«A tree stands by its roots, a person by their lineage.»
About the shajara: a person stands as long as they remember whom they come from.
From the ahiska.club brand texts, 2026
Wisdom of the ancestors
Proverbs and tales
The words a people uses to explain life to itself. They are not invented — they are brought from elders and from books with a name.
721
proverbs gathered
29
with a checked translation
Words of this home
«Where there is unity, there is life.»
Bir yerde birlik varsa, orada dirlik vardır.
A people lives as long as it holds together. It stands in the site footer.
Folk proverb, quoted in the project brand book
From the book
The proverbs section of Asif Hacılı’s book “Ahıska Türk Folkloru” — complete, 719 lines, as they were heard and written down among the people. The transliteration was made by Ahıska Lingo, and we brought them over from there.
29 have a translation — those checked with a native speaker. The rest do not, and that is not unfinished work: the text in the mother tongue is what we preserve. Inventing a translation “roughly by meaning” would be easiest — and would quietly spoil the proverb forever.
Adam adi ilə tanınur.
A person is known by their name.
Literary spelling: Adam adı ilə tanınır.
Adli kişi adından gorxar, Adsız kişi tanrıdan gorxar.
A man of name fears for his name; a nameless man fears only God.
Literary spelling: Adlı kişi adından qorxar, adsız kişi tanrıdan.
Avi meşədən küsmüş, meşənin xəbəri yox.
The bear sulks at the forest, and the forest has no idea.
Literary spelling: Ayı meşədən küsmüş, meşənin xəbəri yox.
Ay varikən, yıldızlara nə minnət.
When there is a moon, why bow to the stars.
Literary spelling: Ay varıkən, yıldızlara nə minnət.
Allah bin dərt vermiş, bin bir də dərman.
God gave a thousand ills and a thousand-and-one cures.
Literary spelling: Allah bin dərd vermiş, bin bir də dərman.
Anasına bax tanasıni al.
Look at the mother before you take the calf.
Literary spelling: Anasına bax, tanasını al.
Axılliyə gırx gün dəli desən dəli olur.
Call a wise man a fool for forty days and he becomes one.
Literary spelling: Ağıllıya qırx gün dəli desən, dəli olur.
Aac əkənə rəhmət oxunur.
One who plants a tree is remembered with blessings.
Literary spelling: Ağac əkənə rəhmət oxunur.
Adam verduuni geri almaz.
A true man does not take back what he gave.
Literary spelling: Adam verdiyini geri almaz.
Azi bilmiyan çoxi heç bilməz.
Who knows not a little knows nothing of much.
Literary spelling: Azı bilmiyan çoxı heç bilməz.
Aac dibindən su içər.
A tree drinks water from its own root — stay true to your roots.
Literary spelling: Ağac dibindən su içər.
Aır gazan gec gaynar.
A heavy cauldron boils slowly — big things take time.
Literary spelling: Ağır qazan gec qaynar.
Avlu çürür, borc çürüməz.
The yard rots, but a debt does not — debts are not forgotten.
Arif adam tərif istəməz.
A wise person needs no praise.
Arxadan vuran namərddir.
Whoever strikes from behind is a coward.
Atılan ox geri dönməz.
A loosed arrow never returns.
Asıl azmaz, bal qoxmaz.
The noble do not go astray, honey does not spoil.
Əmanətə xəyanət olmaz.
A trust must never be betrayed.
Ağ axça qara gün üçündür.
White coins are for a black day — save for hard times.
Ayın on beş güni qaranlıq, on beş güni aydınlıq.
Half the month is dark, half is bright — good follows hardship.
Ayıb söyləyənin ayıbını söylərlər.
Whoever spreads another's shame will have their own spread.
Ata dost kimi bax, düşmən kimi bin.
Treat a horse like a friend, but mount it like an enemy.
At olmayan yerdə eşşək də atdır.
Where there is no horse, even a donkey is a horse.
Atın izi itin izinə qarışmaz.
A horse's track won't mix with a dog's.
Ac it furun yıxar.
A hungry dog will tear down an oven.
Aşığa sinək səsi saz gəlir.
To a lover, a gnat's buzz sounds like music.
Ac işlətmə, toxı tərpətmə.
Don't set the hungry to work, don't stir the well-fed.
Ağlamağınan gülməx bacı-qardaşdır.
Weeping and laughter are brother and sister.
Ana kimi yar olmaz, vətən kimi dövlət.
No friend like a mother, no wealth like a homeland.
Aır kamayi yel galdırmaz.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Baba olmamış baba gədrini biləməsin.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Balta aaci kəsməzdi, sapi aac olmasaydi.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Bali barmai uzun degil, nasibli yiyer.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Baxmaynan ügrənma olsa, it də gəsəp olurdi.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Başxasının çaruun geyən tez açınur.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Bazısi arar - bulamaz, bazısi bulur - yiyamaz.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Baba baba olsa, oul da oul olur.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Bayazın adı var, garanın dadi var.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Bay gaftan geysə, "xeyirli olsun" diyarlar, yoxsul geysə, "nərdən buldun" diyarlar.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Azan sıari lukmayi al.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Bacanın əgriluuna baxma, tütünün düz çıxmasına bax.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Beg deduun nə, bəgənməduun nə?
Translation not yet checked with elders
Beşiginimi yügürmişin?
Translation not yet checked with elders
Bəxşiş atın dişinə bakılmaz.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Bəglərə inanma, suya tayanma.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Biz gəldüx gəlini gürməyə, Gəlin getdi təzək yımaya.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Binə bir süylə, birə bin süylə.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Bismillah deməynən donuz bostannan çıxmaz.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Bir baba dokkuz oul bəslər, Dokkuz oul bir babayi bəsliyamaz.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Bir tavuun başın sadaasi bir yumurtadur.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Azının aşi dəgül, yoxsa bənə can goymaz.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Bir bişi - gırx kişi.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Bir müştəriyə dükan açılmaz.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Bir ayax sən gəl, iki ayax bən gəlem.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Bir insan ataş olsa da dünyayi yakamaz.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Bizə də bir gün toar.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Bir gələn bir daha gəlür, sabır et.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Bir küçmax - yüz talanmax.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Boulsam da, büyük suda boulem.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Büyügün süzüni tutmiyan uluya-uluya galur.
Translation not yet checked with elders
Showing 60 of 719 proverbs
Tales
A tale must come from a living voice
A family legend, something from the road of 1944, the story of a village — these are not taken from a book. They are told. Record an elder, and the tale will stand here with their name.
Open oral history