Bagai pungguk merindukan bulan.
“Like a nightjar longing for the moon.”
Yearning hopelessly for someone or something that can never be attained.
— Traditional Singapore Wisdom, Singapore
Source: Traditional Malay proverb (peribahasa Melayu), shared heritage of Singapore's Malay community and the wider Malay-speaking region, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Singapore
Like bamboo and its riverbank.
Two parties who support and protect each other in a relationship of mutual benefit.
Like an areca nut split into two.
Two people or things that are strikingly similar or perfectly matched, such as a devoted couple.
Calm water, do not assume there is no crocodile.
A quiet or humble appearance may conceal hidden depth, danger, or strength.
Where there is sugar, there are ants.
People are naturally drawn to wherever there is profit or opportunity.
Little by little, over time it becomes a hill.
Small, consistent efforts accumulate into something significant.
Like a frog under a coconut shell.
A person with a narrow, limited view of the world, unaware of what lies beyond their small experience.