Twelve Sinhala Sayings Rendered into English
by Nathan Koblintz
August 2024
ඉබි පිහාටු : Nathan Koblintz indulges in the proverbial.
The bird that flies from tree to tree gets wet and dies.
Like poking a person who is about to cry in the eye.
Like kissing the hand you would like to chop off.
The crow meat nearby is more valuable than the far-off peacock meat.
Why burn your hand when you have a pair of tongs?
Like using the cat [as a rake] to get the jackfruit seeds [from the fireplace].
Like sowing sweet potatoes with your mouth.
Like playing a violin to a deaf elephant.
Like thrashing the deerskin in your house when a deer has eaten your crops.
Like a bull goring a man who has fallen from a tree.
Like a blind person throwing stones.
Like looking for tortoise feathers.
