35.
An unskilful workman quarrels with his tools.
নাচিব নাজানে চোঁতাল
খন হেৰেম গৰিয়া।
Náchiba nájáno cho(n)tál
Khan herem gariyá.
He who does not know how to dance,
(Finds) the floor of the courtyard sloping.
হেৰেম গৰিয়া is usually applied only to land which is not level. It is interesting to compare Christian's Bihar proverb, which is almost identical (náche na jánin ánganwen terh). The meaning is the same.
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86.
Ignorance.
বেজৰ নাকত খৰে খালে।
Bejar nákat khare khále.
The doctor has ringworm on his nose.
খৰ is the common word for ringworm. The meaning of the proverb is that doctors suffer from the same ills as their patients, c.f. "physician, heal thyself.”
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37.
Improvidence.
আগেই আছিলে যেন তেন,
ভকতক ভুঞ্জাবৰ পৰা হল পেন পেন।
Ágai áchhile jen ten,
bhakatak bhunjábar pará hal pen pen.
You used to live before after a fashion,
But since you have taken to entertaining “bhakats,"
you have become very poor.
পেন পেন generally refers to the fact of a man being involved in debt and difficulty, the usual phrase being ধাৰেৰে পেন পেনিয়া হল(dhárere pen peniyá hal), became involved in debt. Perhaps the proverb explodes the idea of the good effects of entertaining “bhakats.” The latter have very considerable appetites, as the saying কনি পাৰে হাহে খাই ভকত দাহে(kani páre háhe khái bhakat dáhe) shows. The above means that, as soon as the ducks lay eggs, the "bhakats" eat them up.
