MALAY PROVERBS, 57 



131 ^iiX-j ^-ils.** i\ji jLj jfijai*' 



Scfclmpdk tiada bulih men-jadi sagantang. 

 " A quart cannot become a gallon." Hk. Ab. 261. 

 The Malay laws say that the object of every goo&penghulu, or ruler, should 

 be to make the poor man's chupalt hold a gantang. See M. 132. 



>SV6Y<7 dah'ulu pen-dapat-an sesal Jcemdian itu suatu pun tiada a pa 



guna-nia. 



" To repent in time is gain, but to repent too late is useless." 

 Kl. US. Hk. Ab. 124. 



" Post factum nullrun consilium." Cf. M. 207. 



Sa-kutuk beras basali di-tampi ta-ber-layang di-indang taber-antah 

 Jiujung-nia tiada di-stcdu uleh iteJc. 

 *'•' A measure of wet rice, if you winnow it the chaff won't fly, 

 " if you sift it the grain and husk won't separate, and in the end it 

 •'• won't be touched by the ducks." Kl. 181. 

 Good for nothing-. 



Cf. No. 127. See also M. 278. Saperti bt-rasliumbuJi di-jual ta'lahtt, di° 

 taiiak t a' mual. 



134 ijA^jjji 5A«j aj m«*1 0>a<*> 



Saperti amas gang sudali tersepuh. 

 u Like gold which has been stained red." 

 A complimentary comparison in describing feminine charms, 



135 fL+s-j^i (Sj .Ijo r.ji o^&-< 



Saperti awar-awar di-tarih songsang. 

 11 Like dragging bamboos the wrong way" (i.e., against the 

 branches). Kl, 117. 



Want of tact and management will often render an undertaking dim- 

 cult. Applied to anything difficult to manage, e.g., an obstinate child. Trying 

 to teach him is like dragging a tree against the way of the branches. 



Aivar, or awar-awar, the large bamboo, is also spelt kawar or hawar-hawar. 



