Traditional Brunei Wisdom

Bagai aur dengan tebing.

“Like the bamboo and its riverbank.”

Two parties support and depend on each other, thriving only through mutual cooperation.

Bagai katak di bawah tempurung.

“Like a frog under a coconut shell.”

Describes someone with a narrow view of the world who mistakes their small experience for the whole of it.

Air tenang jangan disangka tiada buaya.

“Do not assume calm water holds no crocodile.”

A quiet, gentle manner can conceal danger, depth, or hidden intentions.

Hendak seribu daya, tak hendak seribu dalih.

“Wanting finds a thousand ways; unwilling finds a thousand excuses.”

A determined person finds many paths forward, while a reluctant one finds many reasons to avoid trying.

Bagai pinang dibelah dua.

“Like an areca nut split in two.”

Describes two people or things that closely resemble each other, such as twins or a well-matched couple.

Ke bukit sama didaki, ke lurah sama dituruni.

“Climb the hill together, descend the valley together.”

True companions share both the hardships and the ease of life side by side.

Melentur buluh biarlah dari rebungnya.

“Bend the bamboo while it is still a shoot.”

Character and habits are best shaped while a person is still young.

Ada gula, ada semut.

“Where there is sugar, there are ants.”

People are naturally drawn to wherever there is benefit, wealth, or advantage to be gained.

Tak kenal maka tak cinta.

“Not knowing is not loving.”

Understanding and closeness grow only through familiarity; you cannot value what you do not know.

Genggam bara api, biar sampai jadi arang.

“If you grasp a burning ember, hold it until it becomes charcoal.”

Once a difficult task is undertaken, see it through to the end rather than abandoning it halfway.

Malu bertanya sesat jalan.

“Too shy to ask, and you will lose your way.”

It is better to ask when uncertain than to let pride lead you astray.

Bagai telur di hujung tanduk.

“Like an egg balanced on the tip of a horn.”

Describes a precarious, highly dangerous situation that could collapse at any moment.

Air dicincang tidak akan putus.

“Water that is chopped will never be severed.”

Family bonds, however strained by conflict, ultimately cannot be broken.

Alah bisa, tegal biasa.

“What seems impossible becomes easy through habit.”

Repeated practice turns even the most difficult skill into second nature.

Guru kencing berdiri, murid kencing berlari.

“If the teacher urinates standing, the student will urinate running.”

The young exaggerate the bad examples set by their elders, so leaders must be mindful of the example they set.

Bagai isi dengan kuku.

“Like flesh and the nail.”

Describes an extremely close and inseparable relationship, such as between close kin or lifelong friends.

Harapkan pagar, pagar makan padi.

“Trust the fence, yet the fence eats the rice.”

Betrayal is hardest to bear when it comes from the very person entrusted to protect you.

Ikut hati mati, ikut rasa binasa.

“Follow the heart and you may perish; follow mere feeling and you may be ruined.”

Decisions made purely on emotion, without reason, often lead to ruin.

Bagai kacang lupakan kulit.

“Like a bean that forgets its own shell.”

Describes someone who forgets their humble origins or is ungrateful to those who once protected them.

Bulat air kerana pembetung, bulat manusia kerana muafakat.

“Water becomes round because of the channel; people become united through consensus.”

Genuine unity among people is built through consultation and mutual agreement, not force.

Sesal dahulu pendapatan, sesal kemudian tak berguna.

“Regret that comes before brings profit; regret that comes after is of no use.”

Careful thought before acting prevents loss; regret after the fact changes nothing.

Sepandai-pandai membungkus, yang busuk berbau juga.

“However well you wrap it, what is rotten will still smell.”

Wrongdoing or a hidden flaw cannot be concealed forever; the truth eventually surfaces.

Bagai enau dalam belukar, melepaskan pucuk masing-masing.

“Like sugar palms in the thicket, each sending up its own shoot.”

Describes people who each pursue their own separate interest rather than working toward a shared goal.

Tepuk sebelah tangan tidak berbunyi.

“One hand clapping alone makes no sound.”

A quarrel or a relationship cannot exist through one side alone; both parties share responsibility.

Bagai anai-anai makan kayu.

“Like termites eating away at the wood.”

Describes a hidden threat that quietly destroys from within until the damage is suddenly revealed.

Sambil menyelam minum air.

“While diving, drink the water too.”

Achieving two goals or gaining two benefits from a single effort.

Berat sama dipikul, ringan sama dijinjing.

“What is heavy is borne together; what is light is carried together.”

A community shares both its hardships and its simple joys together.

Bagai kera mendapat bunga.

“Like a monkey given a flower.”

Describes someone who receives something valuable but does not know how to appreciate or use it properly.

Bagai mencurah air ke daun keladi.

“Like pouring water onto a taro leaf.”

Advice or effort given to someone leaves no lasting impression, sliding off like water on a leaf.

Sepandai-pandai tupai melompat, akhirnya jatuh ke tanah juga.

“However skilled the squirrel is at leaping, in the end it still falls to the ground.”

Even the cleverest wrongdoer is eventually caught, no matter how long they evade discovery.

Bagaikan pinang jatuh tidak jauh dari pokoknya.

“The areca nut falls not far from its own tree.”

Children generally inherit the traits and character of their parents.

Bagai anjing dengan kucing.

“Like a dog and a cat.”

Describes two people or parties who constantly quarrel and cannot get along.

Bagai mentimun dengan durian.

“Like a cucumber pitted against a durian.”

Describes a hopelessly unequal contest between someone weak and someone far stronger.

Sedikit-sedikit, lama-lama menjadi bukit.

“Little by little, in time it becomes a hill.”

Small, consistent efforts accumulate over time into something substantial.

Bagai api dalam sekam.

“Like fire hidden within the husk.”

A hidden grievance or danger smoulders quietly before eventually flaring into the open.

Biar lambat asal selamat.

“Better slow, as long as it is safe.”

It is wiser to proceed carefully and slowly than to rush and risk harm.

Bagai mendapat durian runtuh.

“Like receiving a durian that fell on its own.”

Receiving sudden, unexpected good fortune without having worked for it.

Buruk muka cermin dibelah.

“An ugly face, yet it is the mirror that gets smashed.”

Blaming an external thing for a fault that truly lies within oneself.

Bagai burung dalam sangkar.

“Like a bird inside a cage.”

Describes someone who feels trapped and longs for the freedom they have lost.

Hujan emas di negeri orang, hujan batu di negeri sendiri, lebih baik di negeri sendiri.

“It rains gold in another's land, it rains stones in one's own, yet one's own land is still better.”

However difficult life may be, one's own homeland remains dearer than a wealthier foreign place.

Bagai menarik rambut dalam tepung, rambut tak putus, tepung tak berselerak.

“Like pulling a hair out of flour: the hair does not break, and the flour is not scattered.”

A delicate matter is resolved with such care and wisdom that no one is hurt and nothing is spoiled.

Bagai memancing di air keruh.

“Like fishing in muddied water.”

Taking advantage of a confused or chaotic situation for one's own personal gain.

Bagai anak ayam kehilangan induk.

“Like chicks that have lost their mother hen.”

Describes people left scattered and directionless after losing their guide or leader.

Bagai membelah buluh, satu ditekan satu ditinggikan.

“Like splitting bamboo: one side is pressed down while the other is raised.”

Describes unfair or partial treatment that favors one side while disadvantaging the other.

Berakit-rakit ke hulu, berenang-renang ke tepian; bersakit-sakit dahulu, bersenang-senang kemudian.

“Raft upstream, swim to the shore; suffer first, find ease later.”

Hardship endured now paves the way for comfort and reward later.

Bagai menatang minyak yang penuh.

“Like carrying a container brimful of oil.”

Treating someone or something with the utmost care, tenderness, and caution.

Tak lapuk dek hujan, tak lekang dek panas.

“Not rotted by the rain, not cracked by the heat.”

Something such as a tradition, promise, or bond remains unchanged and enduring despite every trial.

Malang tak berbau.

“Misfortune carries no scent.”

Calamity or bad luck can strike suddenly, with no warning sign to smell it coming.

Sedia payung sebelum hujan.

“Prepare the umbrella before the rain falls.”

Prepare for hardship in advance, since prevention is always wiser than dealing with trouble afterward.

Bagai pungguk merindukan bulan.

“Like the owl yearning for the moon.”

Describes hopeless longing for someone or something entirely beyond one's reach.