АДЫГЭ ПСАЛЪЭЖЬХЭРИ ПСАЛЪАФЭХЭРИ

 

Circassian Proverbs and Sayings

 

Amjad Jaimoukha

Зытхар: Жэмыхъуэ Амджэдщ

 

 

Иджы, ди псалъэжьхэмрэ ди псалъафэхэмрэ дытепсэлъыхьынущ. Ахэр бжыгъэкIэ миних щIогъу. Япэрауэ, хьэщIагъэмрэ хьэщIэщымрэ тохуэ псалъэжьхэмрэ псалъафэхэмрэ ди псалъапхъэщ. Сэ хьэщIагъэ Iуэхум теухуауэ – нэгъуэщIу жыпIэмэ, бысым-хьэщIэ хуаIэ зэхущытыкIэхэр – псалъэжь псалъафэ щищ (300) нэхъыбэрэ зэзыхуэхьэсыжащ, КъэбэрдейбзэмкIэрэ АдыгейбзэмкIэрэ къраубыдауэ. Ахэр псори си тхылъ традзэм итынущ. Абыхэм я нэхъ шэрыуэ къыхахыу щапхъэу нэттынущ:

 

There are more than 6,000 proverbs and sayings in the Circassian language, by some accounts much, much more. We will start by a selection of proverbs and sayings associated with hospitality and host-guest relationship. I have collected more than 300 sayings on this issue, which will appear in my forthcoming book Circassian Culture and Folklore, to be published in London and New York this autumn (2008) by Bennett and Bloom (it is already available for pre-order from Amazon.co.uk.

 

Адыгэм хьэщIэ и щIасэщ: A guest is the beloved of the Circassian. [АдыгейбзэмкIэ: Адыгэмэ хьакIэр якIас]

 

Адыгэ и хьэщIэ быдапIэ исщ: The guest of the Circassian is safe as if protected by a fortress. [АдыгейбзэмкIэ: Адыгэ хьакIэр пытапIэ ис]

 

ХьэщIэр Тхьэм и лIыкIуэщ (Абы ипкъ иткIэ адыгэхэм хьэщIэм щIыхьышхуэ хуащIу щытахэт, иджыри къэс абыхэм я нэхъыбапIэр хьэщIагъэм епха хабзэ дахэхэм пылъхэщ): A guest is a messenger from God.

 

ХьэщIэу къыпхуэкIуамэ, уи жагъуэгъури уи ныбжьэгъущ: If he comes to you as a guest, even the sworn enemy is your friend. [АдыгейбзэмкIэ: ХьакIэ къыпфакIомэ, уиджэгъогъури ныбджэгъу]

 

ХьэщIэр жэщищ исмэ, быным ящыщ мэхъуж: If the guest stays for three nights, he becomes part of the family. [АдыгейбзэмкIэ: ХьакIэр чэщищ хъумэ, бысымым щыщ мэхъужьы]

 

ХьэщIэр шхэм—бжэм йоплъ (Шха нэужь, хьэщIэм и унэм кIуэжыну и мурад мэхъу, жыхуиIэщ): After eating, the guest looks towards the door. [АдыгейбзэмкIэ: ХьакIэр шхэмэ, пчъэм еплъы]

 

Еблагъэ зи бэм и бын мэжалIэркъым: The children of the person who receives many guests never go hungry. [АдыгейбзэмкIэ: Еблагъэр зибэм ибын мэлакIэрэп]

 

Фыз бзаджэ хьэщIэмыгъашхэщ: Said of a wicked woman who does not offer food to guests. [АдыгейбзэмкIэ: Шъуз бзаджэр хьэкIэмыгъашх]

 

Iэнэм и пэри и кIэри хъуэхъущ: (A toast starts and ends a “table”) A Circassian feast could only start with a toast by the eldest participant, then by the guests, and the affair could last throughout the session, which at times lasted for hours on end. [АдыгейбзэмкIэ: Iанэм ыпэри ыкIэри хъохъу]

 

Иджы, нэгъуэщI псалъэжьхэмрэ псалъафэхэмрэ псалъэ шэрыуэхэмрэ ящыщу щапхъэу къэтхьынущ, ди щэнхабзэм щIэлъ Iущагъэрэ губзыгъагъэрэ ягъэсэтеин папщIэ, езы псалъэжьхэм я дахагъэри наIуэ тщIын щхьэкIэ [Other proverbs and sayings]:

 

Лъэпкъыр зэкъуэтмэ, лъэщщ: The nation’s strength lies in union.

 

Бэр зэщIэхъаемэ, щIыр къагъэхъей: There is strength in union.

 

Хамэ хэку сыщытхъэ нэхъ си хэкужь сыщылIэ: Better to die in one’s homeland than to thrive without it.

 

БаIуэ нэхърэ бащIэ (куэд жызыIэ нэхърэ куэд зылэжь, жыхуиIэщ): 1. More work and less chatter; 2. Doing is better than saying.

 

Iуэху мыублэ блэ хэсщ: (There’s a snake lurking in the unstarted business): 1. The first step is the hardest; 2. It is the first step that costs.

 

ЦIу псори дыщэкъым: All is not gold that glitters.

 

Гупсыси псалъэ, зыплъыхьи тIыс: (Think before you speak, look around before you sit down) 1. First think, then speak; 2. Think today and speak tomorrow; 3. Second thoughts are best; 4. Look before you leap; 5. Draw not your bow till your arrow is fixed; 6. Better the foot slip than the tongue trip.

 

Делэм хабзэ жыхуаIэр ищIэркъым: (A fool is ignorant of Circassian Etiquette) 1. As the fool thinks, so the bell clinks; 2. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

 

Бзэгур джатэм нэхърэ нэхъ жанщ: 1. The tongue is sharper than the sword; 2. The tongue is not steel, yet it cuts; 3. Many words cut (or hurt) more than swords.

 

Вы зимыIэм шкIэ щIещIэ: (He who has no oxen, harnesses a calf) 1. Half a loaf is better than no bread; 2. Any port in a sea-storm; 3. If you can’t have the best, make the best of what you have; 4. Among the blind the one-eyed man is king; 5. There is small choice in rotten apples.

 

ГъущIыр плъа щIыкIэ еуэ (Iуэхур игъуэми елэжь, жыхуиIэщ): Strike while the iron is hot.

 

Жьыуэ къэтэджа щIегъуэжакъым: 1. Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise; 2. He that will thrive, must rise at five; 3. The early bird catches the worm.

 

Нахуэ жыIэнрэ нэ ищIынрэ зэхуэдэщ: 1. Home truths are hard to swallow; 2. Truth hurts.

 

КъэкIуэгъуафIэ кIуэжыгъуафIэщ (Гугъуехьыншэу къыпхэхъуар кIуэдыжыгъуафIэщ, жыхуиIэщ): Easy come, easy go.

 

Жыжьэу бгъэтIылъмэ, нэхъу гъунэгъуу къэбгъуэтыжынщ (е Жыжьэу бгъэтIылъыр благъэу къощтэж): Safe bind, safe find.

 

КъэмыкIа пабжьэм къэмылъхуа тхьэкIумэкIыхьыр хэсщ (Мыр пцIупс защIэм хужаIэ): The unborn hare hides in the ungrown bush (said of a barefaced lie).

 

Тэм тэ и цIэщи, щэм щэ и цIэщ: Keep friendship and money apart.

 

ЛэжьэнкIэ уашхэщи, шхэнкIэ лIыхъужьщ (Щхьэхынэм хужаIэ): He works like a badger but eats like a wolf.

 

ЖыIэгъуафIэ щхьэкIэ, щIэгъуейщ: Easier said than done.

 

Ноби махуэщ къэунэхури мазэщ (Ари щхьэхынэм хужаIэ): What may be done at any time will be done at no time.

 

Делэми пэж жиIэнкIэ мэхъу: 1. A fool may sometimes speak to the purpose; 2. A fool’s bolt may sometimes hit the mark.

 

Насып уимыIэмэ, махъшэм утесми, хьэр къодзакъэ (Насыпыншэ защIэм хужаIэ): (If out of luck, a dog would bite you even on camelback) An unfortunate man would be drowned in a teacup.

 

Зи бзэ IэфIым блэр гъуэмбым къреш: A sweet talker lures the snake out of the hole.

 

Къэрабгъэр и кIэм щощтэж («Къэрабгъэ» жыхуиIэр лIы хахуэм и антонимыр аращ; таучэлыншэ): The coward dreads his own shadow.

 

Зауэ ухуэмеймэ, уи джатэр жану щыгъэлъ: If you wish for peace, be prepared for war.

 

Къуийм и щIыIу гуэрэф: (Not only scabby, but also has boils) 1. Out of the frying-pan into the fire; 2. To fall out of the pan into the fire; 3. From smoke into smother; 4. It never rains but it pours.

 

Мыщэм ущышынэмэ, мэз умыкIуэ: (If you are afraid of bears, don’t go into the forest) 1. He that feareth every bush must never go a-birding; 2. He that is afraid of wounds must not come near a battle.

 

Хьэндыркъуакъуэ пэт сызыхэс псыр кууащэрэт, жеIэ: (Even a frog wishes to live in deeper waters) Fish seeks deeper waters, man seeks a better place.

 

Гугъуехь зымылъэгъуам тыншыгъуэ ищIэркъым: He who has not endured hardship knows not what comfort is.

 

ГуфIэгъуэрэ гуIэгъуэрэ зэпылъщ: (Happiness and misfortune lie side by side) 1. Every cloud has a silver lining; 2. After rain comes fair weather.

 

Гъуэгу благъэ гъуэгу жыжьэ нэхърэ, гъуэгу жыжьэ гъуэгу благъэ: (Better a short long way than a long short way) The furthest way about is the nearest way home.

 

Жылэ зыгъашхэр шхын щхьэкIэ малIэ («КIыщ уэщыншэ» жыпIи хъунущ): 1. The cobbler’s wife is the worst shod; 2. Wilful waste makes woeful want; 3. Waste not want not.

 

Зым и мыгъуэ, зым и махуэщ: One man’s meat is another man’s poison.

 

Мащэ зытI йохуэж: (He who digs a hole falls in it) 1. He that mischief hatches, mischief catches; 2. A dose of one’s own medicine; 3. Curses like chickens come home to roost.

 

Куэдрэ псэу куэд елъагъу: The devil knows many things because he is old.

 

КIэ зимыIэ щыIэкъым: (Nothing without an end) 1. The morning sun never lasts a day; 2. All’s well that ends well.

 

Пщэдейрей ныбгъуэ нэхърэ нобэрей бзу: (Today’s sparrow is better than tomorrow’s quail) 1. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, or in the wood; 2. One today is worth two tomorrow; 3. Today’s egg is better than tomorrow’s hen; 4. Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow; 5. A little is better than none; 6. Never quit certainty for hope.

 

Блэ зэуар аркъэным щощтэ: (He who was bitten by the snake, is frightened by the lasso) 1. Once bitten, twice shy; 2. The scalded cat fears cold water; 3. A burnt child dreads the fire.

 

Емынэм емынэ къелъху: (Pestilence breeds the plague) 1. Evil begets evil; 2. One woe doth tread upon another’s heels.

 

Зэса сэгъейщ: 1. Old (Bad) habits die hard; 2. Habit is second nature.

 

УимыкI, уимыс, уисуи, къыдумыгъэхьэж: Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

 

Зым и щэхур щэхущи, тIум я щэхур нахуэщ: (When two know it, it’s no longer a secret) When three know it, all know it.

 

 

 

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