Burmese Proverbs: A Supplement to Existing Collections

Abstract

In the course of his work on the new Burmese-English Dictionary the writer of this article had access to certain manuscripts compiled by various members of the Northern Burma Mission who were stationed at Ava and other places in Upper Burma during the early nineteenth century. The manuscripts contain a collection of Burmese proverbs, which were rendered into French by an unknown missionary. The writer sought the assistance of Mrs. A. M. Blandford, 37 Havers Lane, Bishop's Stortford, in deciphering and translating the French equivalents or translations into English; and reference has been made to these in preparing the translation—which is as literal as possible—and the notes as to application, etc., here given. Many of the proverbs are unfamiliar in modern times, and the writer's views as to their application are put forward as suggestions only. No attempt has been made to reproduce in the translations the rhymes of the Burmese. The proverbs were compared with (1) those given in Sagabon Hnittaung, which was compiled by U Taing of the Hanthawaddy Press, Rangoon (3rd impression, 1911), and (2) those given at the end of Stevenson's edition of Judson's Burmese-English Dictionary. The following proverbs (which are arranged in alphabetical order) do not appear in either of these collections and seem not to have been published before.