Persian proverbs

Persian proverbs are short expressions of popular wisdom in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and other countries where Persian and its dialects are spoken.

A

.از این گوش میگیرد, از ان گوش در میکند

Az in guš mi-girad, az ân guš dar mi-konad.
- English equivalent: Advice most needed are the least heeded.
- "Ah, gentle dames! it gars me greet,
  To think how mony counsels sweet,
  How mony lengthened, sage advices,
  The husband frae the wife despises."
- Robert Burns, Tam o' Shanter (1793), line 33. Reported in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 10-11.
- Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages.

D

.دوست آن باشد که گیرد دست دوست در پریشان حالی و درماندگی

Dust ân bâšad ke girad dast-e dust dar parišân hâli o darmândegi.
- English equivalent: A friend is known in adversity, like gold is known in fire; A friend in need is a friend indeed; When good cheer is lacking, friends will be packing.
- "The Caladrius is a bird of which it is related that, when it is carried into the presence of a sick person, if the sick man is going to die, the bird turns away its head and never looks at him; but if the sick man is to be saved the bird never loses sight of him but is the cause of curing him of all his sickness. Like unto this is the love of virtue. It never looks at any vile or base thing, but rather clings always to pure and virtuous things and takes up its abode in a noble heart; as the birds do in green woods on flowery branches. And this Love shows itself more in adversity than in prosperity; as light does, which shines most where the place is darkest."
- Leonarfo Da Vinci The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (1883)
- Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages. DeProverbio.com.

E

.عزت هر کس به دست آن کس است

Ezzat-e har kas be-dast-e ân kas ast.
- English equivalent: Every man is the smith of his own fortune.
- Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages.

H

He is cutting off his nose to spite his face.
- Simin K. Habibian (2002). "ب". 1001 Persian-English Proverbs: هزار و یک مثل فارسى- انگلیسی. Ibex Publishers, Inc.. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-58814-021-0.

K

کوه به کوه نمیرسد, آدم به آدم میرسد

Kuh be kuh nemi-rasad; âdam be âdam mi-rasad.
- English equivalent: A mountain never meets a mountain, but a man meets a man .
- "There are some things/events that are impossible, like an encounter of mountains, but there is always a chance for people to meet. or Once can always find a possibility for revenge."
- Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages.

S

Silence is the best answer to the stupid.
- English equivalent: Silence is the fittest reply to folly.
- "No response is a response. And it's a powerful one. Remember that."
- Sheena Aaron, You Are Enough. Period.
- ʿAlī b. ʿUbayda al-Rayḥānī (29 November 2006). "850". Persian Wisdom in Arabic Garb (2 vols): ʿAlī b. ʿUbayda al-Rayḥānī (D. 219/834) and his Jawāhir al-kilam wa-farāʾid al-ḥikam. p. 434. ISBN 978-90-474-1875-7.

.سکونی بدست آر ای به ثبات, که بر سنگ غلتان نروید نبات

Sokuni be-dast ar ey by sabât, ke bar sang-e ġaltân na-ruyad nabât.
- English equivalent: A rolling stone gathers no moss.
- "There are a set of people in the world who before they are well enter’d upon one business, dip into another, and before they are well settled in one habitation, remove to another; so that they are always busily beginning to live, but by reason of fickleness and impatience, never arrive at a way of living."
- Source for meaning of English equivalent: Divers Proverbs, Nathan Bailey, 1721 [1]
- Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European proverbs: in 55 languages, with equivalents in Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit, Chinese and Japanese.

T

.تره به تخمش میرود, حسنی به باباش

Tarre be toxm-aŝ mi-ravad Ḥasani be bâbâ-š.
- English equivalent: Like father, like son.
- Meaning: "Sons may look and behave like their fathers. This is due to inheritance and the example observed closely and daily."
- Source for meaning and proverbs: Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages.