Persian Proverbs
"آب از دستش نميچکه"
Literal Translation: Water does not trickle out of his hand.
Literal Translation: Even water doesn't trickle out his hand.
Connotation: He is a skinflint. She is tight-fisted.
English Equivalent: Short arms, long pockets. First one out the taxi, last one to the bar.
"آب از سر چشمه گل آلوده"
Literal Translation: Water is muddy at the fountainhead.
Connotation: The issue is muddled at the core.
English Equivalent: It's rotten to the core.
"آب از آب تکان نميخوره"
Literal translation: The water doesn't move.
Connotation: Nothing is disturbed. No waves are made.
English Equivalent: All quiet along the Potomac.
"آب از سرش گذشته"
Literal Translation: Water is past his head.
Connotation: He has lost his chance; it's over for him.
English Equivalent: She's in deep water. He's got in over his head.
"آب در کوزه و ما تشنه لبان ميگرديم"
Literal Translation: Water is in the jug, yet we're wandering around with parched lips.
Connotation: The solution is under our nose, yet we're searching far and wide for it.
English Equivalent: We can't see the wood for the trees
"آب را گل آلود ميکنه که ماهي بگيره"
Literal Translation: He makes the water muddy to fish.
Connotation: He creates a confusing situation for opportunistic reasons.
English Equivalent: He is fishing in troubled waters.
"آب زير پوستش افتاده"
Literal Translation: Water has seeped under her skin.
Connotation: She has become hale. Her appearance has improved.
English Equivalent: She is in the pink.
"آب که يه جا بمونه، ميگنده"
Literal Translation: When water remains in one place, it spoils.
Connotation: Absence of change causes stagnation.
English Equivalent: A rolling stone gathers no moss.
"آبکش و نگاه کن که به کفگير ميگه تو سه سوراخ داري"
Literal Translation: Look at the colander telling the pierced serving spoon, "You have three holes."
Connotation: Applied when a person mentions the problems of another without seeing his own bigger problems.
English Equivalent: The pot calling the kettle black.
"آب که از سر گذشت، چه يک ذرع چه صد ذرع ـ چه يک ني چه صد ني"
Literal Translation: Once water goes over your head, may it be one zar or hundred zars, may it be one nay or a hundred nays.
Connotation: Once one is in deep trouble, the exact magnitude of one's misfortune becomes immaterial.
English Equivalent: Might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb. In for a penny, in for a pound.
"آب که سر بالا ميره، قورباغه ابوعطا ميخونه"
Literal Translation: When water flows uphill, frogs sing Abu Ata.
Connotation: An event is so improbable that its occurrence is akin to cacophony sounding mellifluous.
English Equivalent: Pigs might fly.
"آبي از او گرم نميشه"
Literal Translation: No water is heated by him.
Connotation: He is not an agent of change. He is not a difference-maker. He provides no support or benefit.
English Equivalent: He's a good-for-nothing.
"آتش که گرفت، خشک و تر ميسوزد"
Literal Translation: Once fire spreads, the damp and the dry burn.
Connotation: Once a situation gets out of hand, the guilty and the innocent get harmed equally.
English Equivalent: Fire is a good servant but a bad master.
"آخر شاه منشي، کاه کشي است"
Literal Translation: He who puts on lordly airs winds up hauling hay.
Connotation: He who has had his nose in the air bites the dust in the end.
English Equivalent: Pride comes before a fall
"آدم تنبل، عقل چهل وزير داره"
Literal Translation: A sluggard claims the wisdom of forty viziers.
Connotation: He talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk
English Equivalent: Great talkers are little doers.
"آدم خوش معامله، شريک مال مردمه"
Literal Translation: An honest broker shares in people's wealth.
Connotation: People entrust an honest man with their wherewithals.
English Equivalent: Share and share alike.
"آدم دست پاچه، کار را دوبار ميکنه"
Literal Translation: A hasty man does things twice.
Connotation: A slapdash work requires rework.
English Equivalent: Haste makes waste. Measure twice, cut once.
Source: wikiquote.com
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Belgian Proverbs
Bosnian Proverbs
Argentine proverbs
