MALAY PROVERBS. 153 



A common plirp.se in Malay States where the ryots are 

 liable to forced labour at the order of the raja. It means 

 "while obeying the royal commands let us also keep an eye 

 on our own affairs." 



145. Kasih-han anal: tangis-tangis-kan 

 Kasih-kan bini tinggal-tinggal-kan. 



" To love one's children one must weep for them some- 

 times ; to love one's wife one must leave her now and then." 



The second proposition in this sentence recalls the fact 

 that with the Malays, who are Mohamedans, polygamy is 

 an institution. 



146. Karam clilaut bitlih ditimba Tear am dihati sudah sa- 

 Jcali. 



"' The boat which is swamped at sea may be baled out, but 

 a shipwreck of the affections is final." 



147. Kain sa'lei peminggang habis. 

 " One cloth round the waist is all." 



A figurative mode of expressing that a person is extremely 



poor. 



148. Kurbau sa'kawan lain di kandang, manusia sa'orang 

 tin da terkaival. 



" A whole herd of buffaloes may be shut up in a pen, but 

 there is one being who is not to be guarded." 



A woman, of course, is meant. I think that the Abbe 

 Favre has missed the point in translating this proverb, of 

 which he gives a slightly different version : — 



Kalau leurbau sa'kawan da/pat di-kawal-kan manusia sa 9 - 

 orang tiada da pat di-malum-kan. 



The French translation runs, " it est plus facile de garder 

 une etable pleine de bnffi.es que de ramener un seul homme 

 a la raison" but I should prefer to render it. " Though a 

 herd of baffaloes may be guarded, a single human being 



;i woman) is not to be understood." 

 ( 



110. Gigi dengan lidah ada haXa bergigit juga. 

 ** The teeth' sometimes bite the tongue." 



