Maldivian American Friendship Society

Proverbs & Idioms by Xavier Romero-Frias

28
NOV

Proverbs and Idioms: Jumping to conclusions

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Todays Maldivian proverb comes with thanks to Xavier Romero-Frias, a noted expert in Maldivian culture and
folklore, for providing its translation and meaning.

Dhivehi: Moya hassanah amaa fenigen ulheyhen

Like Crazy Hasanu seeing his mother

In the story of Hasanu (a mentally challenged man by his nickname), his mother used to wear a red libaas, a
traditional Maldivian dress with embroidered neckline. Hasanus problem, however, was that any time he saw a
woman wearing a red libaas, he thought she was his mother. The meaning of this idiom has to do with someone
coming to quick conclusions with little ground for them.

Probably all cultures have proverbs and idioms that advise people not to jump to conclusions without sufficient
evidence. A few such sayings in English:

All that glitters is not gold.

You cant judge a book by its cover.
One swallow doesnt make a summer. (Swallows are migrating birds that typically return at the start of summer, but
a single sighting or instance of an event does not necessarily indicate a trend.)

Good advice!
5
DEC

Proverbs and Idioms: Looking beyond the surface

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Here is another Maldivian proverb translated by Xavier Romero-Frias:

Dhivehi: Kalhu geriyakas, hudhu geriyakas, kiru hunnaany hudhukoshe.

Whether the cow is black or white, the milk is white.

This proverb is making a statement against prejudice. It can be used in the context of interactions between darker-
and lighter-skinned people, or in any number of situations where someone might be inclined to judge others on the
basis of superficial considerations. It says that no matter the external or surface appearance, what is important is the
goodness of what is inside.

The meaning of this proverb has similarities to last weeks idiom about jumping to conclusions. This one goes beyond
simply not judging a book by its cover. It advises us to look beyond outward, shallow perceptions to discover and
appreciate the intrinsic value that dwells under the surface. Good advice for building friendships!

19
DEC

Proverbs and Idioms: The reward of hard work

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Appreciation to Xavier Romero-Frias for translating this weeks Maldivian proverb and its meaning.

Dhivehi: Emyhaku kehi Kandulehge hithi filuvaany emyheke.

The person who scraped the kanduu is the person who will get rid of its bitterness.

The green pods of the kanduu mangrove (Bruguiera gymnorrhiza) are edible, but only after scraping them and boiling
them in order to get rid of its bitterness. It is a laborious process; thus the proverb means that after beginning a task
in which a lot of work is involved, one has to see by oneself that it is carried through to the end.

This proverb is also reminiscent of the old folk tale about the Little Red Hen. Wikipedia summarizes the story as
follows: In the tale, the Little Red Hen finds a grain of wheat, and asks for help from the other farmyard animals to
plant it. However, no animal will volunteer to help her. At each further stage (harvest, threshing, milling the wheat into
flour, and baking the flour into bread), the hen again asks for help from the other animals, but again she gets no
assistance. Finally, the hen has completed her task, and asks who will help her eat the bread. This time, all the
previous non-participants eagerly volunteer. However, she declines their help, stating that no one aided her in the
preparation work, and so she eats the bread with her chicks, leaving none for anyone else.

9
JAN

Proverbs and Idioms: Personifications of untrustworthiness

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This weeks Maldivian idiom is once again translated by noted linguistic and cultural expert Xavier Romero-Frias:
Dhivehi: Kadhuru Ali ge nadhuru
The vow made by Kadhuru Ali

Kadhuru Ali was a legendary island character who would never fulfill his vows. Thus his vows were worthless. In
contemporary Maldivian life, the saying is used to describe the similarly worthless declarations of those who dont
fulfill their commitments or promises.

Perhaps every culture has images like Kadhuru Ali that exemplify a trait such as unreliability. In American culture, for
instance, the used-car dealer is often cited as the epitome of untrustworthiness, issuing guarantees that arent worth
the paper theyre printed on. Politicians are often charged with making promises they have no intention of keeping.
The cartoon character Wimpy, from the Popeye series, would often vow to people whom he hoped to mooch off of,
Ill gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today. But of course, Tuesday never came. Doesnt that sound much
like politics today?

30
JAN

Proverbs and Idioms: Disappearing without a trace

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Here is another Maldivian idiom, with translation and meaning provided by Xavier Romero-Frias, one of the foremost
contemporary authorities on the culture and anthropology of the Maldives:

Dhivehi: Dheboa dhooni alhaa dhiyahen

As the two-headed bird left

In a traditional Maldivian folk tale, the two-headed bird left the world forever, never to return, when he realized the
wickedness of human beings. Consequently, this saying, as the two-headed bird left, is used about someone or
something that disappears without a trace. Fishermen, for instance, might use it when the type of fish they have been
pursuing in a certain area seems to be entirely depleted.

The full story of the two-headed bird, along with many other tales and legends from Maldivian folklore, appears in a
new book by Romero-Frias coming out in March: Folk Tales of the Maldives, published by NIAS Press. Check out the
latest catalog, with original artwork by Romero-Frias on the cover, athttp://www.niaspress.dk/page/latest-catalogue.

20
FEB

Proverbs & Idioms: Vanaajubeys tea

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Thanks again to Xavier Romero-Frias, who has translated for us the meaning of the following Maldivian proverb:

Dhivehi: Varu hunnaani Vanaajubey sai aku nooney, faisaagaey.

Money can achieve things, not Vanaajubeys tea.

This proverb is a pun on a character known as Vanaajubey, who out of navet offered tea to an official. In Dhivehi,
the word for tea and the word for bribe are the same. (Similarly in German, for example, the word for tip
is Trinkgeld, which means money for drinking.) So a government officer does not expect to be given literal tea.
Nevertheless, the proverb is used in a satirical way to mock those who go around boasting that they can achieve
anything with their money.
27
FEB

Proverbs & Idioms: Falling under bad leadership

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Here is another Maldivian proverb translated for us by cultural scholar Xavier Romero-Frias:

Dhivehi: Fethunu odyge riyaa dhashu viyas kanaku ayy dhashu nuvaashey.
Even if you get under the sail of a capsized odi (trading ship), dont get under the power of a blind person.

When a big sailing ship capsizes, thats bad enough, but it is even worse if you find the sail above you after falling
into the water, making it difficult and anguishing to find the free surface to be able to breathe. In the same manner, it
is already bad enough to find yourself in such a dreadful situation in life that you lose your freedom and have to be
under a master. In such a case, the worst master is a person who is already in a position of vulnerability or deficiency,
like a blind man. In traditional Maldivian society, weak persons as leaders are reputed to be cruel and mean.

According to a proverb, If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit (Matthew 15:14). In the United States,
people sometimes say, We get the leaders we deserve. When our leaders make bad decisions or become corrupt, it
is often because we have not been diligent to speak out for justice, integrity, and the rights of the common people.
Sometimes we look the other way or shrug our shoulders when leaders misbehave, saying politics is a dirty
business. Maybe we put up with leaders who take society down the wrong path because we get some personal gain
ourselves from their being in power.

Apathy, complicity, fear, fatalism, ignorance, gullibility, shortsighted self-centeredness and more can all contribute to
having leaders who take us into the ditch. If we want to go a different wayif we want wise and honest leaders who
serve with integrity and make our societies better and strongerwe must stand up for what is good and right. When
we ourselves are committed to living honorable and principled lives and demand the same from those in positions of
power over us, then too we may get the leaders we deserve.

5
MAR

Proverbs & Idioms: Stability instead of shaking

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Anthropologist H.C.P. Bell collected and translated this Maldivian proverb:

Dhivehi: Furif huri badiyale(r) gudu gude(r) nagre.

The water pot that is full will not shake (literally, make gudu-gudu sound).

Any pot that is completely full, especially a large or lidded one, will be difficult to shake. Should one try to shake it, the
lack of air space means the liquid will not slosh around within the pot. Ethnographer Xavier Romero-Frias adds that
some versions of this proverb use the word runbaa (a large earthen pot used for storage) instead of bandiyaa, a
smaller metallic pot used to carry water.

In Maldivian culture, this proverb is used to describe the stability and calm confidence of someone who is in control of
his or her life, who has acquired qualities such as wisdom, experience, patience, perseverance, and gracious
forbearance. Such a person will not easily get nervous, angry, or upset in the face of setbacks and difficulties.
Similarly, someone with plenty of material resources will not fret about relatively small unexpected expenses or where
provision for the future will come from. The proverb can also be used to describe institutions or other corporate
bodies: One might claim that a truly great and strong institution would not be shaken by modest challenges.

19
MAR

Proverbs & Idioms: The robbers trunk

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Xavier Romero-Frias, noted author and expert on the culture of the Maldives, provides the following Maldivian
proverb and translation:

Dhivehi: Vagunge foshi baarah bannaane eve.

The robbers trunk is tightly shut.

Robbers suspect that everyone is like themready to take advantage of an opportunity to steal from someone else
who has been careless. So they are watchful, wary, and protective when it comes to their own belongings.

This proverb can be used about other negative traits besides robbing. For instance, someone who habitually lies and
schemes and deceives others will suspect that other people are lying, scheming, and deceiving him. He will then take
protective measures and learn not to trust other people.

In English, sometimes people say, It takes one to know one. This means that people who identify negative
characteristics in others probably recognize them easily because they are familiar with those traits in their own lives.

26
MAR

Proverbs & Idioms: Living in fear

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Here is another Maldivian proverb provided and translated by Xavier Romero-Frias:

Dhivehi: Birugannaanee kuvverinneve.

The culprits are the ones who are afraid.

This proverb states clearly that those who have a bad conscience for having done wrong will live in fear. There is an
English-language proverb that says, Crime does not pay, meaning that although crime may appear to have benefits,
this is an illusion.

People usually think of getting caught and punished when they consider the risks of doing something wrong, but the
consequences of having a guilty conscience and living in fear can exact an even greater toll. A person might begin
jumping at ones own shadow, to use an idiom common in both Dhivehi and English.

Long ago the Apostle Paul wrote, The authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who
are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.
(Matthew 15:14).

This is good advice when we have authorities who do their jobs with integrity and act in accordance with the law; only
the guilty need fear getting punished. What if those in power become corrupt and begin to threaten or punish innocent
people? Then maybe everyone will live in fear!
2
APR

Proverbs & Idioms: Crime and punishment

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Xavier Romero-Frias translates this Maldivian proverb:

Dhivehi: Vagu has dhuvas verinnah eh duvas.

A thousand days a robber, one day under the power of the ruler.

To every robber who has been lucky for a long time comes one day when he gets caught. This proverb builds on the
theme of the past couple of weeks: Crime does not pay! Robbers and others who know they are doing wrong live
in suspicion (that other people are like them) and fear (that they will be found out and punished).

Indeed, this adage promises that no matter how long a person has been getting away with something, one day the
long arm of the law will find him or her.

An English-language proverb says, Chickens come home to roost. This refers to barnyard fowl who may wander
and peck for food all day but always go back to their coops in the evening. In a similar way, the results of wrongdoing
come back on a persons own head at the appointed time.

We dont always see appropriate consequences carried out in our lifetime, but those who believe in divine justice take
comfort that all will be made right one day, in this life or the next.

9
APR

Proverbs & Idioms: Ships and dinghies

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Here is another Maldivian proverb translated by Xavier Romero-Frias:

Dhivehi: Bokkura dosha odi nu kanbaane.

The large ship (odi) does not go punting to the dinghy (bokkura).

This proverb is saying that people of a certain status do not make an effort for the sake of people of lower status.
People who enjoy wealth and power often prefer to hang out with others who share their social bracket; compare to a
common English-language proverb: Birds of a feather flock together. The same is true of almost any social group
we usually feel most comfortable with people like ourselves.

But todays proverb goes further in saying that people of means tend to shun people of lower status, perhaps
because they think the poor are beneath them or they think they have more important things to do. Sometimes the
poor even agree with this proverb, that it is not appropriate for high-status people to befriend or assist the lowly.

How different the world might be if we remembered that all of us are simply human beings when we stand bare
before our Creator. Is it possible to see all our fellow men and fellow women as brothers and sisters?
23
APR

Proverbs & Idioms: Sustainability

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In honor of Earth Day on the 22nd, we present this Maldivian proverb, translated by Xavier Romero-Frias:

Dhivehi: Gahakah dhe gas indhun.

To plant a tree for every tree that is cut.

This saying covers a variety of situations in which someone invests in the future by ensuring that what is taken is also
replaced. Some might advocate that we should plant more than one tree for every tree cut, to allow for early mortality
and provide for a greater number of people coming after us.

Sustainability might be a buzzword, but what it really comes down to is looking out for and caring about people
besides ourselves, both the contemporary community (local and global) and the coming generations. Lets take care
of our little blue ballits the only home weve got!

7
MAY

Proverbs & Idioms: The lazy sack

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Todays Maldivian proverb reads, in Dhivehi, Maakannethaa fodaru. A rough translation of its meaning: Someone
who is very lazy is like a sack of powder. The saying is used when people are especially lazy or careless. (Thanks
again to Xavier Romero-Frias for his assistance with this translation.)

In many languages, the image of a lazy or idle person is conveyed by reference to a sack, such as a sack of
potatoes, that does nothing but sit in one place like a lump. A related term came into American slang about a
generation ago: couch potato, referring to someone who sits on the couch all day watching television, changing
channels with the remote control. Why a potato, rather than some other lumpy, inert vegetable? One historians
explanation: Potatoes are tubers, and they have many eyes.

The TV boob tube is less likely to be the screen of choice for todays couch potatoes, who favor computer monitors,
laptops, electronic pads, or even smaller devices such as an e-reader or the wildly popular smart phone. But in the
21st century we spend more time than ever staring at our screens. Will we all turn into sacks one day?

19
DEC

Proverbs and Idioms: The reward of hard work

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Appreciation to Xavier Romero-Frias for translating this weeks Maldivian proverb and its meaning.

Dhivehi: Emyhaku kehi Kandulehge hithi filuvaany emyheke.

The person who scraped the kanduu is the person who will get rid of its bitterness.
The green pods of the kanduu mangrove (Bruguiera gymnorrhiza) are edible, but only after scraping them and boiling
them in order to get rid of its bitterness. It is a laborious process; thus the proverb means that after beginning a task
in which a lot of work is involved, one has to see by oneself that it is carried through to the end.

This proverb is also reminiscent of the old folk tale about the Little Red Hen. Wikipedia summarizes the story as
follows: In the tale, the Little Red Hen finds a grain of wheat, and asks for help from the other farmyard animals to
plant it. However, no animal will volunteer to help her. At each further stage (harvest, threshing, milling the wheat into
flour, and baking the flour into bread), the hen again asks for help from the other animals, but again she gets no
assistance. Finally, the hen has completed her task, and asks who will help her eat the bread. This time, all the
previous non-participants eagerly volunteer. However, she declines their help, stating that no one aided her in the
preparation work, and so she eats the bread with her chicks, leaving none for anyone else.

The moral of this story is that those who show no willingness to contribute to an end product do not deserve to enjoy
the end product: If a man does not work, let him not eat [quoting a biblical passage from 2 Thessalonians 3:10].

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