Albanian proverbs

The following are some Albanian proverbs and other well-known sayings from Albania in alphabetical order. A literal translation and the believed origin are also given for most proverbs.

A B C � D E F G Gj H I K L M N Nj P Q R S Sh T U V

A

A rrohet me zem�r t� lepurit? --South

Can you live with the heart of a rabbit?

Ai q� nd�rton me djers�, mbron me gjak. --South

Who builds with sweat, defends with blood.

Ai q� p�rton sot, pendohet mot. --Vlor�

Who is lazy today, regrets it later.

Ai q� s'ka zem�r, s'ka as themb�r. --South

Who has no heart, has no heels.

Asht kollaj me ia pre bishtin ujkut t� vram�. --Shkod�r

It is easy to cut the tail of a dead wolf.

B

Balta -- m'� �mb�l se mjalta. --Vlor�

The mud [in Albania] is sweeter than honey [elsewhere]

Bujku i mir�, ia merr me zorr buk�n tok�s. --Tropoj�

A good farmer takes with force the bread from the earth.

Burri n� sht�pi, si dreqi n� xhami. --Elbasan

A man at home, like the devil in a mosque.

C

C'ma ka zemra, ma qit vena. --Shkod�r

What I have in my heart is brought out by the wine.

Cdo njeri �sht� mbret n� sht�pin� e tij. --South

Every person is king in his own home.

�

�el�si q� punon, nuk ndryshket. --Mallakast�r

The key that is used does not rust.

D

Dembeli �sht� n�na e t� gjith� veseve. --North

Lazyness is the mother of all bad habits.

Dera e p�rtimit, caku i mjerimit. --Librazhd

The door of lazyness is the boundary of suffering.

Dielli, edhe kur ka re, ndrit. --Gjirokast�r

The sun shines even when it is cloudy.

Difton fmija, c'ka sht�pia. --North

The child tells what is in the house.

Dita pa pun� nata pa gjum�. --South

The day without work, the night without sleep.

Dora me balt� buka me mjalt�. --Kosovo

The hand with mud, the bread with honey.

Dora e lar�, zorr� e thar�. --South

When the hand is clean, the intestine is dry.

Duket zogu q� n� ve. --South

You know the bird since it is an egg.

E

E v�rteta rri si vaji mbi uj�. --North

The truth stays like oil on water.

Edhe uj�t po t� rrij� n� nj� vend qelbet. --South

Even water gets stale if it stays in one place.

F

Fikut ul�t i hyp kushdo. --Kruj�

The low fig [fruit branch] can be climbed by everyone.

Fjala e plakut, e pushka e djalit. --Kruj�

The word of the old, and the gun of the young.

G

Gruaja q� nuk do t� gatuaj�, shosh gjith� dit�n. --Skrapar

Gj

Gjarp�ri ec�n dhe fshin gjurm�t me bisht. --Kor��

The snake moves and erases its tracks.

Gjithsecili n� pun�n e tij �sht� zot. --South

Each person at his job is a god.

Gjykon puna, s'gjykon guna. --Librazhd

You tell by the work, not by the [clothes].

H

Hekuri sa punohet, aq zbukurohet. --Vlor�

The more worked the steel is, the more beautiful it becomes

I

I mjeri ai q� s'mendon p�r pleq�ri. --Shkod�r

Poor he who does not think of old age.

I riu ka fuqi, plaku m�ncuri. --South

The young have strength, the old have knowledge.

K

Kali plak t� len barr�n n� rrug�. --North

The old horse leaves the load on the road.

Kau q� nuk vete n� ar� e pret s�pata. --Kurv�llesh

The cow that does not go in the field gets the axe.

Kazma n� dor�, buka n� goj�; kazma n� katua, trasta del p�r miell hua. --Skrapar

Pickaxe at hand, bread in mouth; pickaxe in cellar, the sack comes out for borrowed flour.

K�nga p�r dark�, brenga p�r drek�. --South

The song for dinner, the grief for lunch.

Ku ka blet�, ka dhe mjalt�. --P�rmet

Where there are bees, there is honey.

Ku ka zem�r ka dhe krah�. --South

Where there is heart, there are hands.

Kullote dhin� t� t� mbush� kusin�. --Gjirokast�r

Feed the goat to fill the pot.

Kur s'ke mbjell�, s'ke �far� korr. --South

If you do not sow, you do not have anything to reap.

Kur s'ke pun� luaj der�n. --P�rmet

When you do not have any work, move the door.

Kush di me lavdue, din edhe me cpif�. --Kruj�

Who knows how to praise knows also how to lie.

Kush f�rkon pul�n, ha edhe vez�n. --Kor��

Who rubs the chicken, eats even the egg.

Kush fle ngroht� ka edhe ftoht�. --Arb�resh�t

Who sleeps warmly, feels even cold.

Kush i kullot desh�t, ai qeth dhe lesh�t. --P�rmet

Who lets the rams graze gets the wool.

Kush ka turp, vdes p�r buk�. --South

Who is shy dies from hunger.

Kush mori udh�, dhe do t� lodhet. --Gjirokast�r

Who travels will also get tired.

Kush nuk di �'�sht� lodhja, ai nuk di �'�sht� �lodhja. --Berat

Who knows what is to be tired, does not know how to be ['not tired'].

Kush p�rton vdes urije. --Berat

Who is lazy dies from hunger.

Kush rri n� pem�, ha edhe kokrrat. --Kor��

Who stays under the tree, eats the fruits.

Kush s'punon, dheut i r�ndon. --South

Who does not work, is heavy to the earth.

Kush z� brum� do t� gatuaj�. --South

Who makes the dough will also cook.

Kushtrimi del p�r t� ligshtin, pse trimi kujtohet vet. --Shkod�r

The Clarion-call is for the weak, because the brave remember on their own.

L

Liria i ka rr�nj�t n� gjak. --South

Freedom has roots in blood.

Lima dal�ngadal� b�ri tran� gjilp�r�. --South

Slowly, the file turns the beam into a needle.

M

Malet tunden, po nuk bien. --South

The mountatins shake but do not fall.

Mbill me nj� dor�, korr me t� dyja. --South

Sow with one hand, reap with both.

Mbroje atdhen� si shqipja folen�. --Shkod�r

Protect your motherland like the eagle protects its nest

Me fal gjakun �sht� burrni. --Kosovo

To forgive the blood [ as in a killing] is to be a man.

Me lopat� ari dhe shat argj�ndi tund�n e l�kund�n edhe malet nga v�ndi. --Sarand�

With a spade of gold and a hoe of silver they rocked and swayed even the mountains from their places.

M� mir� "pun� e mbar�", se "mir� se t� gjej". --Shkod�r

Better to say "good work" than "I hope to find you well".

M� mir� te vdes�sh m� k�mb�, sesa t� jetosh m� gjunj�. --Berat

It is better to die standing up, than to live on your knees.

Mir� se t� gjej, o hija e madhe! -Mir� se vjen o dembel ham�. -A kam� leje t� rri pak? -Po pate me hang�r rri sa t� duash. --Tiran�

Hope to find you well, o big shadow! Welcome o lazy glutton. -Do I have permission to stay a while? If you have something to eat you can stay as long as you want.

Mos kij turp nga kush s'ka turp. --South

Do not by shy of whom is not shy.

Mos prit t� t� k�rkoj� e mira, po k�rkoje. --Vlor�

Do not wait for good things to search for you, but search for them.

Mos rri si nusja n� das�m. --South

Do not stand like the bride at a wedding.

Mos u fshi si miu prapa po�es. --Skrapar

Do not hide like the mouse behind the pot.

Mos u fshi si miza n�n bishtin e kalit. --Kor��

Do not hide like a fly under the tail of a horse.

Moti ndihmon at�q� punon. --Berat

The weather helps he who works.

Mushka do dru, e demi kular. --Sarand�

The mule needs wood, and the bull a yoke.

N

N� kurdh�n e nxeht�, s'rrihet me �ekan druri. --South

Nga del fjala, del dhe shpirti. --South

From whence comes the word, comes the soul.

Nga puna po nuk rrodhi, domosdo do pikoj�. --Vlor�

From work if it does not flow, it will certainly drip.

Nuk mund t� dal� pun� e madhe nga ai q� nuk do t� vogl�n. --Berat

You will not get a big job done from whom does not want a small one.

Nuk rron peshku pa uje. --Kosovo

A fish cannot live without water.

Nuk zihet pleshti me dorashka. --Kor��

You cannot catch a flea with gloves.

Nj

Njeriut iu b�j njeri, qenit b�niu qen. --South

To the man behave like a man, to the dog behave like a dog.

Nj� uj� q� nuk ec�n s'pihet. --Elbasan

The water that does not flow is not fit to drink.

P

Paraja nuk i zgjedh njer�zit. --Vlor�

Money does not choose the people.

Pleq�ria vjen me shok�. --South

Old age comes with friends.

Po k�rciti dh�mb�t qeni i q�ndro me shkop n� dor�. --South

If a dog shows his teeth, show him the wood.

Po nise nj� udh�, do kaptosh dhe sheshe, dhe male, dhe gur�. --Devoll

If you start on a travel, you will also cross plains, mountains and stones.

Po nuk e pate t� lig�n br�nda, s't� vjen nga jasht�. --Vlor�

If you do not have malice inside, it will not come from outside.

Po nuk qau f�mija, nuk i jep n�na sis�. --South

If a child does not cry, his mother will not breast feed him.

Po nuk u turbullua, nuk kthjellohet. --P�rmet

If it does not get cloudy, it will not get clear.

Po shkove me t� k�rciturit gisht�rinjt� sot, mos u anko nga t� k�rciturit e zorr�ve nes�r. --Vlor�

If you start with the popping of the fingers today, do not complain of the popping of the intestines tomorrow (i.e. hunger).

Pula q� k�ndon n� mbr�mje nuk b�n vez� n� m�ngjes. --South

The chicken that cries at night does not lay egg in the morning.

Puna e rinis�, jorgan i pleq�ris�. --Tiran�

The work of the youth is the blanket of the old.

Q

Qan ara se nuk i vjen fara. --Sarand�

Weeps the field because it does not get any seeds.

R

Ruaj dhin� t� pish qum�shtin. --Sarand�

Mind the goats so that you will drink their milk.

S

S'b�het vreshti me urata, po me shata e lopata. --South

The vinery is no made with blessings, but with hoes and spades.

S'gjuhet me zagar t� lidhur. --Berat

You cannot hunt with a tied dog.

Sa m� shpejt kositet livadhi; aq m� shpejt lind bari. --Tropoj�

The more you mow the lawn, the faster the grass grows.

Sh

Shpjere goj�n te buka e jo buk�n te goja. --South

Take the mouth to the bread, not the bread to the mouth.

Shqiponja fluturon n� qiell, po folen� e b�n n� tok�. --Lab�ri

The eagle flies in the sky, but nests on the ground.

T

Trupi sh�ndoshet me t� punuar, m�ndja nd�rtohet me t� m�suar. --South

The body builds up with work, the mind with studying.

U

Ujku e ka qaf�n e trash�, se ka kamb�t e shpejta. --Kruj�

The wolf has a thick neck because it has fast legs.

V

Vure vez�n more pul�n. --Kruj�

If you put an egg, you get a chicken.