in jest.

❖

Two captains cause one ship to sink.

He who lives on hope dies of hunger.

One cannot be a lover by force.

A man deceives a man once.

He who is a traitor is a coward.

❖

The hungry dog does not push on in the chase.

Where the front wheels a the carriage
passes, the hind wheels follows.

The parents' trade remains an
inheritance to the children.

To die full is better than walking in hunger.

The lover walks in the snow and does
not make his tracks visible.

❖

A man does not become a savant by licking ink.

The cat cannot catch the hare.

The lover who suffers not anguish
knows not the worth of pleasure.

A man is to be feared from his speech, water from its floods.

Wake not a sleeping lion.

❖

In the presence of an expert a lie is not uttered.

The lion is known by his den.

In the heart of every brave man a lion sleeps.

The wolf and the sheep cannot be of one mind.

A old wolf does not lose his way.

❖

A horse is not caught with an empty sack.

He who desires tranquility must be
deaf, blind, and tongueless.

The excellence of a man is a benefit to the public.

Make no one an enemy without cause.

Keep guard over the tongue that is in your mouth.

❖

Hunger makes the wolf come out of the forest.

Love and a king accept no partnership.

Love is an empire-it admires no partnership.

The lion is valiant, the leopard treacherous.

He who laughs much, weeps much.

❖

There will be a day when laughter comes to mourners.

He who goes on a chase without a
greyhound comes home without a hare.

The wolf catches not the sheep that are counted.

The wolf enters a flock that is without a dog.

Every bird admires its own nest.

❖

The bird flies not without cause.

Laziness keeps on and on,
but it arrives at poverty.

The law gives sentence on what is apparent.

There is no lake without frogs.

The fish is caught from the head.

❖

For finding happiness one
must walk till he be wearied.

To the big-mouthed the ladle is a spoon.

When justice comes, that which is false goes.

Intelligence is a man's capital.

Too much kindness is of no profit to a child or man.

❖

Too much kindness to a man is not profitable,
for he becomes ungrateful.

The gold being gone, let us look to the silver.

The ass that has not enough strength
throws down his pack saddle.

The wolf catches the sheep that separates from the flock.

One cup of wine takes away the whole
of a person's bashfulness.

❖

When two jars are dashed together,
one must be broken.

Intelligence is not sold for money.

The hunter in the chase is like
the traveler on a journey.

The jeweller knows the value of jewels.

Justice watches the eye like a bird.

❖

Justice is the aider of the upright.

The sea is an emperor that listens to no words.

The mouth is not worn away by dint of talking.

Rose without thorns, love without rival, cannot be.

A straightforward word is bitter.

❖

He who pays no heed to the words
of his elders mounts a wild horse.

From bad iron there cannot be a good sabre.

May both seller and buyer see the benefit.

He who sells cheap, sells quickly.

The wasp makes not honey.

❖

The snake, unless he be straightened out, cannot enter his hole.

He who falls into the sea grasps at the eel.

May both seller and buyer see the benefit.

Salt enters into all food.

There must be a handle to an axe.

❖

There is no trust in horse or woman.

The ship of him who confides
in God founders not.

A shop is not opened for the sake of one customer.

A shepherd that is free from debt
is better than a penniless prince.

There cannot be a general without soldiers.

❖

Today's fowl is better than tomorrow's goose.

When one's shoes are tight the world
becomes tight on one's head.

Silence comes from admission.

The snake issues from a hole you would not have supposed.

Womankind is long haired, short witted.

❖❖❖

Turkish Proverbs (301-348)

❖

He who bears trouble patiently
receives his reward.

The grocer does not open his shop
for the sake of one customer.

There is no shame in learning.

Sleep is the excuse of sleep.

No sound comes forth from a single hand.

❖

The son of a wolf will be a wolf,
even if he grows up with man.

However much snow falls,
still it does not endure summer.

By renown and estimation the son of the noble is noble.

There is no sovereignty like bachelorhood.

An old friend is a mount for a black day.

❖

He who speaks much, errs much.

The gardener, for the sake of one rose,
becomes the servant of a thousand thorns.

The earth has ears, it hears every word.

An open enemy is preferable to a hidden friend.

Two dogs do not share one bone.

❖

A snake is not taken with the hand.

Every day the harm arising
from carelessness is endured.

He who comes late shuts the door.

The elephant is bigger than the camel.

The master's eye makes the cow fat.

❖

A man who knows not what is good
is not counted a man.

Until a man dies his value is not known.

The polite man has learned from the unpolite.

The hungry man is not satiated by
looking in the face of the full man.

Not every tree produces fruit.

❖

A tree without water gives no fruit.

He who is a man does not make a mistake twice.

Until a man dies his value is not known.

To a lover, melancholy is no shame.

He who eats when he is full
digs his grave with his teeth.

❖

Without a guide, even into Paradise there is no entering.

The polite man has learned from the unpolite.

Maybe the bottom will turn out better than the top.

The egg of today is better than the fowl of tomorrow.

The little hill of a low district becomes a mountain.

❖

The dog barks and the caravan passes on.

Two dogs do not share one bone.

The dog bites not his master.

The dog knows the hand that gives him bread.

A dog that means to bite does not show his teeth.

❖

Until the soup boils over, the ladle has no value.

The hungry dog does not push on in the chase.

The dog that knows not how to
bark brings the wolf to the sheep.

Two swords do not enter one scabbard.

The keen sword cuts not its scabbard.

❖

He who is hungry embraces the sword.

Mere talk does not satisfy the stomach.

Much talk makes no money.

A shepherd cannot be made from a wolf.

❖❖❖

A heart in love with beauty never grows old. ~ Turkish Proverb [15217]

Photo by Nirmalsaradha (Own work)
[CC-BY-3.0],
via Wikimedia Commons

To see more Illustrated Proverbs click here.

Be thine enemy an ant, see in him an elephant.. ~ Turkish Proverb [15807]

16q, QOTD,

No matter how far you have gone on a wrong road, turn back. ~ Turkish Proverb, Romania [17908]

16q, QOTD,

Things never go so well that one should have no fear, and never so ill that one should have no hope. ~ Turkish Proverb [19005]

Photo by Brandon Weeks
[CC-BY-3.0],
via Wikimedia Commons

To see more Illustrated Proverbs click here.

16, POTD, Proverb of the Day,

He that falls by himself never cries. ~ Turkish Proverb [16788]

16q, QOTD,

Man is harder than iron, stronger than stone and more fragile than a rose. ~ Turkish Proverb [17731]

16q, QOTD,

Beauty passes, wisdom remains. — Turkish proverb

More Turkish Proverbs

To see more Illustrated Proverbs click here.

[6063] WW046, WednesdayWisdom

A wise man remembers his friends at all times; a fool, only when he has need of them. — Turkish proverb

More Turkish Proverbs

To see more Illustrated Proverbs click here.

[6029]

A village in sight does not require a guide. — Turkish proverb

More Turkish Proverbs

To see more Illustrated Proverbs click here.

[6002]

A defeated wrestler is not tired of wrestling. ~ Turkish Proverb [15408]

MM031, MondayMotivation

Who gossips to you will gossip of you. ~ Turkish Proverb [19519]

Who seeks a friend without faults, dies alone. ~ Turkish Proverb [19518]

The devil tempts all other men, but idle men tempt the devil. ~ Turkish Proverb [18728]

The raven sees its chicks as falcons. ~ Turkish Proverb [18725]

One arrow does not bring down two birds. ~ Turkish Proverb [18018]

Photo by Boz Donovan
used with permission

Measure a thousand times and cut once. ~ Turkish Proverb [17764]