Saying - Translation - Interpretation
Kuehe und Schaefe gehen miteinander, aber der Adler steigt allein.
Cows and sheep hang out together, but the eagle flies alone.
Mediocre people stick to each other, but great people follow a
different drummer.
Grosse Fische fressen die kleinen.
Big fish eat the little ones.
Powerful people and business eat up the little ones.
Wenn die Katze aus dem Haus ist, springen die Maeuse ueber Stuhl und Baenke.
When the cat's away, the mice will play.
The unsupervised tend to take advantage of the fact they are not
being supervised.
Besser ein lebendiger Hund als ein toter Loewe.
A live dog is better than a dead lion.
?
Besser ein Vogel in der Hand, als zehn am Strand.
A bird in the hand is worth ten on the beach.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
What you have is better than what you wish you had.
Ein Frosch kann nicht singen, wie ein Nachtigall.
A frog cannot sing like a nightengale.
Certain talents cannot be learned.
Er ist weder Fuchs noch Hase.
He is neither a fox nor a hare.
?
Seid klug wie die Schlangen und ohne Falsch wie die Tauben.
Be as clever as the snakes and as guileless as the doves.
?
Wenn der Wolf gefangen ist, stellt er sich wie ein Schaf.
When the wolf has been caught, he acts like he is a sheep.
A guilty person when caught tends to act innocent.
Wenn der Esel zu wohl ist, so geht er aufs Eis und bricht ein
Bein.
When the donkey is feeling too good, he goes onto the ice and
breaks his leg.
A foolish person tends to get into trouble everytime things are
going well.
Lieber Affe, sieh erst auf dich, dann lobe oder schelte mich.
My dear monkey, look at yourself first, before you praise or
criticize me.
Look at yourself before criticizing others.
Baeren und Bueffel koennen keinen Fuchs fangen.
Bears and buffalo cannot catch a fox.
You cannot send a boy to do a man's job.
Biber und Otter haben keine Hege.
Beaver and otters have no protection.
? Keine Ahnung.
Die Spinne saugt Gift, die Biene Honig aus allen Blumen.
The spider sucks poison, the bee honey from all flowers.
Some people see bad, others good in any situation.
Ich rede von Enten, und du antwortest mir von Gaensen.
I am talking about ducks and you answer me with geese.
We are talking apples and oranges. You must not understand me.
Besser bei einer Eule gesessen als mit Falken geflogen.
It is better to have sat with the owls, than to have flown with
the falcons.
Better safe than sorry. Stay out of the fast lane.
Die Fliege setzt sich immer auf ein mageres Pferd.
A fly always lands on a lean horse.
? Bad people look for easy targets.
Die Gans lehrt den Schwan singen.
The goose is trying to teach the swan to sing.
The blind leading the blind.
Eine blinde Henne findet auch wohl ein Korn.
Sometimes even a blind hen finds a grain of corn.
You got lucky.
Eines Hufeisens willen verdirbt oft ein Pferd.
A horse is often lost because of a horseshoe.
A project often fails when a detail is neglected.
Wer mit den Huehnern zu Bette geht, kann mit den Hahnen
aufstehen.
He, who goes to bed with the chickens, can get up with the
roosters
Early to bed, early to rise....
Schlafende Hunde soll man nicht wecken.
You should let a sleeping dog lie.
Don't cause trouble with dangerous people who are not bothering
you.
Wenn man den Igel anruehrt, so boerstelt er sich.
A hedgehog will bristle if you touch him.
A defensive person will react to insult.
Was die Kaefer entrinnt, fressen die Raupen.
The caterpillars eat what escapes the beetles.
There is always someone to pick through the leftovers.
Eins folgt aus dem andern wie das Kalb aus der Kuh.
One follows from the other like the calf from the cow.
This is a logical and natural course of events.
Die Moth fliegt so lang ums Licht, bis sie sich versengt.
The moth flies around the light until it gets burned.
Some people practice dangerous activity until they get burned.
Narren und Affen, alles begaffen.
Fools and apes have to look at everything.
Curiosity kills the cat.
Er sattelt den Ochsen und koppelt die Pferde.
He puts the saddle on the oxen and hitches the horses to the
plow.
He does everything backwards.
Wenn man den Pfau lobt, breitet er den Schwanz aus.
If you praise a peacock, it will spread its tail.
Vain people like to hear praise and respond well to it.
Pferde lassen sich zum Wasser bringen, aber nicht zum Trinken
zwingen.
You can lead horses to water, but you can't make them drink.
You cannot control the actions of other people against their
wishes.
17;17R
Der Rabe hat der Kraehe nichts vorzuwerfen.
The raven has no reason to complain about the crow.
The pot should not call the kettle black.
Wenn die Schwalben fortfliegen, bleiben die Spatzen hier.
Although the swallows have flown away, the sparrows are still here.
?
Wo haben wir zusammen die Schweine gehuetet?
Where have we tended pigs together?
Why are you addressing me in such a familiar tone?
Wer sich zur Taube macht, den fressen die Falken.
If you act like a dove, the hawks will eat you.
You are more subject to being victimized if you act like a victim.
Alte Ziegen lecken auch gern Salz.
Even old goats like to lick salt.
Older people have the same desires as younger ones.
Er isst das Zicklein, eh die Geiss gelammt hat.
He is eating the kid before goat has given birth.
He is counting his chickens before they are hatched.