Bis-sagħtar u l-ħatar, wil-ħin kollu jitmatar
Amidst thyme and staff (shepherd’s), he stretches himself all the time: A shepherd’s life is sedentary and lazy.
F’Jannar il-ġidra agħtiha l-ħmar!
Proverb: In January give the turnip to the donkey!
F’San Silvestru ġedded il-kappestru
Proverb: On the feast day of Saint Silvester (31st December) renew the (donkey’s) halter.
Fellus ta’ Lulju jagħtik bajda f’San Pupulju
A chick that hatches in July will lay an egg by the feast of St. Publius (following April).
Fi Frar il-kaboċċa agħtiha l-ħmar!
Proverb: In February, feed the cabbage to the donkey.
Fir-raba’ ħamri iżra’ kmieni.
Proverb: ‘in the fertile fields, sow early.’
Il-qamar, il-kewkba win-newba, fuq ir-raba’ ma fihomx ħlief sewba.
Proverb: ‘the moon, the stars and their cycles herald a good harvest’.
Il-ħmura ta’ filgħaxija, lesti d-debba għat-tiġrija, lesti d-dwieb għat-tiġrija; il-ħmura ta’ filgħodu lesti l-bhejjem fejn joqogħdu
Proverb: When the evening sky is red ready your mare for the race; when the morning sky is red prepare shelter for your beasts
Ir-riħ mhux tjieb
Proverb: ‘The wind is not fair weather’ – said of the wind which blows when sunshine was expected to ripen the fruit.
Is-sajf f’Jannar, għana tal-fqir u tal-bidwi.
Proverb: Warm weather in January is contentment for the poor man and the farmer.
Iż-żara’ f’ta’ Katrini jrodd it-tgħam bla fini
Proverb: Crops planted around St. Catherine’s day will yield a bountiful harvest.
Iżra’ fit-tjieb u fil-waqt, biex ma jibdielek qatt.
Proverb.
Jekk l-art kienet tagħti dejjem, il-bidwi qatt ma jfalli. Meta l-art tonqos, il-bidwi dejn iħalli.
Proverb: When the land is fertile, the farmer thrives – when it isn’t the farmer will fall in debt.
L-art tagħti kemm tagħmel magħha, ġid, hena, u fuq kollox is-saħħa.
Proverb: ‘The earth’s bounty depends on the amount of effort you invest in its care – be it prosperity, peace of mind, and above all – health.’
L-ewwel xita tkun għar-raba’ u għall-bjar, jekk tissokta, bil-ġid timla l-irziezet u d-djar.
Proverb: The first rains are for fields and to replenish the reservoirs, and if it continues to rain thereafter, the farms and homes will be filled with bounty.
Meta Jannar tarah lewliemi ma tarax il-bidwi hieni.
Proverb: ‘When January is watery, the farmer won’t be happy’.
Meta jidħol Ġunju, tqallibx l-art bil-moħriet, biex il-grass tagħha, ix-xemx ma teħodulhiex.
Proverb: when June sets in, do not use the plough to till the earth, so that the sun will not dry the undersoil.
Meta l-fellus jonqoblek kmieni, xejn ma jkunlek fellus żmieni
Meta l-fellus jonqoblek kmieni, xejn ma jkunlek fellus żmieni
Mill-fiddien il-qamħ joħroġ bil-kejjiel u l-qoton joħroġ bil-wiżżien
Proverb: From fertile land, the harvest of wheat and cotton is abundant.
Mill-ksieħ u r-riħ jiġu l-għelejjel; mix-xemx u x-xita jsiru l-għellejel.
Proverb: ‘the cold and wind bring disease; the sun and rain bring bounty’. Note the play on the plural of both għalla ‘disease’ and għalla ‘crops’.
Min għall-mullett ixammar, jifdallu x’iqammar.
Proverb: ‘He that wants to fish for mullet has to wait for many moons’ – A fisherman’s saying based on the close observation on the habits of mullets, which appear with the moon.
Min jaħrat bil-ħmir ma jiħux qoton!
Proverb: “Who ploughs with donkeys will not produce cotton.”
Min jixtri l-bikrija jkollu jiżen il-ħamrija!
Proverb: ‘whoever buys the premature or early crop (bikrija), will have to weigh the amount of soil.’
Nhar Santa Barbara, iż-żara’ jikber għabara
Proverb: Around St. Barabara’s feast day, the wheat would have reached its full growth.
Ref: JA
Ragħa fil-ġbiż ma jsemminx
Proverb: ‘Grazing on stubble, does not fatten.’