Belarus — quotes, proverbs & wisdom

Загляне сонца і ў наша ваконца.

“The sun will look into our window too.”

Hard times will pass and better days will surely come; do not despair when there is no hope.

Лепш позна, чым ніколі.

“Better late than never.”

Doing something after a delay is preferable to never doing it at all.

У крыніцу не носяць вадзіцу.

“Do not carry water to the spring.”

There is no sense bringing something to a place that already has plenty of it.

Няма байкі без праўды.

“There is no tale without a grain of truth.”

Even exaggerated stories and jokes usually contain some real truth at their core.

У чужую парафію са сваім звычаем не прыходзь.

“Do not come to another parish with your own custom.”

Respect the traditions and rules of a place you are visiting rather than imposing your own.

Голад не дзядзіна, з'ясі і крадзенае.

“Hunger is no aunt; you will eat even stolen food.”

Real need overrides pride and principle; desperation drives people to do what they normally would not.

Гарбатага хіба труна выпрастае.

“Only the grave will straighten the hunchback.”

Some flaws or habits in a person are so deep-rooted that nothing but death will change them.

Ладзь калёсы зімою, а сані летам.

“Prepare your cart in winter, and your sleigh in summer.”

Plan and prepare well ahead of the season you will actually need something.

Не прыйдзе трывога — не ўспомніш і Бога.

“Until trouble comes, you will not even remember God.”

People often turn to faith or caution only once a crisis has already struck.

Мядзведзь карове не брат.

“A bear is no brother to a cow.”

Very different natures or interests cannot truly be equals or allies.

Перш папрацуй, а тады і патанцуй.

“Work first, and dance after.”

Duties and responsibilities should come before pleasure and celebration.

Дурны законаў не чытае, ды свае мае.

“A fool does not read the laws, yet he has his own.”

Even the foolish or stubborn operate by some private logic of their own, however irrational it seems to others.

Дзе не гарыць, там і не курыць.

“Where there is no fire, there is no smoke.”

Rumors and signs of trouble usually point to some real underlying cause.

Каб чалавек ведаў, дзе спатыкнецца, дык абышоў бы тое месца.

“If a man knew where he would stumble, he would avoid that spot.”

Hindsight always seems obvious; if only we could foresee our mistakes before making them.

Каб на дзятла не стралец, быў бы дзяцел маладзец.

“If not for the hunter, the woodpecker would have done just fine.”

Many misfortunes exist only because of some outside threat; an equivalent of "if wishes were horses."

Як здаецца, то хрысціся.

“When it seems so, cross yourself.”

When you are unsure whether something is real or just your imagination, pause and steady yourself rather than act rashly.

Яшчэ гэткі не спаткаўся, каб усім ён спадабаўся.

“No one has yet been born who pleases everyone.”

It is impossible to satisfy every single person; trying to please everyone is a hopeless task.

Не ўсё золата, што блішчыць.

“Not all that glitters is gold.”

Appearances can be deceiving; something attractive on the outside is not always genuinely valuable.

Грошы любяць ціхіх.

“Money loves the quiet.”

Those who are discreet and careful with their finances tend to keep and grow their wealth, unlike the boastful.

Лепш раз пабачыць, чым сотні разоў пачуць.

“Better to see once than to hear about it a hundred times.”

Firsthand experience and direct evidence are worth more than any amount of secondhand description.

На чужой галінцы не расцвіце.

“You will not bloom on someone else's branch.”

A person cannot truly thrive by depending on others; growth requires standing on your own roots.

Сонца рукамі не захінеш.

“You cannot cover the sun with your hands.”

The truth cannot be hidden forever; sooner or later reality comes to light despite every effort to conceal it.

Каб рыбу есці, трэба ў ваду лезці.

“To eat fish, you must get into the water.”

Nothing worthwhile comes without effort; you must take the necessary risk or trouble to get what you want.

За дурной галавой нагам неспакой.

“A foolish head gives the legs no rest.”

Poor planning or carelessness forces a person into extra, avoidable trouble and running around.

Быццам з неба спаў.

“As if fallen straight out of the sky.”

Describes something that happens completely unexpectedly, without warning or preparation.

Голы як бізун.

“As bare as a whip.”

Describes someone who is extremely poor, with nothing left to their name.

Абое рабое.

“Two of a kind, cut from the same cloth.”

Used of two people who share the same faults or qualities, often ironically, like "two peas in a pod."

З камара каня рабіць.

“Making a horse out of a mosquito.”

Exaggerating a small matter into something far bigger than it really is, like making a mountain out of a molehill.

Пабыў у вадзе і не мокры нідзе.

“He was in the water and never got wet.”

Describes someone who slips out of a difficult or compromising situation completely unscathed.

От прирожения звери, ходящие в пустыни, знають ямы своя; птици, летающие по возъдуху, ведають гнезда своя; рибы, плавающие по морю и в реках, чують виры своя; пчелы и тым подобныя боронять ульев своих, — тако ж и люди, игде зародилися и ускормлены суть по бозе, к тому месту великую ласку имають.

“Beasts wandering in the wilderness know their own dens; birds flying through the air know their own nests; fish swimming the seas and rivers sense their own pools; bees and their kind guard their own hives — so too do people cherish greatly the place where they were born and raised.”

People, like all living creatures, feel a deep, natural attachment to their native land — an early expression of Belarusian patriotism.

Суджанага й канём не аб'едзеш.

“You cannot ride around your fated one, even on a horse.”

What is destined, especially in love and marriage, cannot be avoided no matter how hard one tries to escape it.

Ад смерці не адкупішся.

“You cannot buy your way out of death.”

No wealth, trickery, or bargaining can postpone death; it comes to everyone regardless of status or riches.

Уміраць збірайся, а жыта сей.

“Even if you are getting ready to die, still sow your rye.”

Keep working and tending to life's duties no matter how close death may seem; life and labor continue regardless.

Работа не бясчэсціць чалавека.

“Work does not dishonor a person.”

No honest labor, however humble, should be considered shameful.

Калі робіш укупе, не баліць у пупе.

“When you work together, your belly does not ache.”

Shared work is lighter work; cooperation eases the burden that would exhaust a person working alone.

Шчасце пераходзячы жыве.

“Happiness lives only in passing.”

Good fortune and happiness are fleeting; they never stay in one place for long.

Ад цяплосці не баляць косці.

“From warmth, bones never ache.”

Kindness and gentleness never cause harm; a little warmth or comfort toward others always does good.

Бачыць вока, але ляжыць высока.

“The eye sees it, but it lies out of reach.”

Something desirable may be plainly visible yet still unattainable, like grapes too high to pick.

Бог не цяля, бачыць круцяля.

“God is no calf; he sees the trickster.”

God is not naive — dishonesty and deceit cannot escape a higher notice, even when hidden from other people.

Бяздоннай бочкі не напоўніць.

“You cannot fill a bottomless barrel.”

Some appetites and demands are endless; no amount given will ever be enough to satisfy them.

Вольнаму воля, шалёнаму поле.

“To the free, freedom; to the reckless, an open field.”

Everyone should be left to make their own choices, even reckless ones — freedom belongs to whoever chooses their own path.

Дзе нянек многа, там дзiця бязнога.

“Where there are too many nannies, the child ends up crippled.”

When too many people share responsibility for one task, no one truly takes charge, and the result suffers.

Знай каток свой куток.

“Know your corner, little cat.”

Mind your own business and stay within your own place rather than meddling in matters that are not yours.

Калi захочаш сабаку выцяць, то кiй знойдзеш.

“If you want to beat a dog, you will find a stick.”

Someone determined to find fault or a pretext for wrongdoing will always manage to invent one.

Калi ўлез у дугу — не кажы «не магу».

“Once you have stepped into the harness, do not say 'I cannot.'”

Once a task or duty has been taken on, it must be carried through — there is no excuse for giving up midway.

На Бога спадзявайся, але й сам старайся.

“Trust in God, but make your own effort too.”

Faith and hope should be paired with personal effort; do not expect providence to do all the work for you.

На вуснах — мёд, а на сэрцы — лёд.

“Honey on the lips, but ice in the heart.”

Describes someone whose sweet words hide a cold, insincere heart — beware of flattery without real feeling.

Нічога не знаю — мая хата з краю.

“I know nothing — my house is at the edge of the village.”

A well-known Belarusian expression for willful indifference, claiming ignorance to avoid getting involved in others' troubles.

Праўду казаць — ворага нажываць.

“To speak the truth is to make an enemy.”

Honesty often costs a person goodwill, since people rarely welcome hearing hard truths about themselves.

Цiхая свiння глыбака рые.

“The quiet pig digs the deepest.”

Quiet, unassuming people can cause the most trouble or scheme the most — do not judge danger by how loud someone is.