Перш папрацуй, а тады і патанцуй.
“Work first, and dance after.”
Duties and responsibilities should come before pleasure and celebration.
— Traditional Belarus Wisdom, Belarus
Source: Traditional Belarus proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Belarus
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.
Better late than never.
Doing something after a delay is preferable to never doing it at all.
Do not carry water to the spring.
There is no sense bringing something to a place that already has plenty of it.
There is no tale without a grain of truth.
Even exaggerated stories and jokes usually contain some real truth at their core.
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.
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.