Proverbs are short yet profound tales—like a grandmother's quiet hum or a father's farewell advice.
Within every word sleeps centuries of experience,
and within their silence lies the voice of a nation.
If history is a book, then proverbs are its golden footnotes.
"دیر آید درست آید."
dir ayad dorost ayad.
"یک دست صدا ندارد."
yek dast sada nadard.
Gallery
"از ماست که بر ماست."
az mast ke bar mast.
"سنگ مفت، گنجشک مفت."
sang-e maft, ganjishk-e maft.
"خود کرده را تدبیر نیست."
khod karda ra tadbir nist.
"مرغ همسایه غاز است."
murgh-e hamsaya ghaz ast.
Proverb Detail
"سنگ مفت، گنجشک مفت."
Pronunciation: sang-e maft, ganjishk-e maft.
Literal Translation: Free stone, free sparrow.
English Equivalent: “Nothing to lose.” or “Why not? It’s free.”
Explanation:
This Afghan proverb is used when someone takes a chance or makes an attempt at
something that costs them nothing. The idea is: since the stone is free, and
the sparrow is free, there’s no harm in trying to throw the stone — whether
you hit the sparrow or not, you’ve lost nothing.
It reflects a mindset of “no risk, no cost,” encouraging people to try things
especially when there’s no downside or expense involved.
Example in Context:
Imagine someone is trying out a free online course to see if they like a new
skill. A friend might say:
“Why not? سنگ مفت، گنجشک مفت”
“You’re not paying anything, so even if it doesn’t work out, you haven’t lost anything.”