Pashto Proverbs
پشتو متلونه

S. S. Thorburn

From "Bannu: Our Afghan Frontier"

Topic: Family
کور

Pathans are generally very exclusive and great believers in the maxim "noblesse oblige". Each petty tribe prides itself on the purity of its descent from some possibly imaginary ancestor, and each man in the tribe thinks himself as good as his neighbour, for with all his exclusiveness, the Pathan is at heart a rank republican. As, however, experience has taught him that in every community, there must be a responsible chief, a nobility has arisen, and so long as the head of the family for the time being, whose ancestor was originally elected to his leadership for personal qualifications, is fairly capable, a ready obedience is shown to him in all matters in which by custom the tribe allows him authority.

• Don't expect good faith from a low-born man; Reeds will never become sugarcane
  له نا اهله د وفا طمعه مه کړه؛ ګنده نل به نيشکر نه شي هرګز
  This is a couplet from Abdul Hamid, an old Pashto poet, few of whose poems have yet been printed.
• If you do not marry a gentle woman, she will not bear you a gentle son
  چې نه اوکړې پېډي؛ ځوئې به نه راوړي هوډي
• An Iraqi horse shows his breed with dirty trappings
  عراقي اس په خړو جامو کښۍ ښه ليده شي
  The Iraq here spoken of is a territory in the northern portion of the Arabian peninsula, famous for its breed of horses (Iraq: Country)
• Though the slave be of gold, his back is of copper
  مرئي که د سرو زرو وي، کونه ئي د سور ؤلو وي
  That is, though a low born man may have many good qualities, he will not be thorough all through.
• Where a low fellow eats, there he eases himself
  کم اصل چې کوم ځائې خوري، هلته خړي
• I am a poor of crops, but not of good birth
  د فصل خوار يم، د اصل خوار نه يم
  The poorer a man is, the more he prides himself on the greatness of his ancestors, for decayed gentility is fond of living in the past.
• Don't expect a sweeper to be a true believer, even should one hundred cycles of years go by.
  په کوټه نړي که سل قرنې تېرې شي، د مسلمانې اعتبار پرې مه کړه
• From good parents a black calamity was born
  له ښه پلاره و ښې مورې نه بلاؤز ؤ له توره
  It does not follow that clever parents beget clever children, and so on. The English proverb, "Many a good cow hath but a bad calf" is similar.
• The slave brings close to you his heel, the gentleman his ear
  مريي پونده ور وړي، او اصيل غوږ ور وړي
  Meaning a low fellow tries to gain his end by fighting and force, but a gentleman by persuasion and courtesy.
• At last the wolf's cub becomes a wolf
  عاقبت به د ليوه ځوئې ليوه شي
  An instance of "nature will out". There are proverbs of similar meaning in Latin and Greek, as well as in most living languages. In Latin one runs - "Lupus pilum mutat, non mentem" (The wolf may change his hair, but not his nature)
• The thieving dog's pup may not be a thief yet, but he will sniff about (for something to steal)
  د غله سپي ځوئې که غل نه وي څوسن خو وي
  That is, a bad man's son will do wrong as soon as he gets an opportunity.