MALAY PROVERBS. 93 



26. Berklahi didalam mimpi. 



" To fight in a dream." To take trouble for nothiug. 



27. Buitga pun gugor, puteh pan gugor, tuah pun gar/or, 

 masak pun gugor. 



" The flowers fall and so must all things fair, the old drop off 

 and the fully ripe." Death is the common lot of everything. 



28. Buat hail' ber-pdda-pdda, buat ja/iat jangan sakali. 



" Do g^ood in moderation, do not do evil at all." Excessive 

 goodness is apt to exasperate the rest of mankind. It is enough 

 to be tolerably good, and to avoid doing anything actually 

 wicked. Thus the Malay moralist. 



29. Bertitah lain sembah ber laku. 



" The royal command is waived and the petition is allowed 

 to prevail." 



A common expression at the Court of a Malay raja, when the 

 sovereign, allowing himself to be influenced by representations 

 humbly made to him, recalls his words, and graciously suffers 

 the suggestions of his chiefs, or the prayers of a suppliant, to 

 prevail. 



30. Ber-tangga naik bet^jenjing iurun. 



lC To ascend by climbing a ladder and to come down with the 

 hands full." The trouble and difficulty of climbing up to the 

 notice of people in high places are repaid by the substantial fa- 

 vours to be got from them. 



•31. Bapa-nya burik anak-nya tentu-ldh ber-rintek. 



" If the father is spotted the son will certainly be speckled," 

 " like father like son." 



32. Ber-kilat ikan didalam ayer aha -suiah tihu jantan 

 betina-nya. 



" As the lightning flashes on the fish in the water, I can tell 

 the males from the females." Means " what is the use of attemp- 

 " ting concealment ? I can read your secret with the greatest 

 ease." 



33. BerJtakim kepada brok. 



" To make the monkey judge," or, to go to the monkey for jus- 

 tice." A fable is told by the Malays of two men one of whom 

 planted bananas on the land of the other. When the fruit was ripe 

 each claimed it, but not being able to come to any settlement they 

 referred the matter to the arbitration of a monkey (of the large 



