Greek Proverbs
Alone, not even in heaven.
The sea is blue but the wind turns her black.
You gave a knife, you’ll take a knife.
Each miracle three days, a great one four.
To the patient you give medicine, to a suffering person a good word.
When you do what you can, you do what you must.
Teacher who taught, but did not keep your rules.
The camel does not see her own hump.
Even if you are a priest, you get in line.
We’re going to get wool, but we’ll come out shorn.
It’s better to lose an eye than to get a bad name.
They put the wolf to guard the sheep.
Honor is priceless and glad be he who has it.
He has (even) the bird’s milk.
Lazy youth, begging old age.
Help me, so that I can help you, so that we can climb the mountain.
Hunger fights castles and hunger surrenders castles.
Bad dogs die hard.
He who governs his home, governs his life.
The big fish eats the little one.
Better to be envied than to be pitied.
The bad of the morning, becomes worse by the night.
Everything in its time and mackerel in August.
The way of speaking honors the face/person.
The donkey called the rooster bigheaded.
A green fruit gets ripe slowly.
A pig in a sack.
If you do not praise your own home, it will fall on you and squash you.
From far away and beloved rather than close by and arguing.
The kettle rolled down and found the lid.
The sea gives them and the sea takes them back.
A thorn stings even if it’s small.
He who becomes a sheep is eaten by the wolf.
Faithful earth, unfaithful sea.
I’m coming from town, and on the mountain-top cinnamon.
From outside the dance-circle, you sing a lot of songs.
Flatter the sea, but stand on earth when you do so.
Good morning, John. I’m planting beans.
It’s better to tie your donkey than to go searching for it (afterwards).
A library is a repository of medicine for the mind.
Madness does not go to the mountains, it goes to people.
The saint who works no miracles isn’t glorified.
If you join the dance-circle, you must dance.
For The woman who doesn’t wish to bake bread, spends five days sifting the flour.the enemy that leaves, build a golden bridge.
It’s the old chicken that makes good broth.
It’s better to have five in your hand, than ten lurking elsewhere.
Summer, autumn, war.
Cheap meat is eaten by dogs.
It’s better to take up studying than take up arms.
She will put both his feet in one shoe.
Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.
Madness doesn’t visit the mountains.
The illiterate person is like an uncarved piece of wood.
One seeds and harvests and another drinks and gets drunk.
For (because of) the nail he lost the horseshoe.
Brother, even though he is your enemy.
Let me be called ‘Voivoidina’ even if I’m dying of hunger.
Some wish they had a beard and the ones that do, are spitting on it.
He licks, where he used to spit.
From a child and a crazy person you learn the truth.
What you wish for when you’re sober, you act-out when drunk.
My grandmother says something, my ears hear something else.
From a thorn a rose emerges and from a rose a thorn.
Laziness, mother of all evil.
He was born without pants and is ashamed to be dressed.
Shove anger aside.
Either get married early, or become a monk early.
Cheapness ‘eats’ the (value of) money.
The monk got angry and burned his cassock.
Force and violence were given by God.
Many have loved treason, none the traitor.
All we owe to us is just our life.
My new flour-sifter, where shall I hang you?
Cleanliness is a virtue.
One cuckoo bird does not bring the spring.
A confessed sin is half a sin.
Outside a doll, inside the plague.
You can’t get an old fox in a fox-trap.
Angry mob, raging sea.
You are looking for fleas in the straw.
A priest can’t stand another good priest.
Better late than never.
Time has turns, and the year has weeks.
Venice lost a needle.