The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-06-16
TURKISH PROVERBS.
SAYINGS OF THE TURK THAT ARE
VERY LIKE OUR OWN.
Brief Sayings Which illustrate Some As
poets Of the National Character
Proverbs of Opportune Speech
and Snence-Friendship.
London SPECTATOR

down in the course of reading and CONVEX
sation, or borrowed from collection made
at the Oriental academy at Vienna, the
writer has amused himself by grouping
them roughly under certain heads, so as
to illustrate some aspects Of the national
character and surroundings. But first 1t
may be interesting to remark how many
Well-known English and other European
proverbs have their exact counterpart in
Turkish How far are these to be &C
counted for by contact with or conquest
of Indo- European races2 Or has it been
case of "les beau esprits sc rem
contrent2" For instance, we find on
ball not look gift horse in the mouth
in exactly the same words, as well as He
that is born to be hanged will never be
drowned, " the Turkish version having the
advantage of being expressed in two
words The change of words Is but
slight in Troubled waters suit the fisher.
"One flower does not make summer, and
"The robe does not make the dervish;"
while in Turkey it is not pot that says to
kettle, but negro to negro, that his face is
black We are disposed to prefer The
nail saved the shoe, the shoe the horse, the
horse the man, the man the kingdom" to
our somewhat numbering "For want of a
nail the shoe was lost, etc.
Often we are reminded of scEiptural
proverbs and aphorisms Nothing un-
heard of in the world" sounds Solomon
ian enough, while "Out with the eye that
profits me not, "The negro does not
whiten with washing, and That which
thou sowest, that also shall thou reap, "
are strikingly like New Testament teach
ing. Again and again we find expressed
in other words lessons of charity, consid-
erateness, and justice that would not be
unworthy of Christian teacher. as The
strangers prayer is heard, The hearts
testimony is stronger than q thousand wit
nesses, Among the blind close your
eyes, " In truth Is right, Justice is half
religion, "Neighbor's right, Gods
right
The heading under which, perhaps, the
largest number of proverbs can be
grouped is that of opportune speech and
silence If the Turk, as has been said,
talks well, he also knows how to hold his
tongue He looks down with the greatest
contempt on the idle chatterer and does
not even think that good manners require
him to make small-talk when he has moth
ing to say. In fact, when on visit to a
well-bred Turk with whom you have no
common subjects of interest to discuss,
after exhausting those suggested by po-
liteness-his health, your own, that of
your family, the weather, and the water
Ia most interesting topic in the east)-you
may safely fail back upon that golden
silence which their proverb, like ours,
rates above silver speech Hear
his comment on the chatterer: There is
no ass but brsys; The dog barks, the
caravan passes" Fool is he who
alone talks, and is his only listener; ~ The
fool wears his heart on his tongue, the
wise man keeps his tongue in his heart
He warns US Of the mischief of evil speak
ing: The knife's wound heals, the tongues
never" "The tongue Stays more than the
4 q &c h.r,r .la Int
It breaks bones " Again, he feels keenly
the danger of free speech under a corrupt
and despotic rule, while he extols honest
and good faith, and generally condemns
lying. The latter is condoned in certain
cases. for "Some lies are better than
truth, " and we may Lie, but with
measure. The supressio veri is even
strongly recommended, for Is not the
@truthsteller banished out Of nine cities?' y
head, "Iand "There is no better answer
than this. Il know not, l saw not.
But to turn to something pleasanter, we
viii quote q few sayings, still familiar in
orr Turks mouth, which have survived
the corruption of the palace and official
kings, and seem still to breathe the hardy
and independent spirit of the old days,
only passports to the highest places in q
conouering empire = Then it could be
said that "The horse is to him that
mounts. the sword to him who girds il
on, "The brave mans word is coat OF
mail. Fortune is not far from the
brave mans head, "The hero is known
on the battlefield, and Fear not to-
morrow's mischance Who but a con
quering race could have produced such a
proverb as Power on my head, or the
raven on my corpse?" and who can fail to
hear true ring in Peasant erect is taller
than noble on Bonded knee, or Il am the
slave of him who regards me; the king OF
aim who disregards me2"
Almsgiving is creditable, for the hand
which gives is above that which takes; "
and it offers temporal advantages as well
as spiritual In this world a" No one cuts
the hand that gives, and What thou
givest that shalt thou take with thee" to
the next
Great is the power of wealth. Even
the mountains fear the rich man. " 1t
covers multitude of failures and averts
many ills. If a mans money is white, no
matter if his face be black. "The knife
cuts not hand of gold But then the
disadvantages and dangers of IL in a land
where empty treasures are filed by the
suppression of few rich men and the
confscation of their property Truly the
vacuus viator has the better part where
brigands swarm "Not even 1, 900 men in
armor can strip naked man. Our Turk
Is a man of few wants-pilaff, coffee. and
tobacco are enough for him, and so he
will rest consented in the health that is
better than fortune" sagely rejecting
that "a big head has big ache, that "he
who has many vineyards has many
cares, and Congralulates himself if he
can say, My money is little, my head
without strife He is not likely to make
a fortune in business, being destitute OF
the enterprise, as well as of the sharpness
and hardness, necessary to success. The
bazaar knows neither father nor mother, >
and our easy going friend has great re
gard for these domestic ties. Besides. his
religion forbids him either to speculate OF
to put money at interest. although hf
sometimes avoids this prohibition by the
clumsy expedient of fictitious sale or {
~present" taken by the lender.
We find some sound advice on the sub
tect of friendship Do not expect YOU
friend to be a paragon Who seeks
fAaltless friend rests frisndless." Blu
when yo1 have found him keep him
"old friend, old path, you will do bette
to change neither, and if he is "a true
friend he is better than relation.