Jo sukh

ਜੋ ਸੁਖ ਛੱਜੂ ਦੇ ਚੁਬਾਰੇ ਸੋ ਸੁਖ ਬਲੱਖ ਨਾ ਬੁਖਾਰੇ
Jo sukh (the happiness) Chajjoo (name of a man) de chubbaara (large room on the upper storey), oho sukh (that happiness) Bulakh na Bukhara (is neither Bulakh nor in Bukhara).

Bukhara is the capital of the Bukhara Province, Uzbekistan located on the Silk Road. The city has long been a center of trade, scholarship, culture, and religion and has been listed UNESCO as a World Heritage Site (taken from Wikipedia). Bulakh is also a city (in Kazakhstan).

It means “east or west the home is best”, the contentment of home is greater than being in a glorious city such as Bukhara.

jo sukh

Bukhara

Dhaaee paa

ਡਾੲੀ ਪਾ ਿਖਚੜੀ,ਚੁਬਾਰੇ ਚ ਰਸੋੲੀ
Dhaaee paa (nearly half kilo in weight ) kichharee (rice and pulse dish) chubbarra (open room on upper storey of a house open room) rasoee (kitchen).

To make a little bit of kitcharee the usual kitchen is not enough. Instead the unnecessarily large chubbarra is used as the kitchen. In essence to make a mountain out molehill.

dhaaee paa

Apni apni daphlee

ਅਾਪਣੀ ਅਾਪਣੀ ਡਫ਼ਲੀ ਤੇ ਅਾਪਣਾ ਅਾਪਣਾ ਰਾਗ
Apni apni (one’s own) daphlee (small drum) apna apna rang (one’s own song).

When a number of people beat to their own drum and music, with subsequent disagreement. People just pleasing themselves and not willing to listen to the views of others.

apni apni daphlee

Jis de pallai

ਿਜਸ ਦੇ ਪੱਲੇ ਦਾਣੇ ਉਦੇ ਕਮਲੇ ਵੀ ਿਸਅਾਣੇ
Jis (who) de pallai (has) daanai (grains meaning money) odhai (his) kamlai (foolish family) vi (as well) siannai (intelligent).

A pallai is a piece of cloth (like a 'jholi') that is held in a shape so that someone may place something in it. Similarly someone may offer something to another from it.

Even foolish members of a wealthy persons’ family are considered wise.

jis de pallai

Saddee na

ਸੱਦੀ ਨਾ ਬੁਲਾੲੀ , ਮੈਂ ਲਾੜੇ ਦੀ ਤਾੲੀ
Saddi (asked) na (not) bolaee (invited) tha mai larraih (groom) di taee (aunti - groom's father's elder brother's wife). This muhavare off course refers to wedding as implicit in using 'larraih/groom'. It is way of referring to an invited guest who makes her presence felt, is too comfortable.

saddee na

Choree de thann

ਚੋਰੀ ਦੇ ਥਾਣ ਤਾਂ ਲਾਿਠਅਾਂ ਦੇ ਗਜ਼
Choree (stealing) da (of) thaan (roll of cloth) ta latheeaa (long stick) da gaj (yard); stolens rolls of cloth and sticks measuring a yard.

Stolen fabric, because it is stolen and not worked for is not valued. When it is sold it is sold without care and in a rush. Rather than being lovingly and carefully measured it is sold hastily. Any stick that approximates a yard is used, and the random size of this stick reflects the lack of value seen in the cloth (often the stick measures much more than yard).

A bit like 'easy come easy go'.

choree de thann

Chor bazaar, Delhi

Dabb ke vaah

ਦੱਬ ਕੇ ਵਾਹ ਤੇ ਰੱਜ ਕੇ ਖਾਹ
Dabb ke (with commitment/will) vaah (plough the field) tae (and) rajj ke kha (eat freely and fully); plough the field with will and commitment and eat freely till full.

In other words, work hard to earn your living and enjoy the fruit of your labour.

dab ke vaah

Uddam aggai lashmi

ਉਦੱਮ ਅੱਗੇ ਲਛੱਮੀ ਪੱਖੇ ਅੱਗੇ ਪੌਣ, ਿਜੱਥੇ ਦਲਿਦੱਰ ਅਾ ਵਸੇ ਉਥੇ ਸੁਖਿਅਾ ਕੌਣ

Uddam (effort, hard work) aggai (in front) lashmi (wealth), pakhai (fan) aggai (in front) pawn (air), jithai (where) dalidder (laziness) aa vesai (settles) othai (there) sukhian (happy) kawn (who)

Lashmi (wealth) follows hard work like flowing air comes from a fan. Where laziness settles who can be happy.

uddam aggai lashmi

Lakshmi: the Goddess of Wealth

Kuchar kurri

ਕੁਛੱੜ ਕੁੜੀ ਸ਼ਹਿਰ ਢੰਡੋਰਾ

Kuchchar (lap) kuree (girl) shehir (town) dhandora (search). The girl being carried is searched for in the town.

Qualities close or within may be unknowingly searched for (when they are already possessed). Can also have a more literal meaning, such as the common situation of searching for keys that are in one's pocket.

kuchar kurri

Kutta raj

ਕੁੱਤਾ ਰਾਜ ਿਬਠਾਿਲਅਾ ਚੱਕੀ ਚਟਣ ਜਾੲੇ
Kutta (dog) raj (throne) beethalia (to seat) chakki (handmill) chattun (lick) jaai (to go). The dog was seated on the throne but kept licking the handmill.

In other words, people who have bad habits and are uncultured (like a dog!) will continue to be true to this, even if their status is elevated, and they climb up the social hierachy.


kutta raj

P.S, this is the family dog!

Khujai da guwaah

ਖੁਅਾਜੇ ਦਾ ਗੁਵਾਹ ਡੱਡੂ

Khuajai (pond’s) da guwaah (witness ) daddoo (frog); the pond's witness is the frog

The frog is closely connected to the pond. It will side with the pond as it lives there and is dependent on its water, and therefore is a biased witness, it will take the side of the pond. In essence, someone who lives somewhere, or is involved closely with something could well be biased and unreliable (like a frog!)

khuvajai da gawaah

Dhobi da kutta

ਧੋਬੀ ਦਾ ਕੁੱਤਾ ਨਾ ਘਰ ਦਾ ਨਾ ਘਾਟ ਦਾ

Dhobi (washer man) da kutta (dog) na (neither) ghar (home ) da na (nor) ghat (quey, where washer man washes the clothes) da; the washer's man dog doesn't belong to either house or ghat.

The dhobi's dog wanders here and there and doesn't belong. A little bit like 'a rolling stone gathers no moss'

dhobi da kutta

Sheeshmela

ਰਹਿਣਾ ਝੋਪੜੀ ਿਵੱਚ ਤੇ ਸੁਪਣੇ ਲੈਣੇ ਸ਼ੀਸ਼ਮਹਿਲਾਂ ਦੇ |

Rehna (live) Jhoupree (hut) vich tai  supnai (dreams) laenai (see) sheeshmahila (glass palaces) de; to live in a hut but dream of glass palaces (beautiful palaces). To be pleasantly or also perhaps unrealistically disconnected with reality, the real world.

sheeshmela

Chika hath na upprai

ਿਛੱਕੇ ਹੱਥ ਨਾ ਉਪੜੇ ਤਾਂ ਥੂ ਕੌੜੀ

Chika hath na upprai tha thoo koree.

A chika is a bowl like object hanging with wire and hooks so as to keep animals away from the food contained. When the food in it can't be reached it is looked on as bitter (koree).

So if something can't be attained it is perceived as not worth attaining (bitter). 

chika

Mallah da hukka

ਮੱਲਾਹ ਦਾ ਹੁੱਕਾ ਸੁੱਕਾ
Mallah (boatman) da hukka (smoking pipe) sukka (dry); the boatman's smoking pipe is dry.

A boatman, who is surrounded by water, nevertheless has a dry smoking pipe (that of course, is filled with water). A bit like saying a doctor will not care for his own health, a plumber his pipes etc.

malaa

Joo joo bheejay

ਿਜਂਊ ਿਜਂਊ ਿਭੱਜੇ ਕੱਬਲੀ ਿਤਊ ਿਤਊ ਭਾਰੀ ਹੋ
joo joo (as) bheejay (soak) kamblee (blanket) too too (so) bharee (heavy) huai; as the blanket is soaked with water so it becomes heavy.

As you mature with experience (moisten) so responsibility follows (heaviness)

joo joo

                   

Ma par

ਮਾਂ ਪਰ ਧੀ ਿਪਤਾ ਪਰ ਘੋੜਾ ਬਹੁਤਾ ਨਹੀ ਤਾਂ ਥੋੜਾ ਥੋੜਾ 

Ma (mother) par dhee (daughter), pita (father) par ghoraa (horse), botha nhi tha thoraa thoraa

daughter like mother, son like father, if not totally at least a little.


ma

Hathi de dandh

ਹਾਥੀ ਦੇ ਦੰਦ ਖਾਣ ਦੇ ਹੋਰ ਿਦਖਾਓਣ ਦੇ ਹੋਰ

Hathi de dandh khan de haur dikhaun de haur.

The elephant has different teeth for eating and showing (tusks). In other words, beauty, or pleasant appearance/behaviour can be deceptive, and not be a reflection of the person's true nature.


hathi

Deggi khutai

ਿਡਗੀ ਖੋਤੇ ਤੌ ਗੁੱਸਾ ਘੁਿਮਅਾਰ ਤੇ
Deggi khutai (donkey) to gussa ghumair (potter) tai.

when someone falls from a donkey her anger is directed to the donkey's owner (the potter). In essence, anger at oneself (in this case for falling of the donkey) is directed/vented onto someone else.

deggi

Kalai kan

ਕਾਲੇ ਕਾਂ ਨਾ ਹੁੰਦੇ ਵੱਗੇ ਭਾਂਵੇਂ ਸੌ ਮਣ ਸਾਬੁਣ ਲੱਗੇ

Kalai (black) kan (crows) na hunday buggay (white), bhamai sou mun sabun (soap) laggai.

A black crow can not turn white if it is washed in soap a hundred times; in essence a 'leopard cannot change its spots', something will be true to its nature.


kan

Coala dee delali

ਕੋਲੇ ਦੀ ਦਲਾਲੀ ਿਵੱਚ ਹੱਥ ਵੀ ਕਾਲੇ ਤੇ ਮੂੰਹ ਵੀ ਕਾਲਾ
Coala (coal) dee delali (dealings) vich hath bhi kala tai mooh bhi kala.

Deals involving coal will blacken both your hands and face.

A ‘delal’ is someone who ‘deals’ in the Panjabi community. A delali is a ‘deal’. So, in dealing with coal, both hands and face are blackened. In other words, dishonest or corrupt work will tarnish.

coala