হাতি ঘোড়া গেল তল, পিঁপড়া বলে কত জল
“Elephants and horses drowned in the water, yet the ant wonders how deep it could possibly be.”
Mocks a weak or ill-equipped person who recklessly attempts something that overwhelmed even the strong.
— Traditional Bangladesh Wisdom, Bangladesh
Source: Traditional Bengali proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Bangladesh
Excessive greed ruins the weaver.
Wanting too much or being too greedy ultimately leads to a person's own downfall.
When you cannot dance, you blame the courtyard for being crooked.
An incompetent person blames external circumstances instead of admitting their own lack of skill.
It does not rain as much as it thunders.
Those who make the loudest threats or boasts rarely follow through with real action.
The thief's mother has the loudest voice.
The guilty party often shouts the loudest to hide or deflect from their own wrongdoing.
The jackfruit is still on the tree, yet oil is on the moustache.
Do not celebrate or make preparations for a reward you have not yet secured.
A tight knot makes a slip-loose bind.
Overly rigid or excessive control often produces the very failure it was meant to prevent.