MALAY PROVERBS. 35 



Defeat must be accepted when there is no alternative, and 

 death must be faced valiantly. 



" How can a man die better 

 Than facing fearful odds ?" Macauiay. 



267. Ddhulu kata bertepat, kamdian kata berchari. 



" First he acknowledged it, now he seeks an excuse." 



A phrase taken from the Undang-undang Menangkabau, 

 and commonly employed in Perak in describing a breach of 

 faith. 



268. Ditiiideh ycmg brat dililit ijang panjang. 



" Borne down by the heavy and enfolded in the coils of 

 the long." 



Illustrative of the powerlessness of the humble to resist 

 anything that may be clone to them by the rich and great. 

 See No. 45. 



269. Dilaut angkatan didarat karapaian. 



"A fleet for the sea and an army for the field." 



An idiomatic way of describing Malay armaments, just as 

 we speak of " horse, foot and artillery." 



270. Bi tundkan gated tiba ha tulang. 



" To pursue an itching sore till the bone is reached." 



To give way to the inclinations or passions " to the bitter 

 end." To indulge in unreasoning anger until a disaster is 

 the result. 



271. Deripada sahabat dengan orang yang bodoh baik ber- 

 stru dengan orang berakal. 



" Enmity with a wise man is better than friendship with 

 a fool." 



Because the first may some day be a friend, whereas 

 no advantage can ever result from the society of the latter. 



272 Dia ta' handak sahya pun ta' sior. 



" She doesn't care for me and I have no inclination for 

 her. A slang phrase (Perak) to express mutual dislike, the 

 peculiarity of which consists in the use of the last word 

 {sior) which is not to be found in any dictionary; sior is syno- 

 nymous with ingin. 



