“Proverbs can provide a snapshot of other cultures that allows for a more thorough understanding of both language and culture.” - MacDougall
A community has so many different ways of expressing itself - through rituals, ceremonies, folk songs, folk dance and more. For my project I chose to deal with 'proverbs'. For the Rengma Nagas they are otherwise known as 'josedo' - ‘jo’ meaning ‘word’/’saying’ and ‘sedo’ meaning 'forehead/back of the mind'. So, the literal translation would be words that remain on the forehead.
Here is a collection of Rengma proverbs collected during a survey conducted between July and August in the year 2006. It should be noted that the project is limited in scope and does not bear any conclusion upon the quantity of proverbs of the Rengma community.
This is a mini project undertaken as part of my M.A. coursework. I hope to incorporate more and maybe someday publish it, as a record of the rich cultural heritage of the Rengma Nagas. It must be noted that each Naga tribe possesses equally interesting proverbs that serve as windows to the souls of the traditional beliefs and truths of the tribe. However, there is a marked decrease in their usage and lack of awareness among the present generation. Through this project, I hope to have contributed to the prevention of this ever growing concern.
- Nida le kesu pu yhunyo.
Translation : ‘Those who hail from big villages are proud.’
- Nishe le anyu gonlomvu.
Translation : ‘Those who hail from small villages are not bold.’
- Logwa shwarhi gule gwa ya tselo, thyu hile gwa bin nle.
Translation : ‘A person who knows how to be a leader is like a good hunting dog.’
- Temi mi hvule kega-o kenthon mvu layatse lo tsule auzoh kengutsong gwa myubin nle.
Translation : ‘The path between two people who have quarrelled is in bad shape.’
- Teme nme kakhwun nyu lunyu kechonle bin yatselo kakhwun tekatsule nye le punpe gwari-ri binle.
Translation : ‘A family with many pretty daughters has many beautiful flowers blooming.’
- Temi n mele a-nyu nta-o a-mhun zenti tse-o gwani chwiryu yatselo tsangle n-nyu chwiryu lasele tse hu zohunyo.
Translation : ‘The sun shines brighter when one’s mood gets better.’
- Temi n me le a nyu gwamvu-o n khun bin yatselo tsang le a mhun zen bin laso.
Translation : ‘When a person feels sad and down, the skies become grey.’
- Phohu phoru
Translation : ‘Appearances are deceptive.’
- N pfu n sanya
Translation : ‘Don’t lie to yourself’
- Me jokela nyule me nkhin yhunyo
Translation : ‘Those who cannot do for themselves are those that criticise others.’
- N npfu n zole n tsen la hu nyo
Translation : ‘Whatever you say always comes back to you.’
- Tha run thyu nya thamvuda
Translation : ‘One must not do things one is not capable of.’
- Temi n mele chubin yatselo tsangle ri yhunyo.
Translation : ‘When it is raining, a person is crying.’
- Tehi nyule khunbin nyo n rishulo lo.
Translation : ‘One must look after the crying puppy of a dog’
- Nne npfu thyu lo kemvu tsu kecha nyu no thyu lo tse zonya chi.
Translation : ‘Do not ask others to do the impossible.’
- Nkeshwe lonyuri yatselo thale n-benyu kebin gu ai nmhen lati.
Translation : ‘Zealous desire for praise only leads to loss, including everything you ever even had.’
- Temi pehale tyu tsu gu kethyu ka hen keni kegwa keshvu zomvu tse tha kechon chon tyu hu yatselo tsupe teboh tsule tha tyu gwa yale.
Translation : ‘A person who eats food without any scruples and complaints eats as well as a pig.’
- Mele tenu ketson nyu o tenugu ka kigu a pepfunynu nthongu kethyuko tenunyu guko bin ya tse lo gwun shutse zoshulo keshvu genyu, n – ro – gujwen gutsupe atsu shu lo tse zo yhunyo.
Translation : ‘If a man is hesitant to ask the parents of the girl, whose hand in marriage he intends to ask ,directly in front of the girl, ask for the chicken hen.’
- Sentson nyu le kheno kalo hu n ne.
Translation : ‘A small bird can give birth to an eagle.’
- Tha tepen ri kethyu nyule thale a-benyu kebin gu ai nmhen na yhunyo.
Translation : ‘Selfishness will leave you empty of even what you already have in your possession.’
- Dzuhu kida, Dzu chonkida tha thyu mvu loshvu.
Translation : ‘Whether it is upstream or downstream you’ll have to toil.’
- Nyu kelo nti tenyen nyalo
Translation : ‘Do not let your beliefs be based on what you overhear.’’
- Temi le hisi ki a-nyeti keda la kethyu-i le
Translation : ‘In later years mankind will have big ears.’
- Husegu sen kethyu hontse nyalo.
Translation : ‘Do not teach others like how the fish do.’
- Nyeseginyu hile chichon kewa pvuryu hunyon.
Translation : ‘Good spirits bring good tidings/blessings.’
- Kentyu hontse tha thyulo yhun chvu loti.
Translation : ‘Work like ants and you will have a prosperous and bountiful generation’
- Muthule chwi gwung hun binyo.
Translation : ‘The cow is spoiling the garden fence of the vegetables.’
- Tepfule lowbin tyu ya tse lo gwung shutse tepfuzeng zo nya.
Translation : ‘Never say rats are destroying your field.’
- Temi ngo nyu le tsi sen mvuletsehu.
Translation : A crazy person has less salt.
- Kemakin nyalo.
Translation : ‘Do not boast because of your family background.’
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