It is quite interesting that most proverbs play the role of the helm of life. As a living oral collective memory of old experience, proverbs work like a gear which must lead people in the right path. In order to correct misbehavior or to remind others of how well-mannered deeds look like, people quote them instead of being too long in explaining or commenting on an event, a behavior or an act. Here we can borrow the Chinese proverb :"One proverb is worth ten thousand words". Some of these proverbs bear years of trying endeavor and experience. Therefore we should be thankful to the old generations who transmit their experiences in short concise expressions to teach us the skill of living, good manners and conduct to set up a harmonious society.
All nations have got their own repertoire of proverbs but they eventually dovetail with each other because they are the outcome of human experience which is normally the same everywhere and everywhen. No doubt proverbs are one of the springs from which the human expertise emerges albeit other sources aliment it like religion, wise sayings and scientific facts; and this is another story.
"Never put yourself completely between the hands of your friends for one day they may turn against you" is a wise proverb that can be universal because people everywhere in the world share the quality of being "suspicious". Moreover various people can be disloyal to their friends. Because of some personal gain or interest, they easily betray them.
Younger people repeat their ancestors' words in the form of very concise rich utterances that rarely change in form and content with time; unless some change occurs in the society or new factors interfere and make the proverb hard to understand or explain. They keep repeating them so as not to commit the same mistakes the older generations did. So the idea that those who repeat proverbs all the time are unable to express themselves is not quite sustained as an argument. These proverbs are the gist of life itself. We can make new proverbs through our experiences. Our grandchildren, then, will repeat them so as not to repeat the same mistakes and progress safely.
I argue that only proverbs cannot be translated because they have their matches in the other cultures.
These are surely adaptations of the same proverb. Nevertheless, there are others which are different in text and diction but they have the same context and meaning. These are examples of the same proverb in two old nations' cultures notably Britain and Morocco:
Many other examples are available in almost all cultures. There is always an equivalent to any proverb you have in mind in another culture. It is human, isn't it?
These are the same although they stem from completely different environments. There may be some interaction but the fact that one of the cultures adopts a proverb from another culture, means that people on this planet are of the same nature, otherwise proverbs will be useless where other norms and civilizations are established. I mean that despite civilizations and modes of life the human nature remains the same. Take these examples of different proverbs from different civilizations and see if they aren't universal:
Here is a list of local Moroccan proverbs that I tried to translate into English. If they are understood as the original version, surely they will have corresponding ones in your culture, or else they will, at least, be accepted because they are the result of human experiences in its universal sphere. I wish I succeeded to transmit my idea which, I assume, is so common that it may reflect what you already know.
Enjoy these Moroccan proverbs and feel free to send feedback or comments.
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