Kurdish Proverbs
The wit and wisdom of Kurdish sayings — each proverb with its translation and meaning.
Rovi ne di çû kûlêr, hejik jî tirîya xweve kirThe fox could barely enter its den, yet it tied brushwood to its tail.
Rûyê reş ne hewcî tenîyêyeA blackened face needs no soot.
Şahdê rovi terya wîyeThe fox's witness is its own tail.
Şam dûr e ma mişar jî dêr eAll right, Damascus is far away—but is the ditch far away too?
Şam şekir e welat şêrîntir eDamascus is sweet as sugar, but one's homeland is sweeter.
Sê wêne dost hene, Nano, gano, canoThere are three kinds of friends: the taker, the exploiter, and the true friend.
Seb û şekir çûn Dîyarbekir, şekir rûnişt deng nekir, seb rabû pesnê xwe kirThe straw and the sugar went to Diyarbakir; the sugar sat quietly while the straw stood up and praised itself.
Şêr dimre navêwî, çêlek dimre postêwî dimîneWhen a lion dies, its name remains; when a cow dies, its hide remains.
Şêr şêre, çi jine, çi mêreA lion is a lion, whether female or male.
Serê çûka qalî çênabeYou cannot make a roast from a bird's head.