Saturday 25 April 2009

Greek and Turkish proverbs

Music and dance oriented proverbs
Νηστικό αρκούδι δε χορεύει
Aç ayı oynamaz
(Common)

Όποıος μπαίνει στο χορό, χορεύει
Halaya giren kolunu sallar

Kizi kendi haline brakirsan, ya davulcuya varir yada zurnaciya
If you let your daughter decide by herself, she will marry either a davul or a zurna player
(Turkish)

Davulsuz dugun, kopeksiz köy
Wedding without a "davul", village without dogs
Γάμος δίχως νταούλια, χωριό δίχως σκυλιά
(Turkish)

Zurnanin son deligi(yim)
(I am) the last hole of the zurna
Είμαι η τελευταία τρύπα του ζουρνά
(Common)

Davulun sesi uzaktan hoş gelir
From a distance the sound of the davul is sweet
Του νταουλιού η φωνή από μακριά γλυκά ακούγεται
(Turkish)

Elsewhere the bride is getting married, elsewhere the "davul"s are beating..
Αλλού παντρεύεται η νύφη, αλλού βαρούν τα νταούλια
Greek (Lesvos Island)

Η Τουρκάλα στο τραγούδι, η Ρωμιά στο ψαλμό
The Turkish woman on the song, the Rum Woman on the psalms

Common in Thrace, esp. among the smokers
Cigarasiz kahve, gaydasiz bulgar dugunune benzer.
A cup of coffee without a cigarette is like a Bulgarian wedding without a "gayda"

Oynayamayan gelin yerim dar dermiş.
A bride who cannot dance says she doesn't have enough space.
(Turkish)

Anlayana sivrisinek saz, anlamayana davul zurna az.
To the wise, a mosquito's buzz is as obvious/clear as the sound of "saz"; to the dumb, even the drum and horn are not enough.
(Turkish)

Common and other
Δύο καρπούζια κάτω από μία αμασκάλη δε χωράνε
İki karpuz bir koltuğa sığmaz

Δείξε μου το φίλο σου να σου πω ποιος είσαι
Bana arkadaşını göster sana kim olduğunu söyleyeyim

Έχε τα πόδια σου ζεστά την κεφαλή σου κρύα
Ayağını sıcak tut başını serin

Με στραβό σαν κοιμηθείς το πρωί γκαβίζεις
Körle yatan şaşı kalkar

Ο τρελός είδε το μεθυσμένο και φοβήθηκε
Deli sarhoşu görünce çomağını saklar

Όποιος ανοίγει τον λάκκο του άλλου πέφτει ο ίδιος μέσα.
Başkasının kuyusunu kazan içine kendi düşer.

Όπου υπάρχει καπνός υπάρχει και φωτιά
Ateş olmayan yerden duman çıkmaz

Oτι σπείρεις θα θερίσεις
Ne ekersen, onu biçersin

Σκυλί που γαβγίζει μην το φοβάσαι
Havlayan köpek ısırmaz

Χωριό που φαίνεται κολαούζο δε θέλει
Görünen köy kılavuz istemez

Edited by Filiz and Panos

2 comments:

Νασος Παπαστυλιανού said...

Very helpful Pano!!! Thanks

Elif said...

Çok teşekkürler...