The Turkish language has given birth to thousands upon thousands of proverbs. A great many of them seem to be a warning against behavior that is deemed unfit in the society. Greed, pride, jealousy, and sloth are just some of the targets that these proverbs aim to strike.

Turks see themselves as a very humble, hard-working and earnest people. Those who brag or show off or pass the buck are frowned upon and thought to be bringing misfortune to their family name. A lot of these sayings reflect this very mentality.

Having had the benefit of being immersed in this culture for several years now, I have had a good number of them translated for me. Whether they are witty and wise or just plain silly, I always walk away with something having heard them. I would like to share a sample of them with you in hopes that it may shed some light on the Turkish character.

• Sen ağa, ben ağa, bu ineği kim sağa?

Literally: You act like a lord; I act like a lord, so who will milk the cow?

If everybody acts like the big boss (landlord of the village=ağa) then there won’t be anyone to do the dirty work. In other words, if everyone acts too big for their britches, nothing much will get done of any importance.

• Horozu çok olan köyün sabahı geç olur.

Literally: If a village has too many roosters, dawn will break late there.

This refers to a situation in which everyone seems ready to put in their two cents, but a resolution is not achieved. When everyone seeks to be heard at the same time, no one is heard in the end. So, one rooster is more than enough for a particular job. This way, there is no confusion over whose job it is to announce the dawning of the day.

• Al elmaya taş atan çok olur.

Literally: So many people will throw stones at the red apple.

If something dazzles the eye enough, it will also attract the envy of others. There are many proverbs that speak of this exact sentiment. The “evil eye” symbol that one finds everywhere in Turkey (and Greece) is a talisman for warding off the jealousy and ill will of others towards you. This is deeply entrenched in the society and even I have been converted to believing in it.

• Zemheride yoğurt isteyen, cebinde bir inek taşır.

Literally: If you ask for yogurt in the middle of winter (cold days=zemheri) then you have to carry a cow in your pockets.

If you want to achieve difficult things, be prepared for work hard for them. Even better is to not ask for things which are hard to obtain in the first place. This one really makes me laugh because I cannot help but picture what a cow would look like bulging out of ones pockets.

• Bükemediğin bileği öpeceksin.

Literally: You shall kiss the wrist that you can’t bend.

If you can’t defeat an opponent honestly, you’d better give him the courtesy of respect. When Turkish people meet an elder, they show their respect for them by kissing their hand and then putting it to their forehead.

• Balık ağa girdikten sonra aklı başına gelir.

Literally: A fish will realize what it has done only after entering the net.

This one is pretty obvious: People realize the error of their ways only when it is too late.

• Gençlık bir kuştur, ucar tutamam. Yaşlılık yüktür, bir kuruşa satamam.

Literally: Youth is a bird, it flies but I can’t catch it. Being old is a burden; I can’t sell it, even for a penny. (penny=kuruş)

Enjoy your youth while you can. Don’t be stupid or reckless about life when you are young. You’ll miss your youth when you get old. If there’s one thing you can’t sell in life, it’s your old age. Who the heck wants that?

Sakla samanı, gelir zamanı.

• Literally: Hide the hay; its time will come.

Even if it seems useless at the moment; you should stash away little things. They may prove to be handy in the future. Turkish housewives are real packrats for this reason. In my house, we always had a place to throw stray items that may one day serve a higher purpose. We called it the “what-not” drawer. For the average Turkish woman, every little thing is a “what-not” and will one day have its day to shine.

And last, but not least, a proverb standard:

• Kefenin cebi yok.

Literally: The shroud doesn’t have pockets

The shroud is a white piece of cloth that Muslims use to cover their dead. Muslims do not use caskets. They simply wrap their dead in the shroud and bury them. Not surprisingly, the shroud has no embellishments of any kind.

This is a variation of, “You can’t take it with you.” What is the use of living a life that is driven by materialism? Your worldly goods will not be joining you, anyway.