394 SOME RHYMING SAYINGS IN MALAY. 
5. Tua tua ielads ; 
Makin tua makin jadi. 
Old as an aroid tuber ages; 
The older, the more there is of you (i.e. the worse you 
become) or 
Tua tua léngkuas; 
Makin tua makin buas. 
To age as a lengkuas ages: 
The older you are the wilder. 
A scathing remark sometimes addressed to a man who on account 
of his years ought to know better than to indulge in the frolics: 
and pursuits of youth. 
6. Kalau ta’ chéngal giyam; 
Kalau ta’ kenal diam. 
If its not chéngai wood it will be giam: 
If you dont know, keep quiet. 
A joking repartee often addressed to a person who is at a loss to 
answer a query as to the name of a tree or other object. 
fw 
~~ Bukan kétam tarah; 
Bukan makan muntah ka darah. 
It has not been planed only rough hewn: 
It has not been a feed but an orgy. 
An appreciative remark after a plentiful repast to which justice 
has been done. 
8. Mérono Mérene sa gantang garam; 
JXasana Kamari hari sudah malam. 
Come here, go there, a gantang of salt: 
Thither and Hither and the day is done. 
A reproof to a laggard who occupying himself in small inconse- 
quential matters 1s wasting the precious hours of daylight which 
ought to be devoted to some more inportant task in hand. 
9. Santan tairu gula mélaka; 
Pérémpuan ta’ malu jantan ta’ kata. 
Coconut milk, curds and jaggery: 
If the woman be immodest, what need be said of the man. 
An apt reply to a woman who complains of forwardness on the 
part of a man to which in the opinion of the speaker she has laid 
herself open by her own behaviour. 
10. Mentimun bongkok di balek tiang; 
Ayam bérkokok alamat nak siang. 
A bent cucumber behind the post: 
When the cock crows it is the sign of dawn. 
A line sometimes quoted as a signal for a lover not to delay his 
departure or in a meaningless context. 
Jour. Straits Branch 
