Pashto Proverbs

پشتو متلونه

Topic: Class & Local

The first named are the most numerous, and admirably represent the Bannuchis and Marwats, even when expressing their opinion on classes, distinct from themselves, who live amongst themselves, who live amongst them, or with whom they come into daily contact. As might be expected, Hindus and Hindkais are roundly abused, the former on account of their religion and money-acquiring propensity, and the latter  because of their superior thrift and energy in cultivation. The terms Hindkai, Awan, and Jatt cultivators are used in a wider sense to represent all who talk Hindi Punjabi, or some dialect derived from it. Making allowance for the natural antipathy of a Muslim towards a Hindu, there is a good deal of truth in what is said about him; but as far as I have observed, the Hindkais are most unjustly vilified. Probably motives of jealousy alone have warped the judgement of their former Pathan masters about them. The estimation in which hill men are held was, and is to some extend even now, correct enough, but owing to Wazirs and Bettanis having of late years taken to agricultural pursuits, it will probably not continue to be so much longer. The purely local sayings are very forcible, and contain much sound observation and advice in a few short pithy sentences. - S.S. Thorburn [Bannu - Our Afghan Frontier]

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• He is a Shia's tomb; white outwardly, but black inside.
  دي د شيعه قبر دي، څرګند سپين او په کښي تور دي
  Said of a plausible humbug, with a handsome exterior, and empty head. This is a Bannuchi metaphor. All Bannuchis are Sunnis and no Shia is found amongst them or the Marwats. Thus they never miss an opportunity of vilifying Shias.
   

• Though a Khattak is a good horseman, still he is a man of but one charge.
  خټک که ښه سوار دي، د يوه وار دي
  This is a Marwat proverb. It means that the Khattak's may be good at their work but they get disheartened quickly or their potential is not up to mark.
   

• Friendship is good with everyone, except a Khattak. May the devil seize the Khattak.
  ياري له هر چا سره ښه دي، بي خټکه پيټ خټکه
  A Khattak is here equivalent to a bad man. This saying is attributed to Khushal Khan Khattak, a celebrated Khattak chief, who lived in the reign of Aurangzeb, and who had reason to curse the faithlessness of his country-men.
   

• The Dharamsal's Pillar will not be without a Hindu's loin cloth.
  د دهرمسال مټه بي له چوتي نه وي
  The allusion is to the custom of Hindus, who, after bathing, go direct to their dharamsal, or house of worship, and, after changing their bathing drawers, perform their devotions. Pathans laugh at the tight fitting loin-cloths or drawers, worn  by Hindus, as will be seen in Proverb number 18. Here the meaning is that a bad man has bad ways.
   

• Who marries not an Isaki woman, deserves an ass (donkey) for a spouse.
  چه نه کړي عيسکئي يا به خره کړي يا به سپئي
  The Isaki women are said to be very pretty. The tribe compose of one of the sections into which the Bannuchis are divided.
   

• The Mughal tyrannizes over the cultivator, and the cultivator over the earth.
  د مغل زور په دهقان، د دهقان په زمکه
   

• If a Hindkai cannot do you any harm, as he goes along the road, he will leave you a bad smell.
  د هندکي که نور د بدو لاس نه در رسي خو چه په لاري ځي پسکه به در وکي
  This is a Bannuchi saying. Hindkais settled amongst them are mostly Awans, and compose the 'Hamsaya' class. At first, they were entirely dependent on their Pathan masters and very submissive towards them, but being better labourers, and more thrifty, they gradually acquired land and increased in numbers, which, naturally enough, has prevented them from being popular amongst the Bannuchis, or rather Pathan Bannuchis, as 'Hindkais' are now, to all intents and purposes, Bannuchis themselves, having been settled from two to five or more generations in the valley. Their old masters are fond of ascribing to them all those vices which we know they themselves possess.
   

• Though you duck a Hindkai in the water, his seat will remain dry.
  هندکي که په اوبو ډوب کړي ، کونه به ئي وچه پاته شي
  So they say in Egypt, "Cast him into the Nile, and he will come up with a fish in his mouth." Means that, do what you may, Hindkais are always lucky.
   

• Kill not a black snake, but a black Jatt.
  تور مار مه وژنه، خو تور جټ مړ کړه
  In the word Jatt, the Hindkai in particular is meant, but after him all those cultivators who talk any dialect of Punjabi are included.
   

• Who says of 'Uba' as 'Pani', place his head under the stone.
  چه اوبو ته وائي پاني، سر ئي لاندي کړه تر کانړي
  Uba is the pashto word for water. The Hindi word for it is Pani. The Pathans detest those who include other languages in their sentences.

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