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“If you want to turn a friend unfriendly, lend him a fanam.”

Lending money to a friend, however small the sum, is one of the surest ways to damage the friendship (a fanam was an old, low-value Ceylonese coin).

— Traditional Sri Lanka Wisdom, Sri Lanka

Source: Traditional Sri Lankan proverb, public-domain oral tradition

More Proverbs from Sri Lanka

පිරුණු කළේ දිය නොසැලේ, අඩු කළේ දිය සෙලවෙයි

“A pot that is completely full makes no noise when shaken; a pot only half full rattles loudly.”

People with little real knowledge tend to talk the loudest, while those who are truly wise and well-informed stay calm and say little.

Source: Traditional Sri Lankan proverb, public-domain oral tradition

“You cannot swallow a medicine pill without your own throat knowing it.”

A person cannot hide the truth about their own actions from themselves.

Source: Traditional Sri Lankan proverb, public-domain oral tradition

“Whatever is thrown up into the air must come back down to the ground.”

Anything, or anyone, that rises too high or too fast will eventually fall back down.

Source: Traditional Sri Lankan proverb, public-domain oral tradition

“To the slender loris, her own baby looks like a precious gem.”

What appears worthless or plain to others can be dearly precious to the one who loves it.

Source: Traditional Sri Lankan proverb, public-domain oral tradition

“The bird that keeps jumping from branch to branch to escape the rain ends up soaked through and dies.”

Constantly running from a problem instead of facing it directly usually causes greater harm in the end.

Source: Traditional Sri Lankan proverb, public-domain oral tradition

අන්ධයාට මොන පහන් එළියද

“What use is the light of a lamp to a person who cannot see?”

A gift or piece of advice is wasted on someone who has no way to make use of it.

Source: Traditional Sri Lankan proverb, public-domain oral tradition