A proverb used to express the futility of trying to influence someone who is not willing to listen to advice.
Frustration when everyone has their own opinions.
A stern warning to someone that they must do as I say.
The bazaar here is a metaphor for success. In the end, someone who is ruthless will not succeed.
Used to describe someone with a hot temper.
A cynical comment to someone you tried hard to convince of something, but who still remains obdurate.
Even though the appearance has changed, the fundamental system remains the same. Like the futility of changing politicians.
People judge by appearance.
The tested thing is true. This proverb is also used about the reliable measurement of length and weight.
Appearance alone does not qualify for true faith.
Don’t be fooled by appearances.
The adversary is left speechless by reasoned arguments. پړ here means to be overcome, or conquer.
An encouragement to a shopkeeper not to over-charge.
Good behaviour should be your guide.
You eat the results of your own behaviour.
A description of the unexpected success of the hard-working.
Easier said than done.
Used to express surprise double benefits. Even though you’ve lost a daughter, there can be benefit from the son-in-law too.
Onlookers are caught up in the crimes they overlook.
Mutual fault: six of one, half a dozen of another.
The pious are easy to blame. A proverb used as an encouragement for priests and teachers to have good behaviour.
The blame against you is correct.
An expression used when you had a near miss. For example, when you are unscathed in a car accident.
An encouragement for a lazy person to start work.
God can save you from a seemingly bad outcome. Only later you may realize the benefit of what first seemed like a disaster.
An optimistic statement – that surely God will provide His blessing.
Don’t take credit for someone else’s hard work, or boast about nasty things others did.
The boasting of an incapable person.
A ridiculous boaster. Kashmir is seen as a much sought-after Shangri La, way out of sight for a frog. لوټه is a small clod or lump of soil.
In your own house you will have more courage to face an enemy.
The need to be brave to the end. Farting is thought to be caused by fear, so the proverb encourages someone to face the music.
The inherent risk needed to make a success in business.
Don’t think that just because we’re kin, fair business won’t occur.
Make peace with impending trouble. بلا means misfortune, disaster or a monster.
Don’t panic, there’s still time for the problem to be solved.
A person only has a certain natural capacity. Don’t expect more from me. That’s my limit.
Lucky people, like a cat, are unaffected by danger.
Although times are different, nature hasn’t changed through the ages.
News that comes unexpectedly or is novel. بانګ is the call to prayer.
A worthless person can’t be improved by following religious practices.
Since you know everything about someone you grew up with, there’s no need to assess their character.
It’s the nature of a lowly person to act poorly, even if you have helped them, they will behave badly with you.
People revert to their natural tendencies when accountability is lifted.
It’s the nature of a lowly person to act poorly, even if you have helped them, they will behave badly with you.
People revert to their natural tendencies when accountability is lifted.
The mother is the natural focal-point of family life.
A mother can comfort a child like no one else.
The shame and embarrassment that comes from disobedient children.
Spoilt children are good for nothing.
Children are so mischievous, even Satan wants to escape from them.
People favour and think more highly of their own children.
Used to express someone’s misunderstanding, and frustration when someone is not listening to what you are saying.
You can’t force anyone to do something. Response requires mutual consent.
This proverb is about going to funerals and weddings and is either used as an excuse for being late, or to indicate the long-term benefits from attending these events. لاس نيول (lifting the hand) implies saying prayers for someone who has died.
Real friendship involves sacrifice.
In difficult circumstances people will try lots of different ways to survive.
An optimistic proverb encouraging someone not to give up, however hard things seem.
It takes two to quarrel.
Loss is the natural consequence of conflict.
When someone is cornered, they will lash out.
The proverb is a warning during a conflict that one of the two parties must leave.
It’s natural for family members to have conflict.
امرثې is a kind of sweet doughnut. The proverb is used to warn someone who likes to indulge in pleasant things, that they will have to pay the price. Literally, they will get fucked.
Doing evil will affect you.
A humorous proverb implying that someone should face the music for what they have done.
Cause and effect.
The natural consequences of good and bad behaviour.
A proverb taken from a line by the poet Rahman Baba.
The thin end of the wedge: someone who takes over after a small excuse.
A taunting proverb spoken to someone who cannot do anything by themselves.
Encouragement to exchange mutual help and not be stand-offish.
Helping others pleases God.
A warning not to compete with the powerful.
A reply given to someone who boasts; to prove themselves.
A humorous reply to a confusing question or situation.
A bad person conceals his misdeeds by claiming to be innocent.
You can’t hide something that is obvious, even if you try to. This is used, for example, to tease someone who is being bashful about getting a big job.
A taunt blaming someone for being timid.
The jackal is the epitome of cowardice in Pashtun thought.
A description of a devious, sneaky person.
A plea not to exacerbate a problem, or a past issue.
A description of a hard-hearted cruel person.
A warning not to be excessive, since your number will come.
An exhortation not to cause damage in any way.
There’s no guarantee we’ll die with honour - wrapped in a shroud. Those who go missing, or die in accidents won’t be given a proper burial.
A taunt aimed at a greedy person.
Death can sometimes hide the shame that may have been revealed by dishonourable events, or a shameful sickness.
An admonition to stop risky behaviour that can kill you - like guns or motorbikes. اجل means the time of death.
Minor things are put in perspective after a near-death experience.
Admonition not to worry ahead of time.
Words of comfort for the bereaved.
Encouragement to trust in God concerning your death.
Again, a reminder and a comfort that the time of death is pre-ordained. It can’t be delayed by staying home.
Death is a certainty, despite all attempts of man to prevent it. Hakim Luqman was a wise man mentioned in Sura 31.
Young people die as well as the elderly.
Words of comfort to the bereaved.
Death is inevitable and no amount of medical intervention can stop it.
An ironic tension between orthodoxy and romance.
When heavily in debt, what is another small amount? In the famous Arabic love story, Layla is the beloved of Mujnoon.
A little extra won’t make any difference. Especially related to debt. ببوزى is a small hand fan that is light and so barely noticed when added to the camel’s load.
Deception.
Descriptive of crafty individuals, who trick people.
As with 102, a clever beguiling person.
To spread water under the straw is an idiom meaning to do something without being detected.
Used when everyone is talking, but the conclusion is clear. Everything boils down to this point.
An encouragement to go ahead and make a decision, whether it works out well or not. Hai is the expression for remorse, Wai for pleasant surprise. It will be one of the other, so just go for it.
An encouragement to do something right away: take a risk. Only later will anyone know the outcome.
A plea to focus on the issue at hand and not overthink the future.
Description of a hesitant person who can’t make a decision.
You can’t depend on the generosity of outsiders for long. پردے means someone belonging outside the family.
An admonition against relying on others.
One bread-winner for a large extended family. The proverb implies the others are lazy.
A prayer not to be dependent on anyone.
You meet with those who you have mutual affection for.
People crave for what they lack.
Conflict is solved by discussion rather than violence.
You get the benefit of your effort only after hard work.
Appeal for timely action.
Escaping one calamity after another.
Said when facing trouble on many sides.
Obedience is taught by strict punishment. ادب means courtesy, good manners, or politeness.
For those who speak angry, or unfriendly words the only way to correct them is with rough treatment.
When two people are oblivious of each other’s concerns and problems, and just focused on your own issues.
When two people are oblivious of each other and find no positive effect or benefit in their connection with each other.
Whether the facts are true or not, once lost, a reputation is irreparable. منګے is a clay pot used to hold liquid and also doubles up as a drum.
There is no limit to the bad behaviour of goldsmiths; they are seen as the epitome of dishonesty.
The dishonest will end up being shamed. مختور (black-face) refers to someone who is blamed, or caught in shameful behaviour.
Opposites cannot be reconciled. Truth and lies don’t mix.
Faith (in others and God) is damaged by doubt and lack of trust.
The danger of trying to do two things at once, or to serve two masters.
Do more work, or pay more money to get a better result. ګوړه is the sugar boiled down from sugar cane; also known as jaggery.
A sarcastic comment to express how just saying something won’t work; you have to get practical.
You get a result according to your effort: exactly what is dug up falls on the ground.
Happy and sad times go side-by-side.
Close to the American expression ‘Give me five!’ In this case both hands (twenty fingers) give a moment of excitement.
When friendships are debased by exploitation and bribery, it must be the end times.
Zarghon Shah is a euphemism for God (the one who created life), so the proverb implies that the world will finish and revert to God again.
The irony of a rich man asking a starving man for help. پراټه is a fried flatbread eaten for breakfast.
Truth relies on first-hand evidence, not hearsay.
The person has such a powerful evil eye it can shatter rocks.
The maternal uncle is much-loved by his sister’s children, and they are waiting for him to give them a treat. Every little thing he does raises their expectation.
There is less hesitation to express grievances among family members.
Descriptive of someone who has a deep expertise and skill
People are masters of their own business.
Breaking the fast during Ramazan is a celebration every evening.
A call for contentment with your own lot in life. نصيب means fate, fortune or destiny.
An unfortunate person who is never lucky. محراب refers to the niche in the wall of a mosque. The implication is that a donkey is without the blessing that comes from God’s favour.
Man proposes, God disposes.
Life can change very suddenly.
Don’t blame things on fate when you’re not making any effort.
We can’t predict events.
The Khan’s helpers are less magnanimous than the Khan himself.
Once bitten, twice shy.
An expression of extreme fear.
Flattery will get you what you want, even if you have to be nice to a donkey.
God’s provision is sure.
Formal hospitality and specially prepared food is not needed among close friends.
God’s provision is far-reaching. The proverb could also be used to encourage a destitute person.
Stupid people attempt foolish things beyond their ability.
Tall people are thought to be stupid.
خید is fancy fodder not normally given to a donkey. The proverb refers to the foolishness of treating a poor or uneducated person with fine things.
Like shooting yourself in the foot.
Someone who is already an expert needs no advice.
Foolish people need more instruction, the wise less.
Foolishness is to be avoided above all else.
Having impossible desires for something you can’t expect to get.
A plea not to bring up the past.
A plea for past hurts to be forgiven.
It costs money to maintain friendships.
Peaches are synonymous with greed. Selfish greed won’t foster friendship.
A friend in need is a friend in deed.
Used to give the impression of having access or relationship with someone you don’t. It is also used to get help from someone who is not a blood relative.
A rebuke against someone having many shallow friendships. Exclusive friendship is ideal. ډم refers to someone considered to be low caste, such as barbers, dancers and musicians.
Accept the fact that you will always please some and upset others. دشمن refers to someone who is pitted against you in a feud.
Advice to not undertake a journey alone. Unlike God, man needs a companion.
Friendly relationships are ongoing. Said, for example, as a guest leaves the house, and used to imply the desire they come again soon.
Similar people connect.
True friendship involves sacrifice.
Every kind of help can be given by someone with a generous heart.
An encouragement to not worry about expenses now, but to live generously.
Pir Baba was a famous Sufi saint from the Buner district. This proverb debunks the idea that the Pir’s power will operate through prayer.
God has the ability to use any surprise method to make something happen. Like the lottery.
However much you try to avoid something; you cannot prevent the outcome God designs.
A warning not to play with dangerous things; like electricity and God’s authority. Don’t ask hard questions about faith.
Gluttony and excess are of your own doing.
Adding a small diacritic mark to the letter ‘m’ turns it meaning to ‘mine’. Criticism of someone always taking the lion’s share.
This proverb is an admonition not to squander all your resources at once.
I gave you a choice but you took what was mine. You should have at least saved something.
Don’t be ruled by your appetites.
Our greed can never be satisfied.
A description of a greedy or miserly person.
Encouragement to work hard for a reward. راحت means comfort, rest or relief.
True friendships are proven in times of hardship.
You can find out who is a true friend (relative) when trouble strikes.
Results won’t happen fast.
Virtuous deeds should be done promptly.
Don’t be in too much of a hurry.
Good health is a blessing. اختر is the Pashto word for the Eid festivals: synonymous with happiness.
There is no place as good as your own country.
We will eventually return to our place of origin. Abazai is a town in the Charsadda district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Pukhtuns remain true to their word.
Your respect is determined by your own behaviour.
Status and respect grow with consistency.
Respect once lost is hard to regain.
Enjoy the anticipation of things to come, as the reality won’t be as good as you imagined.
An optimistic response to adversity. فقير is a wandering holy man.
Encouragement for someone to persist in what they are doing and not give up.
Someone else’s burden is their own problem.
Formal hospitality lasts for a few days, then the guest will be considered as family. عذاب means torment, pain or torture.
The polite rules of hospitality include the guest graciously refusing and the host insisting.
An encouragement not to be upset that a guest ate the food; the food you gave them was already destined for them. Don’t be miserly.
Things unexpectedly change. The food we were about to eat suddenly becomes a meal for the guest.
A reprimand against uninvited guests.
Humans are all deficient, only God is perfect.
People’s mentality won’t change. The poor will still feel destitute even if they get rich, and the rich will feel wealthy even if they become poor.
A way to poke fun at a hypocrite. The pot calling the kettle black.
Religious leaders don’t walk the talk.
Being critical of others highlights your own faults.
Describes someone able to help others but not able to solve their own problems.
Don’t have dealings with worthless people, they will create trouble and bring you into disrepute.
Said of someone who is not paying attention in their studies. زلېخه was the name of Potiphar’s wife who famously tried to tempt Joseph during the time of the Pharaohs. See the book of Genesis chapter 39: 5-20.
A encouragement to fair play when it comes to taking your turn.
Bullets are impartial. They might kill anyone, whether guilty or innocent.
Frustration for when my turn is not fulfilled.
The bent person is the self-opinionated bigot who does not fit in with others.
The hard work is done; just a little more effort is needed to finish the job.
Listen to other people’s opinions, but make your own decision.
People are independent.
Do your own business.
It would be impolite to say something directly to your daughter-in-law, so it must be spoken to your daughter. A form of indirect speech.
Someone who doesn’t treat their own family the way they announce in public.
Blaming the wrong person.
Don’t interfere in someone else’s affairs.
Don’t create problems for yourself by getting involved in other’s difficulties.
A caution to stop investigating illicit affairs.
Descriptive of someone who is always in other people’s business.
A pretentious person who over-reaches their own station in life. The myna is a common bird in Pakistan the size of a starling.
An encouragement to ask for help when you need it.
Time has passed, the decision has been made and the outcome will inevitably happen.
You can’t correct your action after the event.
People despise their competitors.
A prayer for justice that people get their rights.
Despite his efforts, a person’s behaviour is not authorized and so not acceptable.
Another’s hard-earned wealth is wasted by religious leaders.
If you treat someone kindly, they will get haughty. In the same way, a donkey will want something better than grass if spoil it. The Bulbul is a common wild bird in Pakistan; a name used as a term of endearment.
The favour I did for someone had no effect; instead, it was scorned.
Nothing can make an outsider a real member of the clan.
Blood is thicker than water.
There is no burden involved in taking care of your own.
Criticism of a lazy person who is unwilling to work.
A person who isn’t active will become stale. An encouragement to get out of the house.
There’s always someone more senior. The proverb can be used to threaten a junior clerk.
Encouragement to relax - a tough problem will eventually go away.
Encouragement to keep giving instalments on a loan.
The truth will soon be discovered. Another version of this proverb uses the word مزل (journey, distance travelled) instead of مزے .
People believe and act on rumours.
An encouragement to avoid telling lies, as they will be uncovered soon enough.
Our time on earth is very brief.
Sometimes in life we will be prosperous, sometimes destitute.
Descriptive of someone not taking advice.
Hidden secrets will be found out.
When two people like one other, feelings are mutual.
Visiting and hosting people builds relationship.
Unlike hunger, the lust and greed of the heart can never be filled.
In the same way the mentally deranged are often wandering around, this proverb can be used as a rebuke against someone always away from home.
The mad in this proverb is a metaphor for acquisitive people.
The deranged have no perspective on their own state.
The warped perspective of the mad.
A proverb ridiculing the Khattak tribe. The cannabis plant is a common annual herb that grows about six feet tall.
A warning about the downside of bigamy.
Implies that men can get married at any age.
We shouldn’t be penalized for unintentional behaviour.
Some trouble was accidental, some I made myself. سوباړے is the wooden paddle traditionally used to wash clothes.
Live according to your means.
A little profit will keep business going. Used to encourage a shopkeeper to lower his asking price.
You have no option but to get involved.
Whatever people may say otherwise, everyone works for their own benefit.
A selfish motive underlies behaviour.
In the same way the adze is curved towards the user, people operate in ways that are to their own benefit.
Dealings are best between two people of the same prestige.
It requires a strong person to match another heavy weight.
Encouragement to buy new things, since the only good things are old parents.
Though old, the person is still feisty and active.
In the same way henna is of no use after a wedding, so there is a moment when it is too late to help with a need. The proverb is used as a plea for timely help.
A decision that can’t be reversed, or an opportunity that won’t come again.
Be thankful you escaped unscathed from disaster. There are still lots of other avenues left to you. This proverb is also used to encourage someone who has been refused an engagement request.
To the outsider a task looks easy, but they don’t know how hard it is to do.
More distant relationships are better. Here ‘Afridi’ is symbolic of any distant person from another tribe.
Encouragement to be patient and to enjoy the benefits of not being in such a hurry.
The famous reply of the minister when the king asked how he could overcome sad and happy moments in his life.
When in trouble people come to the leader for help.
A complaint. Those dependent on me are grumbling, even though they should be beholden to me.
Promises of benefit from patronage.
Patronage requires output of money.
Persistent, steady effort will give success.
It’s polite to properly greet people before getting down to business.
Speak gently to get things done more easily.
Poor people are not respected by the rich.
People who are poor remain so, wherever they are and even if their situation changes.
Living hand-to-mouth there is no chance to accrue savings.
A proverb used as a complaint about lack of support. Pashtun thought is that snakes eat dirt, and that a poor person, unlike a snake which can eat dirt, needs resources to survive.
Weak people are likely to be exploited by the powerful.
Eventually the rule of law will catch up with criminals.
A bragging warning that you have more power than someone and will make them cave in, or that a pleasure now comes with a later drawback. Kheshgi is a village near Nowshera in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. نسوار is chewing tobacco.
This proverb can be used to mollify a person upset with less than they expected. It is a bit demeaning; implying they are underprivileged, and therefore should not complain.
A proverb spoken by someone who has just made a prediction. You’ll see I’m right - if I’m alive to see it.
Preparation has to be done ahead of time.
There will be bad consequences for an impoverished or prideful person. God gives him enough rope to hang himself.
God does not like the arrogant.
Only God is powerful and important.
The ridiculous boasting of an unqualified person is like the misguided arrogance of a small bird – who thinks he is holding up the sky. چتى is the diminutive Indian White-eye bird, about 8cm long.
An admonition to someone who is too proud to take a small job, and in so doing is left jobless.
God will consistently provide – so have faith for tomorrow’s provision.
Said when God provides a miraculous help in time of trouble.
Here, the word ياد means to give a gift or favour. So the proverb can be used as an excuse for giving less of something, or even nothing at all. God will provide the missing portion.
Return a favour. The reciprocal nature of relationships.
Friendship and understanding can circumvent legal issues.
Kinship and understanding are found among people who share the same weaknesses.
It is acceptable to ask questions about faith.
A proverb encouraging respect of others and not to say or do anything that would dishonour them.
You bear the responsibility for what you’re about to do.
No one takes responsibility to follow through with tasks, or they interfere with one another.
A call for fairness and honesty: each of us will answer for our own behaviour and words.
The responsibility lies with the person who made the mistake.
Leave something you have borrowed exactly like it was.
If you want to something big you have to adjust things to make it happen.
People flock to the place they can get rest. Shahbaz Garhi is a village near Mardan, that may once have been a half-way place used by those who were travelling.
Used when you are unable to openly say what you know so well; to avoid shaming someone, or when being open will create problems.
Neighbours should be the first recipients of charity and help.
Beware the risks associated with success.
The pessimistic view that every good thing has a flaw.
It’s impossible to prevent rumours.
To do something secretly; especially in relation to giving charity.
A warning to keep secrets.
However good something is, don’t do it if it destroys you.
Everyone takes care of their own interests.
Take care of yourself before others.
On the one hand this proverb is used as a reminder that there is no guarantee once something is sold. It is also widely used as cynical complaint made to someone who has used you for their own benefit and then discarded you once their need has passed.
Selfish tendencies of the miserly.
People tend to focus on their own concerns.
When humiliation comes, it comes big time. Also used when shameful or hidden things are suddenly revealed.
Used to reprimand someone who could care less about their shameful behaviour and keeps talking openly about it.
When someone has done something shameful, they are too embarrassed to look the person in the eye.
When someone has done something shameful, they are too embarrassed to look the person in the eye.
Something too embarrassing to talk about.
The biggest shame is doing something against the tribe.
Advice for shopping when you have no familiarity with the item you want to buy.
It takes time and effort to learn a skill.
Praise of being skilled in some area.
Description of an idle gossip.
No filter on a person’s tongue.
Think carefully about the possible consequences of what you say before you say it.
Careful talk protects you, foolish talk ruins you.
A plea to speak carefully.
People who speak straightforwardly, without guile.
An appeal to use discreet speech.
An unexpected blessing, or arrival. The thing though hard made easy.
Even the pious succumb to temptation.
Undetected criminals are happy.
Trust given to a like-minded person.
Frank talk is painful.
Truth, beauty and value can’t be concealed.
Oblivious of your own weaknesses, you can’t see what lies in your own back yard.
People don’t change, but stick to their habits; like the traditional style of recitation used by an old mullah. تراويح are the prayers and long recitations of the Quran read at night during Ramadan.
Said of someone lingering in a critical condition. Sometimes the proverb is also used as a curse.
Only when someone is dead will they understand. In other words, they will never understand until too late. This proverb is often re-worded in modern use. The obscure phrase تالو يې ژبې is replaced by the name of a village, Taru Jabba, near Peshawar.
Only those who have experienced something know about it.
To find out later how much the cost is – knowledge that only comes with experience. A seer is the old British colonial measure of weight - equivalent to 1.25kg, or 2lbs - still in use in some parts of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India.
Description of someone who doesn’t follow through with promises
Strong relationships – of family and tribe – are not easily broken.
Said by someone who turns up uninvited.
Unlawful gain is quickly lost on useless things. Some thing, or behaviour that is حرام is religiously outlawed; like pork, alcohol and adultery.
Unlawful money creates trouble, and can’t be used.
A common proverb critical of those with partial knowledge.
This proverb reflects the gloomy feeling Pukhtuns have that if you do good, people will take advantage of you. Their solution is not to do good at all.
A plea to behave in a kindly way to others.
A strong person stuck in some issue.
Suffering and blame falls on the weak.
When a weakling shows his weakness, he is pounced on by the more powerful.
It takes money to make money.
The power of money gets things done.
Wealth comes and goes the way hands are sometimes clean, sometimes dirty.
The tension and burden that comes with wealth.
An expression of frustration when someone talks about doing something beyond their means.
Advice to a wealthy person not to put much stock in their great wealth.
Advice to a wealthy person not to put much stock in their great wealth.
Wisdom is a natural aptitude that can’t be acquired by money.
A sarcastic proverb about foolish people.
کرښې means to be authentic, trustworthy.
It takes skill to defraud people. Also a justification to cheat in exams.
A sarcastic remark about a stupid person.
Complex problems are not solved by coercion.
Farting is considered taboo, so the proverb advises people to break wind only after checking no one is nearby.
Two things that a man will fight, and perhaps die for.
Taboo topics to avoid.
There is no disgrace in lowly work.
A servant will always be at his master’s beck and call.
Doing unwanted work for someone else is better than doing nothing.
Our deeds are a preparation for the world to come.
No one has reached perfection.