ធ្វើស្រែនឹងទឹក ធ្វើសឹកនឹងបាយ។
“We plant rice with water; we wage war with rice.”
Every endeavor depends on having the right resource in hand first — water for farming, rice for feeding an army.
— Traditional Khmer Wisdom, Cambodia
Source: Traditional Khmer proverb (សុភាសិត), public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Cambodia
When the water rises, the fish eat the ants; when the water recedes, the ants eat the fish.
Fortunes turn. Those who are powerful today may be powerless tomorrow, so never be cruel in strength.
Traditional Khmer Wisdom
Read more →
Keep company with the wise and gain wisdom; keep company with fools and gain sorrow.
The company you keep shapes what you become.
Traditional Khmer Wisdom
Read more →
A falling leaf lands not far from its trunk.
Children carry the nature of their family and roots.
Traditional Khmer Wisdom
Read more →
One mountain does not hold two tigers.
Only one leader or dominant force can rule a single place at a time.
Traditional Khmer Wisdom
Read more →
You may know a great deal yourself, yet still respect what others know.
Humility means recognizing that others hold knowledge you may lack, however capable you are.
Traditional Khmer Wisdom
Read more →
Sitting in the winnowing basket, still he lifts himself up.
A mocking image of self-praise — boasting about oneself while in a lowly position achieves nothing.
Traditional Khmer Wisdom
Read more →