Welsh Proverbs

A

* "Adar o'r unlliw, ehedant i'r unlle."
o Translation: "Birds of the same colour fly to the same place."
o English Equivalent: "Birds of a feather flock together."

* "A ddwg ŵy a ddwg fwy."
o Translation: "He who steals an egg will steal more."

* "Adfyd a ddwg wybodaeth, a gwybodaeth ddoethineb."
o Translation: "Adversity brings knowledge and knowledge wisdom."

* "A fo ben, bid bont."
o Translation: "If you want to be a leader, be a bridge."
o Possible Interpretation: To become a leader, you must help others achieve their aims. Or - To be a leader, you must mediate.

"To be a leader you must be a bridge" Means that you must bring people together with like mindedness and a common goal. Sheldon K. Bass


* "Allwedd arian a egyr pob clo."
o Translation: "Money is the key that opens all locks."

* "Am gwymp hen y chwardd ieuanc."
o Translation: "The young laugh when the old fall."

* "Angel pen ffordd, diawl pen tân."
o Translation: "An Angel on the road, a Devil at the fireplace."
o Possible Interpretations: Someone who appears virtuous in public may be a brute in his home. OR Someone, although shy, may still be a tiger in bed.

* "Araf bach mae dal iâr."
o Translation: "Catch a chicken slowly."

B

* "Bai ar wrach dorri ei chlun."
o Translation: "Breaking her hip is the old witches fault."

* "Bûm gall unwaith - hynny oedd, llefain pan ym ganed."
o Translation: "I was wise once: when I was born I cried."

C

* "Caiff dyn dysg o'i grud i'w fedd."
o Translation: "Man learns from the cradle to the grave."

* "Canu cyn borefwyd, crio cyn swper."
o Translation: "To sing before breakfast is to weep before supper."

* "Cartref yw cartref, er tloted y bo."
o Translation: "Home is home, however poor it may be."

* "Cenedl heb iaith yw cenedl heb galon."
o Translation: "A nation without a language is a nation without a heart."

* "Cof a llithr, llythyrau a geidw."
o Translation: "Memory slips, letters remain."

* "Cyntaf i'r felin caiff falu."
o Translation: "First to the mill will get to grind."

* "Cyw a fegir yn uffern, yn uffern y myn fod."
o Translation: "A chick reared in hell will want to remain in hell."

Ch

* "Chwarae troi'n chwerw, wrth chwarae gyda thân."
o Translation: "Playing with fire will eventually turn bitter."

D

* "Deuparth gwaith yw ei ddechrau."
o Translation: "Starting the work is two thirds of it."

* "Digrif gan bob aderyn ei lais ei hun."
o Translation: "Every bird relishes his own voice."

* "Diwedd y gân yw'r geiniog."
o Translation: "At the end of the song comes payment."

* "Dyfal donc a dyr y garreg."
o Translation: "Tapping persistently breaks the stone."

* "Dywed yn dda am dy gyfaill, am dy elyn dywed ddim."
o Translation: "Speak well of your friend; of your enemy say nothing."


E

* "Eang yw'r byd i bawb."
o Translation: "The world is wide to everyone."

F

* "Fel iâr ar ben domen."
o Translation: "Like a hen on a heap."

Ff

ffych i wych i wych amser


Translation a great great time

G

* "Gall pechod mawr ddyfod trwy ddrws bychan."
o Translation: "A great sin can enter by a small door."

* "Gorau adnabod, d'adnabod dy hun."
o Translation: "The best knowledge is to know yourself."

* "Gorau prinder, prinder geiriau."
o Translation: "The best shortage is a shortage of words."

* "Gormod o bwdin dagith gi."
o Translation: "Too much pudding will choke a dog."

* "Gwell dysg na golud."
o Translation: "Better educated than wealthy."

* "Gwell fy mwthyn fy hun na phlas arall."
o Translation: "Better my own cottage than the palace of another."

* "Gwell swllt da na sofren ddrwg."
o Translation: "Better a good shilling than a dud sovereign."

* "Gwna dda dros ddrwg, uffern ni'th ddwg."
o Translation: "Repay evil with good, and hell will not claim you."

* "Gŵr heb bwyll, llong heb angor."
o Translation: "A man without prudence is a ship without an anchor."


H

* "Hawdd yw hi, i fod yn ddewr o tu nôl i mur."
o Translation: "It is easy to be brave behind a wall."

* "Haws twyllo baban na gwrachen."
o Translation: "A boy is easier cheated than a witch."

* "Heb ei fai, heb ei eni."
o Translation: "He who has no faults is not born."

* "Hedyn pob drwg yw diogi."
o Translation: "The seed of all evil is laziness."

* "Henaint ni ddaw ei hunan."
o Translation: "Old age comes not on its own."

* "Hen y teimlir ergydion a gaed yn ifanc."
o Translation: "The old feel the blows that were aquired when younger."

* "Hir yw pob ymaros."
o Translation: "All waiting is long."


Ll

* "Llaeth i blentyn, cig i ŵr, cwrw i'r hen."
o Translation: "Milk for a child, meat for a man, beer for the old."

M

* "Mae'r hwch wedi mynd drwy'r siop."
o Translation: "The sow has gone through the shop."

* "Meistr pob gwaith yw ymarfer."
o Translation: "The master of all work is in its practise."

* "Mwyaf y brys, mwyaf y rhwystr."
o Translation: "More the hurry, more the obstacles."

N

* "N'ad fi'n angof."
o Translation: "Forget me not."

* "Na ad i'th dafod dorri dy wddf."
o Translation: "Let not your tongue break your neck."

* "Nerth gwlad, ei gwybodaeth."
o Translation: "The strength of a nation is its knowledge."

* "Nerth hen, ei gyngor parod."
o Translation: "The strength of the old is their ready counsel."

* "Ni cheir da o hir gysgu."
o Translation: "No good will come of over sleeping."

* "Nid aur yw popeth melyn."
o Translation: "Everything that is yellow is not gold."

* "Ni edrych angau pwy decaf ei dalcen."
o Translation: "Death considers not the fairest forehead."

O

* "O bob trwm, trymaf henaint."
o Translation: "Of all weights, old age is the heaviest."

P

* "Pan fo llawer yn llywio fe sudda'r llong."
o Translation: "When the steersmen are many the ship will sink."

* "Po callaf y dyn, anamlaf ei eiriau."
o Translation: "The wiser the man, the fewer his words."

* "Po hynaf fo'r dyn, gadwaethaf fydd ei bwyll."
o Translation: "The older the man, the weaker his mind."


Rh

* "Rhaid cropian cyn cerdded."
o Translation: "You must crawl before walking."

* "Rhoi'r ffidil yn y to."
o Translation: "Put the fiddle in the roof." - To give up

S

* "Segurdod yw clod y cledd."
o Translation: "A sword's honor (literally 'credit') is its idleness."

T

* "Teg yw edrych tuag adref."
o Translation: "It is good to look homewards."

* "Tri chynnig i Gymro."
o Translation: "Three attempts for a Welshman."

* "Tri chysur henaint: tân, te a thybaco."
o Translation: "Three comforts of old age: fire, tea and tobacco."

* "Troi'r dŵr at ei felin ei hun."
o Translation: "Turning the water at its own mill."
o Possible Interpretation: "Spoken of someone arranging something for his own benefit."

* "Tyfid baban, ni thyf ei gadachau."
o Translation: "The child will grow, his clothes will not."


W

* "Wrth gicio a brathu, mae cariad yn magu."
o Translation: "Whilst kicking and biting, love develops."

Y

* "Y cyntaf i'r felin gaiff falu."
o Translation: "The first to the mill grinds."

* "Y mae dafad ddu ym mhob praidd."
o Translation: "Every flock has its black sheep."

* "Y mae mwy nag un ffordd i gael Wil i'w wely."
o Translation: "There is more than one way to get Wil to bed."

* "Y mae taten ddrwg ym mhob sach."
o Translation: "There is a bad potato in every sack."

* "Yr hen a ŵyr a'r ieuanc a dybia."
o Translation: "The old know and the young suspect."