Bikol/Proverbs

The following appendix contains information about the ariwaga, or traditional Bicolano proverb. The ariwaga, also known as the kasabihan ("saying"), is part of a rich Bicolano cultural tradition, many of which are very old and date back to pre-colonial or colonial times.

The ariwaga is a very important part of Philippine history, since it is one of the contributions early Filipinos have made to Philippine history and culture.

Mga Ariwaga (Proverbs)
Here are some examples of the ariwaga:

• An dai tataong magsalingoy sa ginikanan dai makakaabot sa padudumanan.
  (He who does not look back from where he came will never reach his destination.)
• An pagkaherak, ratak.
• An matakot sa duron, mayong aanihon.
  (He who fears the locusts, will not have any harvest)
• An hugakon tugang nin parahàbon.
  (Someone lazy is a sibling of a thief)
• An hugakon, magadan man bulokon.
  (He who is lazy, might die with his body curled up)
• Dai ka maghayop sa lubang.
• An paghingua, bunga nin ganot-ginhawa.
  (Perseverance is a product of the sweat)
• Yaon sa tawo an gibo, yaon sa Dios an milagro.
  (The deed is in a person, the miracle is in God)
• An arin man na dalan, igwang kasagkoran.
  (Whichever road has an end)
• An arin man na prusisyon nabalik sa simbahan.
  (All processions still goes back to the church)
• Masasagop an baha, dai an dila.
• Urog na mahaldat an gutgot kan umal ki sa kan matarom na sundang.
• Daing yaman na nadadara sa lulubngan.
  (There's no treasure that can be brought to the tomb)
• An may isinangat sa paga, may gagawaron pagkaaga.
• An kahoy kun sain nakahuraray, duman napukan.
• An gapong bantulinaw nalalabot man kun tinuturuan aro-aldaw.
• Burabod nang burabod, naaatyanan.
• Sa dai pigpagalan, dai man nin hinayang.
• Ngapit madila ka kan linutab mo.
  (One day you will lick your spit)
• An tunay na tubó, mahamis sagkod sa puró.
  (A genuine sugarcane is sweet up to its very end)
• An maisog, harani sa pandog.
  (He who is brave, is near to the stocks)
• Halangkaw na isip, hababang burikat.
• An ayam na mabinatok, bakong parakagat.
  (A dog who frequently barks doesn't bite at all)
• An kabalang, baduan mong bulawan, kabalang man giraray.
  (You may let an ape dress in gold, it is still an ape)
• An huring-huding may pakpak.
  (Gossips have wings)
• Mag-isusugad ka.
• An nagluluway, matunok man hababaw.
  (He who does things slowly, might get pricked by a thorn but shallow)
• An sabi kan kikiyaw, "Surusingagaw! Surusingagaw!"
• An kipot na ngimot dai lalaogon nin namok.
  (A close mouth will never be entered by a mosquito)
• An nakikisakay yaon na sa pampang.
• Kun ano an puon, iyo an bunga.
  (Whatever kind of tree it is, and so is its fruit)
• An aksidente dai nalibot sa kuko.
• Kun ano an kahoy, iyo an bunga.
  (Whatever the tree is, will also be its fruit)
• An hinog iyo an tinutukdol.
  (The ripe ones are the ones picked)
• May madunong na palpal, may patal na tuso.
  (There's a wise but dumb, there's a clever but dumb)
• An mga sira nagiribsaw kun natatarog.
• An bubon na hababaw mapirawpisaw.
• Gibo mo, tios mo.
  (Your deeds, your sufferings)
• Ubos-ubos biyaya, pagpuwas tinganga.
• Magsurusingagaw, primerong tulod tumukaw ta kun ikalima na, dai na.
• Suba-suba kun sâlan, totoo kun tamaan.
• Dai ka magbilang kan siyô na dai pa nahihimsâ.
• An nagtuturos, may pigkakasikas.
• An Dios masuripot.
  (God is merciful)
• An tataong magtagong hilom, tataong magsaray nin asin sa tubig.
  (He knows how to keep a secret, knows how to put salt in a water)
• An tawong habo maghiro, dakul an pakiro-kiro
• An masigkat iyo an badat.
  (He who runs fast is the one with big belly)
• An barakas, baraka.
• May tukod an gahà, siring man may tukod an tubig sa pagsapnâ.
• Sa inot muraway, sa hudyan manaray.
  (It is glorious at first, at the end you will put away things)
• Sabi kan Intsik, "tawo daya, lawig tios."
• Mayong kurô an lubot
• Damulag nang damulag, nagìrad kun natatamaan an lugad.
  (A carabao may it be, it can feel pain when its wound is hit)
• Makinuyog-kuyog ngunyan, sa aga sungayan.
  (Obedient today, tomorrow will have horns)
• Saro an mahalì, duwa an masanglî.
  (One person will leave, two will replace him)
• An nagtutubod sa usip, mayong sadiring isip.
  (He who believes in gossip, doesn't have his own mind)
• An natuturog na buyod, ina-anod.
  (A sleeping shrimp is taken away by the water current)
• An sakong daing laog, dai nanggad matindog.
  (An empty sack will never stand up)
• An naghihingùa, nakakakua.
  (He who perseveres will find)
• An sundang na dai ginagamit, nagtataklâ.
  (A machete that is not used, will rust)
• An tatamnan nin hugakon pano nin hilamonon.
  (A garden of a lazy person is full of grasses to be pulled)
• An tawong mahigos, harayo sa pagtios.
  (An industrious person is far from poverty)
• Daing dalan na mapiot sa tawong may hustong pagmawot.
  (There's no narrow path for a person with goals in life)
• An harani sa gatong napapaso.
  (He who is near the burning firewood can feel the heat)
• Dai nin langit kun dai nin sakit.
  (There's no heaven if there's no sufferings)
• An minahabo sa grasya minadiklom an mata.
  (He who doesn't like blessings, his eyes go dark)
• Daing maraot na panurat sa tawong marhay asin muyang sumurat.
  (There's nothing wrong with the pen for a good person and wants to write)
• Turog sa abo, mayo kang riparo.
• Gibo mo, pakinabangan mo.
• An siisay man na nagdadaya, daing nakukuang biyaya.
  (He who is a cheater will never receive blessings)
• Daing kaugmahan na daing tungod na kamunduan.
  (There's no happiness that doesn't have sadness counterpart)
• Higos tios, hugak tigbak.
• An magsaginsagin maanghit pa sa kanding.
• An ngusong marinutab-rutab siring sa gonang makinutat.
• An dangog siring kan niyog na kun mapisay dai na mabibilog.
• Mayong pampang na daing kahampang.
• An kadara, marara.
• An habo kan magatol, dai maghanap nin duldol.
  (He doesn't like anything itchy, shouldn't find rashes)
• An kararaw-karaw, nagiging kararaw.
• An inot na magturaok, iyo an naggibong maraot.
  (He who first to crow like a rooster, is the one who did evil thing)
• Dai nin tataramon na daing kasugpon.
  (There's no statement said that doesn't have any words said afterwards)
• An ugali na aki pa, ginugurangan na.
  (The attitude of a child is brought up to his adulthood)
• Hari paglayog kun dai kang ilalayog.
  (Don't fly if you don't have anywhere to fly to)
• Hari pagsabat sa sulog, tibaad ika i-anod.
  (Don't go against the current, you might get carried by the water)
• An enot na sinarok, iyo an inot na narurugnok.
• Dai mo ikakatao an dai saimo.
  (You can't give what you don't have)
• Dai ka magseguro ta nag-uugbos pa an pako.
• Pakaagi nin kadikloman, minasubang an kaliwanagan.
  (After the darkness has gone away, comes the brightness)
• Kun nahulogan halangkawon, makusog man an lagabong.
• Nagmawot ki kabanga, sabulan an nawara.
• Hanap niya, saiyang nakua.
  (He seeks, he finds)
• Pag may hunas, may taob.
  (If there's a low tide, there's a high tide)
• Sa likod nin panganuron, maliwanag pa an aldaw.
  (Behind the dark clouds is a brighter day)
• Para saimo siya baktin, para sako siya birhen.
  (For you she's a pig, for me she's a virgin)
• Masayon an magintawo, mapawot an magpakatawo.
• An tawong mapinuka, maghahadi magkokorona.
• Kun dignos an inutang, dignos an kabayadan.
• An tataramon makasarong mabutasan, dai na mababawi.
• Kun ano an nasa puso, iyo man an yaon sa mata.
  (Whatever is in the heart is also in the eyes)
• Maating hawak, maating gibo.
  (Dirty body, filthy deeds)
• An nagkutat, iyo an naglagak.
• An nagtanom nin duros mag-aani nin unos.
  (He who plant wind, will reap typhoon)
• Kahugop-hugop, daing nahigop.
• An urig na duwa an nag-aataman, nagagadan sa kapunawan.
  (A pig with two caretakers, can die in hunger)
• An lutong labi sa bangot, minahangot.
• Dai nahahale an tikas sa laog nin nagbabarakas
• Natatago an kayamanan, dai an kapobrehan.
  (Treasures can be hidden but not the poverty)
• An may dakulang butones, may dakula man na ohales
• An tawong mapuká, nakakakua nin grasya, nakakasakop pa sa iba
• Dai nahahali an tikas sa laog nin magbarakas