Bulgarian Proverbs

А

* Ако сам не си помогнеш, и господ не може да ти помогне
o If you can't help yourself, God won't help you either.

Б

* Бързата работа - срам за майстора.
o Hasty work - shame for the craftsman.
o Festina lente!
o Meaning: Haste makes waste.

* Бързата кучка слепи ги ражда
o The hasty bitch gives birth to blind puppies.

В

* Всяка жаба да си знае гьола.
o Every frog must know its pond.
o Meaning: Every one must know his/her place. Or Everyone must know his/her origin.

* И вълкът сит и агнето цяло.
o It can't be, that the wolf is full, and the lamb is alive.
o Meaning: In a dispute, both sides can't be satisfied.
o Es kann nicht sein, dass der Wolf satt ist und das Schaf lebt.

Г

* Гладна мечка хоро не играе.
o Hungry bear doesn't dance.
o Ein hungriger Bär tanzt nicht.

* Глупостта не ходи по гората.
o You can't find stupidity in the forest.

* Голям залък лапни, голяма дума не казвай.
o Take a big bite, don't say a big word.

* Гарван гарваново око не вади.
o A crow doesn't peck another crow's eyes.
o Eine Krähe hackt der anderen kein Auge aus.

* Гузен негонен бяга
o The guilty one runs unchased.

Д

* Да бe мирно седяло, не би чудо видяло.
o If you had been calm, you wouldn't have seen a miracle.
+ Meaning: If you you had been careful you would not have gotten into trouble.

Е

* Една лястовичка пролет не прави.
o One swallow doesn't make a spring.
o Une hirondelle ne fait pas le printemps.
o Eine Schwalbe macht noch keinen Sommer.
o Unu hirundo printempon ne alportas.


З

* За вълка говорим, а той в кошарата.
o We're taking about the wolf and it turns out he's in the sheep pen.
o Wenn man vom Teufel spricht, kommt er.

* За някой сватба, за други брадва.
o For some a wedding, for others an axe.


К

* Кажи ми какви са приятелите ти, за да ти кажа какъв си ти.
o Tell me who your friends are, so I can tell you who you are.

* Кажи на вола си - никой няма да разбере, кажи на жена си - цяло село ще разбере.
o Tell your ox and nobody will know, tell your wife and the whole village will know.

* Каквото посадиш, такова ще ожънеш.
o As you sow, so shall you reap.
o Man erntet was man sät.

* Капка по капка - вир става.
o Drop by drop - a whole lake becomes.
+ Meaning: No matter how small, each contribution matters.

* Когато цъфнат налъмите
o Translation: When sabots begin to flower
+ Meaning: used to say that something will never happen

* Който копае гроб другиму, сам пада в него.
o Translation: He who digs someone else's grave shall fall in it himself.

* Който не работи, не трябва да яде.
o The one who does not work, must not eat.
o Der, der nicht arbeitet, darf nicht essen.

* Който пее, зло не мисли.
o The one who sings, evil does not think.

* Който нож вади, от нож умира.
o He who pulls out a knife, by knife shall die.
o Live by the sword, die by the sword.

* Който се смее последен, се смее най-добре.
o The on who laughs last, laughs best.
o Rira bien qui rira le dernier.
o Wer zuletzt lacht, lacht am besten.

* Крушата не пада по-далеч от дървото.
o The pear does not fall far from the tree.
+ Meaning: You are like the ones you keep close to you.
o Der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Stamm.

* Кръвта вода не става.
o Blood is Thicker then Water
o Blut ist dicker als Wasser.
o Direct Translation: Blood, does not become water
+ Meaning: Family ties last forever.

* Казали на лисицата, а тя си казала на опашката.
o They said to the fox, the fox said to its tail.
o Meaning: One is told to do something but will never do it.

* Като се обърне каруцата, пътища много.
o Translation: When the cart rolled over, there are many roads.
o Meaning: You can not change what already happened.


М

* Много баби, хилаво бебе.
o Тоо many midwives deliver a sickly baby.
o Мeaning: When too many people give advice, things do not work.

Н

* На вълка вратът му е дебел, защото си върши работата сам.
o Translation: The wolf has a thick neck, because he does his job on his own.
+ Meaning: If you want something done right - do it yourself.


* На лъжата краката са къси.
o A lie's legs are short.
+ Meaning: Lies cannot go far.
o A lie has no legs.
o Lügen haben kurze Beine.


* Не оставяй днешната работа за утре
o Don't leave today's work for tomorrow
o In romanian: Ce poţi face azi, nu lăsa pe mâine.


* Насила хубост не става.
o You can't make something beautiful with force.
+ Meaning: you can lead a horse to the water but you can't make it drink.


* На чужд гроб не плачи.
o Don't cry at somebody else's grave.
+ Meaning: Don't bother about other people's worries.


* Няма дим без огън.
o Translation: There is no smoke without fire.
+ Meaning: There is a reason for everything that happened.


* Не е луд този, който яде зелника, луд е този, който му го дава.
o Translation: He's not crazy, he who eats the pastry, crazy is the one who gave it to him.


* На чужд гръб и 100 тояги са малко
o Translation: 100 lashesh are still not enough if administered on someone else's back.

О

* Очи, които не се виждат, се забравят.
o Out of sight, out of mind.
o Aus den Augen, aus dem Sinn.


* Отиде коня у реката.
o The horse went into the river
o Meaning: The situation gets out of hand.

П

* Помогни си сам да ти помогне и Господ.
o Meaning: Help yourself to help God help you.
* Присмял се хърбел на щърбел.
o Meaning: A pot calling a kettle black.
o In Polish: Przyganiał kocioł garnkowi.
* Приятел в нужда се познава.
o A friend in need is a friend indeed.
* По дрехите посрещат, по ума изпращат.
o First impression is from your dress, last impression from your brains/wits.
* Пази Боже сляпо да прогледа.
o "God forbid that a blind one should gain sight."
o Usage: Used to express frustration over someone's frequent boasts after acquiring some insignificant skill or knowledge.
* Приятелството си е приятелство, но сиренето е с пари.
o "Friendship is friendship, but cheese costs money."
* Пилците се броят наесен.
o Тhe chicken are counted in the Fall.
o Meaning: It is not important where you start, but where you finish.
* Парен -- каша духа.
o Оnce burned, you blow in yuor porridge.
o Meaning: If you have been through trouble, you are more careful next time and you know what to do.
* Петима Петко не чакат.
o Five people won't be waiting for Petko.
o Meaning: the majority wins.

Р

* Роди ме мамо с късмет, па ме хвърли на смет.
o Give me birth, mother, as a lucky one, then go ahead and throw me onto the garbage pile.
o Meaning: Luck is all you need.

* Рибата се вмирисба от главата.
o Тhe fish starts smelling form the head
o Мeaning: if the leaders are bad, everythings goes rotten

С

* Сговорна дружина, планина повдига.

United band lifts mountain.

*
o Meaning: Union makes strength


* С един куршум - два заека.
o With one bullet - two rabbits
+ Meaning: Kill two birds with one stone
o Zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen.


* Стадо без мърша не бива.
o There's no flock without a carrion.
+ Meaning: There is a black sheep in every flock

Т

* Те ти, булка, Спасов ден.
o Here you are, madam - Ascencion day.
+ Meaning:Something bad and unexpected happened.
+ Meaning:The long waited occasion occurs unexpectedly.


* Три пъти мери, веднъж режи.
o Measure thrice, cut once.
o Meaning: Plan carefully.

* Трай коньо за зелена трева.
o Wait horse for green grass.
o Meaning: What you are hoping for will never happen.

У

* У старо село нов закон не бива.
o A new law in an old village won't do.
+ Meaning: used to say that it is not good to impose new rules where there is a lot of tradition.

* Ум царува, ум робува, ум патки пасе.
o Mind reigns, mind obeys, mind feeds the ducks.


Х

* Хубавите ябълки прасетата ги ядат.

*
o Die schöne Äpfel essen die Schweine.
o The nice apples are always eaten by nasty pigs.

* Храни куче, да те лае.
o Feed a dog to bark at you.
+ In Polish: Wychować węża na własnej piersi.

* Харизан кон не се гледа в устата.
o Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
o Einem geschenkten Gaul schaut man nicht ins Maul.
+ Meaning: When you receive a gift, be grateful for your good fortune and don't examine the gift to look for defects or to assess its value.


Ч

* Чуждата кокошка е патка.

Translation: The fowl of others is a duck.

*
o The grass is always greener on the other side.


* Човек предполага, Господ разполага.
o Translation: Man proposes, God disposes.
o Der Mensch denkt, Gott lenkt.


Ю

* Юнак без рана не може.
o А hero must endure wounds.
o Meaning: heroes must be prepared to sacrifice.

Я

* Я камилата, я камиларя.
o Either the camel, or the camelman
+ Meaning: There's many a slip twixt the cup and the lip