A
collection of Indonesian proverbs I have heard around school and from friends:
·
"Ada gula ada semut." (My student used this in her
English speech competition)
o
Translation: Where there is sugar,
there are ants.
o
Meaning: Along the lines of 'too good to be true'.
o
Relevance: There are ants everywhere in Indonesia, and they always
find the sugar.
·
"Bagai kerakap di atas batu, hidup segan mati tak
mau."
o
Translation: Like a kerakap leaf on a
rock, not living but not dying.
o
Kerakap is the leaf of sirih tree and is known for its resilience
and longevity.But when it is plucked from the tree, it will eventually die.
o
Meaning: A life without purpose.
o
Relevance: Each individual is expected to live with purpose as
part of society.
·
"Guru kencing berdiri, murid kencing berlari."
o
Translation: The teacher urinates
while standing, the pupil urinates while running.
o
Meaning: A student or youngster will always want to learn from the
teacher/elder.
o
Relevance: Indonesians have great respect for their elders
·
"Sekali merengkuh dayung, dua pulau terlampaui."
o
Translation: One stroke of the
paddle, two islands passed.
o
Meaning: The Indonesian equivalent of 'two birds with one stone'.
o
Relevance: This seems to be a universal idea about the benefits of
multi-tasking
·
"Luka di kaki, sakit seluruh badan."
o
Translation: A pain in the foot, the
whole body feels it.
o
Meaning: Society is unified, if one part struggles, the whole
society struggles
o
Relevance: Community is very important in Indonesia, and all
members of the community/society are concerned with the well-being of each
individual, as they know that each is an important part of the community's
well-being.
·
"Kasih anak sepanjang galah, kasih ibu sepanjang jalan."
o
Translation: The love from a child is
as long as a stick, the love from a mother is as long as a road
o
Meaning: A mother's love is eternal
o
Relevance: This is a universal truth (love you mom).
·
“Orang tua mahal anak raja, anak mahal orang tua patik” (Co-teacher told me this one when we were discussing differences between Indonesian and American families)
o
Translation: Parents are rich, the children are kings, when the
kids are rich, parents are slaves.
o
Meaning: Children inherently reap the benefits of their parents’
wealth, parents do not have that luxury.
o
Relevance: It is a comment on the selfish children who do not take
care of their parents when they have reached a level of financial independence.
In Indonesia, it is expected that children take care of their parents until they
pass. As far as I know, there are no nursing homes in Indonesia.
