Agħlaq il-bieb qabel ma taħrab id-debba
Shut the door before the mare bolts
Bagħal magħlub ibegħlen
Proverb: An undernourished ox will foam at the mouth.
Bil-kelma t-tajba toħroġ il-far mit-tqajba!
Proverb: ‘With a good word you will even convince a rat to come out of its hole.’ – measured words go a long way!
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.
Fi żmien il-ħaruf, il-patata tibda tħuf!
Proverb: ‘during the season of the lamb, potatoes begin to be shuffled around’ – Lamb with roast potatoes is a popular Maltese dish, hence when lambs become available, potatoes will be in demand.
Ġurdien qluqi qatt ma jsir far.
Proverb: ‘A fickle mouse will never become a rat’
Ibża mill-kelb ħiemed!
Proverb: ‘Beware the quiet dog!” – It is the dog that does not bark much that is usually more dangerous.
Il-flus iġibu l-flus u l-qamel iġib il-qamel
Proverb: ‘money begets money and fleas beget fleas’ – note the word qamel in Maltese which means fleas also means miserliness or something of cheap value.
Il-kelb il-mismut, kull ilma jaħsbu misħun!
Proverb: Equivalent to English proverb which states that the scalded dog fears cold water.
Il-Mard jidħol bid-debba u joħroġ bin-nemla
Proverb: Illness rides in on a mare and leaves on an ant.
Il-Qattus jaħsel wiċċu lejn fejn ikun ir-riħ!
Il-Qattus jaħsel wiċċu lejn fejn ikun ir-riħ!
Il-ħanżir taqtagħlu denbu dejjem ħanżir jibqa’!
Proverb: ‘If you cut a pig’s tail off, it will still remain a pig’ – stated to note that a character rarely changes.
Il-ħmar il-maħqur id-dubbien għalih idiur.
Proverb: ‘The flies will torment the mistreated donkey.’ – in other words, when it rains, it pours.
Il-ħmar jikkmanda ‘l denbu
Proverb: ‘The donkey ordering its tail.’ – stated to denote someone that has delegated a task that was intended for him.
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
Ix-xħiħ bħal dbigħ il-ħanżir, il-werrieta ferħana se’ ttir!
Proverb: ‘When a miser dies it is like the slaying of a swine for food, the inheritor is extremely happy!’
Kelb li jinbaħ ma jigdimx!
Proverb: Equivalent to: barking dog never bites. i.e. Someone who makes threats all the time seldom carries out the threats.
Ref: ESI
Kemm joqgħod ħmar denbu barra
Proverb: ‘A donkey will just fit but with his tail outside.’ – stated of a small confined space.
Kull għasfur imur mar-riħ, biss il-bież imur kontrieh.
Proverb: Every bird flies with the wind, only the hawk flies against it.
Lill-ħmar mingħajr il-kappestru ma ssuqux
Proverb: ‘You wont guide a donkey without a halter.’
Meta jagħtas il-qattus, maltemp għandna fuq l-irjus.
Proverb: ‘When the cat sneezes, there is stormy weather at hand’
Meta l-fellus jonqoblek kmieni, xejn ma jkunlek fellus żmieni
Meta l-fellus jonqoblek kmieni, xejn ma jkunlek fellus żmieni