I have a book of Russian proverbs, explanations and etymology. I can read it as a book as well as dictionaries:)
Some of my favoutite ones:
1. "Под лежачий камень вода не течет" = > Water doesn't flow under the recumbent stone. (an English version is "A rolling stone gathers no moss")
Or " На Бога надейся, а сам не плошай". Rely on God but try yourself as well.
2. " В чужой монастырь со своим уставом не ходят" => Don't go into somebody else's monastery with your own set of rules.
(an English version: When in Rome, do as the Romans do).
3. " Глаза - зеркало души" = > Your eyes reflect you soul /or you eyes are mirror of your soul / or The eyes are the window of the soul.
4. " По одежке встречают, провожают по уму" (Sa-r) => On clothes meet on mind see off.
If the luck came , it breaks the door .
Go with happy one , you will be happy like him/her
Don't sell bearskins until hunt it .
The laziness won't feed you honey
The thorn gives birth to a rose and the rose gives birth to a thorn .
After your mother death , bury your self with her (because you won't find someone like her)
The one Who gets in between the onion and its shell , he/she only gets its smell .
Hide your white coin for a black day .
The one who eats with his teeth , he avails himself.
The stone hits you the one you don't like it
If you played with a cat you must bear its claw
If your lover is honey , don't eat all
Mention the ghost ,he comes out .
It's easy and fast like a boiled zucchini bite .
God help those who help themselves.
If you played with a cat you must bear its claw=means who deal with dangerous things or any one is bad should take the responsibility of the reasult eventhough it hurt
If your lover is honey , don't eat all =means if you love or like someone you shouldn’t use him/her or take advantage of him /her a lot because someday he or she would leave you
Mention the ghost ,he comes out .=some believe if we mention something or someone is bad it became true or come true or comes and sometimes we say it as joking with friends
It's easy and fast like a boiled zucchini bite .=Syrian love Zucchini and eat it a lot as stuffed and boiled we say it is as in English “a piece of cake
