13 replies to this topic

[saffron]

you have to endure their thorns, don't you?
Probably this proverb has many counterparts in other languages: If you love the roses, you have to endure their thorns :Gülü seven dikenine katlanır
Katlanmak is to endure, stand or tolerate. As a typical Turkish style, 'gül-rose' is singular, what is meant here is not a specific rose, but the roses, as a concept.
The conjugation 'katlanır' doesn't include a 'have to'. A simple statement of a fact: 'he who loves the rose(s), endures..'

[Meral]

No rose without thorns -- (as you say, Saffron) -- if you want the rose you have to accept its thorns too. :0

[sunny]

You accept someone/something warts and all.

[swabs]

They are good sayings, and one to take into mind for any situation xx

[sunny]

Just thought of one the other way around - Every cloud has a silver lining.

[swabs]

The grass isnt always greener on the other side xx

[sav36]

Here is a few from me,,
Actions speak louder than words.
Don't bite the hand that feeds you.
Good things come to those who wait

[sunny]

I agree with the first two Sav, but I'm not so sure about the third one.

[saffron]

All the three proverbs above are interesting..(though the messages they give are not related with what the proverb about roses tells us).
The third one is expressed in Turkish as follows:

'Tekkeyi bekleyen çorbayı içer '
Tekke is a place where the old time dervishes* were gathering, discussing on religious, but especially mystical subjects, praying, and staying.
'Beklemek' is to wait. But a sense of 'guarding' is added to the sense of waiting, here.
'Çorba' is soup and 'içmek' is to drink.
So the dervish who waits in tekke, staying, guarding, thus proving his patience and fidelity, will have the right to share the soup with other dervishes. This proverb can be compared with ' good things come to those who wait'.
* A dervish is a follower of mystic Islam, who spends his life as expected from a mystic. Today this term is not used, as there is no gathering place called 'tekke' today.

[MutluKadin]

If you want to make an omelet, expect to break some eggs...

[Aston]

A beautiful thing is never perfect.

[sunny]

Referring to that Aston, I believe that when Turkish people make something they always include a deliberate mistake because nothing is perfect except God.

[saffron]

'A beautiful thing is never perfect' . This saying is expressed in Turkish as follows:
'Her güzelin bir kusuru var'
Güzel is beautiful, but this word is not always an adjective. In the folk literature and old time Turkish, güzel also means a beatiful lady.
Kusur, depending on the context, is a fault or defect.

[Aston]

I too have heard of that Sunny from my travels in Turkey and the middle east. For example when a new carpet is made there is always a tiny fault. Thank you Saffron for the translation.