NATIONAL PROVERBS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13722, 11 April 1908, Page 1 (Supplement)

NATIONAL PROVERBS.

BY KALEIDOSCOPE.

" There are many ways in which the mind of a nation is expressed and indicated." says a modern writer, "by its music, its sports, its literature." Granting this to be tine, have not proverbs a place, and a not unimportant place, as a guide to the character and attitude of mind of a nation towards life? Proverb-making is an art, and, alas! a lost art; for, though certain new phrases and modes of expression are still produced from time to time, yet the great men of these days do not immortalise their wit or wisdom in this form as in pair ages — from the days of Solomon onwards. Itis an interesting study to pick out, here and there, some of the proverbs or witty sayings of different nationalities, and note how the national characteristics show themselves in various forms. We should naturally expect that, since love and woman play such a large part in the lives of men, there would be many proverbs dealing with these \ subjectsand we are not disappointed, whether we glance at the proverbs of Solomon, or at those of later times. A proverb current among the French peasants of Provence speaks of the strenuous nature of their love: "Love makes us thin; if a codfish were a widowshe would become fat." It -was one of the game nationality (Alphonse Kan - ), whose definition of a widow has been handed down to us: "A widow is like a frigate of which the captain has been wrecked." The French proverbs are not always of the most gallant description when speaking of woman, as witness the following:—'' It is easier to take care of a peck of fleas than of one woman." And, again, " Who takes an eel by the tail, or a woman at her word, rinds that he holds nothing." There is a kinder tone to the sex, however, in another saying handed down to us: "The egotism of women is always for two."

The love of friends for one another is beautifully touched upon in some of the proverbs of the Maoris, as, for instance, those which say: '" It is good to remember friends across the sea," " True friends hold fast in close embrace and never let them go." And, yet another, emoodying the same realisation of the value and joy of friendship: "I count myself in nothing else so happy as is a soul remembering my good friends." The -uaoris have many a wise saying among their proverbs,*" which it would serve us well to ponder over in the present day, as when they bid us " Be careful in the years of youth, and bend the sapling ere it mature to hardness." And, again, " Walk wisely in the day of sunshine, and walk fearlessly in the day of shadow." Alas for them! Their day of shadow has come* at last. And yet are there not already gleams of sunshine which, please God, will go on broadening until the " day of sunshine ' shall break upon them again in a fuller glow than even in those olden days of physical strength and prowess, when "might was right'?" Another of then proverbs reminds one of the Japanese fable of the old man who, to teach his children the duty of self-examination, presented each of his three sons with a mirror, bidding them look into it each night, and they would then see reflected in their faces the thoughts,, words, and actions of the past clay. " At night," say the Maoris, " count .carefully thy finished tasks; at morn count carefully the tasks awaiting thee." Again, they toll us, in words which would seem to be an echo of the Christian precept, " Bear ye one another's burdens"were it not that the proverb existed before the days of their knowledge of Christian teaching: '' Better be anxious for others than thyself." And there is another which bids them: " Live pure, speak true, right wrong, else wherefore born?" The mystery of life, the -uncertainty of the future, these, also, find an I echo in their proverbs: "Thus it is with man—he comes into this world, and goes out, without having a yes or a no." And, again: " The years come and go; each day things are stolen, and at last we ourselves are stolen away." The pathos of Irish life is well illustrated by one or two of their proverbs, such as: " Fauga me snood moratasha!" —"Let it be as it —an expression of hopeless despair, indicating that things are too bad to struggle against any longer; the constant succession of disappointments »d ; trials has been too much for them. Another curious one has a similar bearing upon the sad life of struggle led by so many of the people: "One must cut the. gad nearest the throat." In other words, there are so many '-'gad?." constantly annoying them that it is hopeless to think of ridding themselves of all—so "cut: the gad nearest the throat," To the struggling, small farmer steeped ill debt and difficulties—always owing for rent, and hardly able to call his soul his own by reason of the constant succession of difficulties with which he has to grapple—the irritating pressure of " the gad nearest the throat" is very galling, so he gets rid of it with all speed— too often merely exchanging the pressure of one "gad" for another. Another curious proverb of the Irish, and one that is somewhat difficult to understand, is: "The first thread is not of a piece"— possibly means " the day will improve"an effort to throw light on a dark background. Is it, as has been suggested by one writer, " a warning not to be led away by first impressions of experience, for there are many threads of different texture, quality, and coiour, to be woven into the piece before it is complete?" Looking back at the history of Ireland in past centuries, shall we not hope and pray that this proverb may come true for them, "The first thread is not of a piece?" And, indeed, does not the more recent history of Ireland, during the last 30 years lead one to hope the proverb has already begun to be fulfilled? I will conclude this short sketch on " National Proverbs" by quoting a few very quaint and curious translations, or rather adaptations, of some Latin proverbs, penned by an old English writer : — Non semper erit sestas" : It will not always besommer, take tyme when tyme cometh, for occasion will not alwey serve, when the iron ys whote we must strike, least hit be colde agayne. " Nihil in biis simile".: As like as are the apple ys to a nut or as otemeale to greene ctiese. " Caninum prandium": A dogge's dynner. A proverbe used where there is no wyne at dynner or supper, for dogges doe of nature abhorre wyne. "De calcaria in carbonariam": Out of the lymekill into the coale pitte. A proverbe whereby is signified from one mischief to another. "Ebur atramento candefacere" : To make whyt ivorye with yuke. A proverb used when one endeavoureth to set fort he naturall beautie with colours and peynctinge. "Ede nasturtium": Is applied to a dull and a grosse person, and for us muche as nasturtium called cresses being eaten doth make the nose tinkle, and thereby causeth the dull spirites to wake, therefore by this proverbe ys ment, pluck up thee spirites, or awake dullarde or luske. "Jugulare mortuos": To kill dead menne. . . . or as Erasmus doeth thinke it more apte, it may be sayed by them that impugne a. boke, .which is of all menne condemned