ASIAN PROVERBS Ancient Wisdom for the 21st Century
भारत
India
Stemming from the world’s oldest civilization, founded on the river Indus from which it takes its name, India is also the world’s largest practicing democracy and its greatest miscellany of tribes, speaking some 1,600 languages of which the oldest, Sanskrit, is considered the mother of all tongues. Lord Krishna in a wooded vale surrounded by attendants. Dominated by religious spirituality, this romantic composition retains the brilliant colours and delicacy of the masterful Gita Govinda. Opaque watercolour on paper.
14 INDIA
Work the fields on a fine day and study on a rainy day. aदूप मै� खेती करो ओर बरसात में पढाई ।
On entering a village, obey its rules. aजैसा गाव वैसा बता�व ।
Many a good face is under a ragged turban. bमैले पगड� के िनचे, काफ� बार अ�छा चेहरा होता है ।
You do not stumble over a mountain, but you do over a stone. aप�थर से ठोकर लगती है , पहाडों से नह�ं।
While calling on God it is still prudent to steer clear of the rocks. bभगवान का नाम लेते हूए प�थरों से सावघान रहना है ।
A Muslim bride with diaphanous palu and hennaed hands from Jaipur, the capital of India’s north-western state of Rajasthan, the martial race and ruling class of north India. Miniature painting. Opaque watercolour on ivory.
Burma jrefrmEdkifiH
Embracing the largest territory in mainland Southeast Asia, Burma shares frontiers with China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west and India on the northwest. The most variously bordered country in the region, it is also the most isolated, its population of 56 million rendered virtually incommunicado by a long-entrenched military junta. Shwedagon Pagoda. Gleaming in gold, the temple in the heart of Rangoon is the holiest Buddhist shrine in Burma, drawing religious believers and visitors alike to its timeless presence. Artist: Win Maung – Kyaiklat. Oil on canvas.
35
1ynma&Ttdk; vlrcdk;/
When you say one thing, the wise person understands three. 1wpfxGmjy wpfvHjrif/
Exercise resolve and the thing is done. 1avUusifUaqmif&Gufjcif;u NyD;ajrmufatmifjrifapw,f/
Better go than send. 1ydkhrnfUtpm; udk,fwdkifoGm;/
Do not tear down the east wall to repair the west. 1taemufeH&Hjyifzdkh ta&SYeH&H rNzdKeJh/
Returning home under the shade of the raintree. Nat Ywar Village, Toungoo Division. Artist: Zaw Zaw Aung. Oil on canvas.
BURMA
Learning is a treasure no thief can touch.
»ÃÐà·ศä·ย
Thailand
Squeezed like a shell in a nutcracker by neighbouring territories, with whom it successively waged war or forged alliances, Thailand has remained a unified kingdom since the mid-14th century. Extending through 514,000 square kilometres of mountainous jungles and pagoda-strewn, temple-scattered rice fields, it maintains 4,863 kilometres of frontier with Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia.
A traditional orchestra of court musicians playing (left) the Ramana-, sacred barrel drum and (right) the Pin, plucked lute from the Lanna region of Thailand. Thai manuscript painting. Oil and gold on palm leaf.
46 THAILAND
When elephants battle the ants become the victims. Pชางสารชนกัน
หญาแพรกก็แหลกลาญ
Those who dance poorly blame the musician. Pรําไมดี
โทษ ป โทษกลอง
Walls have ears as doors have eyes. Pกําแพงมีหู
ประตูมีตา
He who is timid in the woods boasts at home. Pตอหนามะพลับ
ลับหลังตะโก
The poorest of rags may contain gold. Pผาขี้ริ้วหอทอง The myth and legend of the white elephant began in Southeast Asia. In the story of the Buddha, the white elephant is associated with fertility and knowledge.
Vietnam Viᝇt Nam
Vietnam regained its independence from China in AD 938 and ever after fought resolutely to resist other would-be imperial powers, notably the French, who were driven out in the mid-20th century, leaving a nation divided politically into two countries; North and South Vietnam. Protracted hostilities between the two ended in 1975, following which the reunited but war-ravaged nation remained for a long time politically isolated. In 1986 the government instituted economic and political reforms for its population of some 84 million. Powdery dust rises through the heat of day, as peasants return home yearning for the monsoon rains: The painting presents a lyrical, timeless vision of the Vietnamese countryside. Watercolour.
59
6Đùa dai thành dại.
It is precisely the uncertainty that makes life worth living. 7Chính sự bất định khiến cuộc đời đáng sống.
In the dark all cats are grey. 6Tắt đèn nhà ngói như nhà tranh.
Venture all in order to see what fate brings. 7Cũng liều nhắm mắt đưa chân, Mà xem con tạo xoay vần đến đâu.
Crows everywhere are equally black. A lyrical vision of the Vietnamese countryside where the rhythm of planting and gathering the harvest is the shared burden of the entire village. Lacquer painting on wood.
6Quạ ở mọi nơi đều đen như nhau.
VIETNAM
There are formalities even between the closest of friends.
71
7Đừng bao giờ chọn phụ nữ hay vải lanh dưới ánh nến.
The boat follows the helm as the wife follows her husband. 6Thuyền theo lái, gái theo chồng.
The heart of a woman is as capricious as a drop of water on a lotus leaf. 7Trái tim phụ nữ thay đổi thất thường như giọt nước trên lá sen.
The human tongue is more venomous than the sting of a bee. 6Lưỡi người độc quá đuôi ong. Daydream: The sensuous, languid figure in traditional white cotton dress; earth colours, and a red-lacquered bamboo chair, make this lyrical portrait unmistakably Vietnamese. Artist: Phung Pham. Lacquer on wood.
The higher you climb the further you fall. 6Trèo cao ngã đau.
VIETNAM
Choose neither a woman nor linen by candlelight.
Indonesia
Indonesia An archipelago of superlatives, Indonesia is the world’s most extensive and scattered island chain, straddling two hemispheres and some 5,100 kilometres from west to east. Its 17,000 and more islands, comprising a total land area of some two million square kilometres, support a population of more than 200 million, living amid 400 volcanoes, of which at least 70 are still active.
Penari Bali – a young dancer flourishes a fan with an almost feline beauty; every exquisite swaying gesture, from her delicate hands to softly moving feet recounts the Balinese vision of life. Artist: I Fan-tse. Watercolour.
91
gSepandai-pandai membungkus, yang busuk berbau juga.
The woman who tells her age is either too young to have anything to lose or too old to have anything to gain. iWanita yang mengungkapkan usianya adalah wanita yang terlalu muda untuk kehilangan sesuatu atau terlalu tua untuk mendapat sesuatu.
The deep sea can be fathomed, but who can fathom the heart of a woman? gDalam laut boleh diduga, dalam hati siapa tahu?
They talk most who have the least to say. fBerkocak tanda tak penuh.
Nyoman Tasik wearing a traditionally formal ceremonial sarong, with sash cast over her shoulder and flowers in her hair. Artist: Dullah. Oil on canvas.
Silence condemns more effectively than loud accusation. gBinatang tahan palu, manusia tahan kias.
INDONESIA
Nothing is as visible as that which you wish to hide.
101
FBunyi perempuan di air.
Provided you do not ask their help, all men are good-natured. HAsalkan Anda tidak minta bantuan mereka, semua orang sebenarnya baik hatinya.
Once the rice turns to pudding it is too late to reclaim the grain. FNasi telah menjadi bubur.
Feed rice to a chicken and it will eat even when full. FSeperti anjing beroleh bangkai.
Market Scene: Typical of Balinese art, the elegant gestures of villagers appear in languid proportions, compacted and overlapping to create a surreal panorama of crowded village life. Artist: Ida Bagus Made Nadera. Acrylic on canvas.
Man sees only the gain and not the danger as fish see only the bait and not the hook. GBodoh-bodoh sepat, tak makan pancing emas.
INDONESIA
When all men speak no man hears.
144 PHILIPPINES
The nourishment of food does not last as long as the encouragement of words. hAng lakas na binibigay ng pagkain ay nawawala kaagad di tulad ng lakas ng loob na binibigay ng maayos na salita.
Hunger is cured by food, ignorance by study. gAng gutom ay nalulunasan ng pagkain, ang kamangmangan ng pag-aaral.
Eating slowly is good for the soul; ploughing deep is good for the harvest. hAng pagkain ng marahan ay mabuti pasa sa diwa; ang pag-aararo ng malalim mabuti para sa ani.
A little knowledge prompts conceit; abundance induces humility. gKaunting kaalaman naguudyok ng yabang; ang sagana ng kababaang loob.
Bees have honey in the mouth and a sting in the tail. gAng pukyutan ay may pulot sa bibig at panduro sa buntot.
The mango vendor depicted by the artist in the late afternoon tropical sun. Artist: Fernando Amorsolo. Oil on canvas.
Japan 日本
Although much of its cultural roots and even its writing stemmed from China, Japan remains the very epitome of insularity, keeping its metaphorical distance from neighbouring Asian countries it formerly invaded and subjugated. In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate ushered in a long period of isolation from foreign influence. For 250 years this policy enabled Japan to enjoy stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture.
The famous woodblock prints known as ukiyo-e, or ‘pictures of the Floating World', described urban society in the Edo period (1600-1867), depicting the pleasurable aspects of Japanese life, from the geisha and kabuki actors, to sumo wrestlers, samurai and prostitutes.
172 JAPAN
Patience in a moment of anger spares a hundred days of sorrow. K艱難（かんなん）汝を珠とす
In anger say what you have to say — tomorrow. K一時の忍耐は百日の悲しみを残す
We learn little from victory, but a great deal from defeat. K勝利から学ぶことは敗北より少なし
When your companions get drunk and argue, take up your hat and wish them good night. L厄介事には関わるな （君子危うきに近寄らず）
Many a good man fathers a bad son. K良き父よりは不良の子 賢父愚息
A 19th century woodblock print by Kunichika of a Kabuki actor as Watonai.
Whether chiselled in stone or inscribed on papyrus, the message of the metaphor first evolved in Asia. Some of the earliest proverbs have survived for thousands of years, encapsulating lessons gleaned within particular societies and yet equally relevant in any other – as indeed they remain today. The 400 carefully selected examples drawn from the eleven countries featured in this compilation of Ancient Wisdom for the 21st Century are illustrated with artworks also derived from their respective sources. They appear both in their original script and in English translation.
ISBN 978-988-98270-6-9