Sranang — ons vaderland. Suriname, zooals de Hollanders het noemen.
“Sranang — our fatherland. Suriname, as the Dutch call it.”
The opening line of "Wij slaven van Suriname," reclaiming Suriname's own name for itself before naming it by the colonizer's term.
— Anton de Kom, Suriname
Source: Anton de Kom, Wij slaven van Suriname, opening lines (1934)
More Proverbs from Suriname
You have two ears, yet you never want to hear the same word twice.
Listen carefully the first time; do not make others repeat good advice.
Traditional Suriname Wisdom
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Humility is the clothing that best suits your body.
Modesty adorns a person more than any fine garment ever could.
Traditional Suriname Wisdom
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Every man kisses his wife in his own way.
Everyone manages their own affairs in their own manner; there is no single right way.
Traditional Suriname Wisdom
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Love's path is never too far.
Love knows no distance or boundary; it will always find its way.
Traditional Suriname Wisdom
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A clever man should never think that God only put mud in a fool's head.
Never underestimate someone who seems less clever than you; everyone has hidden depth.
Traditional Suriname Wisdom
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I am a black doll — I roll through every shop, but my beauty is never lost.
A person's true worth is not diminished by hardship or by being passed around.
Traditional Suriname Wisdom
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