MALAY PROVERBS. 2i 



20(3. Alali malm bertimbang enggah chumghil amris akan 

 pembaiarnia. 



" He will accept defeat (in a suit or dispute about money) 

 but refuses to pay and offers his throat to be pierced is 

 satisfaction." 



Illustration of the difficulty of extorting payment from 

 an Eastern debtor. Though he has the means to pay and 

 admits his liability, he will not produce the money except 

 with the greatest reluctance and often not until after 

 strenuous efforts to soften his creditor's heart or shame him 

 in the presence of bystanders (always ready to blame want 

 of generosity in others) by offering his life-blood to the un- 

 fortunate man who is only asking his due. 



Enggah=enggan. 



Amris, the carotid artery ? I do uot find this word in 

 any dictionary. 



207. Ingat antara buhau kena, 

 Jlmat antara bulum habis. 



" Reflect before anything has happened; 

 " Save before everything has gone." • 



Think while there is yet time ; be sparing while there is 

 still something to save. A maxim quoted sententiously by 

 Malay advisers when some important step is being discussed 

 prior to action being taken. 



A somewdiat similar one, " Meniesal dahidujadi pendapatan, 

 meniesal Jcamdian ajpa ta guna." To repent first is gain, to re- 

 pent afterwards is useless), will be found, in a slightly 

 different form, in Klinkert's collection. 



A Malay neAvspaper which I saw r lately quoted the pro- 

 verb in the following versified form. 



Besar pilang dengan apitan 

 Besar galah apa gxmania 

 " Sesah dalndu pendapatan 

 Sesal licimdian apa gunania." 



208. Apa gadohJcanV pengayu sama di tangan, prahu sama 

 di ayer. 



" Why be quarrelsome ? We have each got paddles in 

 our hands and boats in the water." 



