అవ్వ కోడి, కుంపటి లేకుంటే తెల్లవారదా? ఊరికి నిప్పు దొరకదా?

avva kodi, kumpati lekunte tellavarada? uriki nippu dorakada?

Translation

If the old woman's rooster and coal stove are not there, will the sun not rise? Will the village not find fire?

Meaning

This proverb is used to mock people who think they are indispensable or that a task cannot be completed without them. It highlights that the world continues to function regardless of one person's presence or resources, often used against those who display arrogance regarding their importance.

Related Phrases

An old woman said, 'If it weren't for my rooster and my hearth, let's see how the sun will rise and how fire will be found.'

This proverb mocks the delusion of self-importance. It is used to describe people who falsely believe that a natural process or a group's progress depends entirely on them, and that things will come to a halt if they are not involved.

Will the sun not rise if the rooster does not crow?

This proverb is used to humble someone who thinks they are indispensable. It suggests that the world will continue to function and progress even without a specific person's involvement or presence. It highlights that natural laws and necessary events are not dependent on any single individual.

A brazier (hot coal stove) on one's chest

This expression is used to describe a heavy burden, a constant source of anxiety, or a troublesome person/situation that causes continuous mental agony and stress. It signifies a problem that is impossible to ignore and painful to endure.

Will the flood leave the boat and come to the village?

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone expects an impossibility or an illogical outcome. It implies that certain consequences are inextricably linked to their source, or that one cannot escape a larger disaster by focusing on minor details. Just as a flood naturally carries a boat, the primary cause dictates the result.

If it were not for my cock and chafing-dish, how would the world go round ?

This proverb describes an individual's delusion of grandeur or self-importance. It is used to mock someone who believes that a collective or natural process depends entirely on them, implying that the world will stop functioning without their contribution.

A story is told of an old woman who fancied that the crowing of her cock woke the whole village, and that all the inhabitants were dependent on her for fire. Daylight will come, though the cock do not crow. ( Danah, )*

As much flour, so much bread (The bread is as big as the flour used)

This proverb means that the quality or quantity of an outcome is directly proportional to the effort, resources, or investment put into it. It is used to explain that you get what you pay for or that results depend on the quality of the input.

When it dawns, we shall know whose mother is alive. Said by a man to his wife, at whose instigation he had agreed that they should kill his mother. The mothers of the pair slept together and the wife's mother was murdered instead of the husband's, with the latter's knowledge. The wife, having an inkling of the truth, endeavoured to per- suade her husband to go and see which of the two they had spared, and he replied as above.

This proverb implies that the true state or reality of a situation (or someone's life) is revealed when the light of day comes or when the time is right. It is used to suggest that secrets or hidden struggles cannot stay hidden forever and the truth will eventually come to light.

* Απλησιος πίθος.

If the rooster doesn't crow, won't the sun rise?

This expression is used to humble someone who believes they are indispensable. It suggests that the world does not stop for one person and that natural or necessary events will occur regardless of a specific individual's contribution or presence.

She said she would see how the day breaks without her rooster and her brazier.

This proverb is used to mock people who have an exaggerated sense of their own importance. It describes someone who narcissistically believes that certain natural or inevitable events (like the sunrise) won't happen without their presence or contribution. It is used to point out that the world continues to function regardless of an individual's ego or participation.

Ellamma's life (or fate) will be known once the day breaks.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where the true outcome or the reality of a person's condition will only be revealed after a period of time or once a specific event concludes. It implies that current appearances might be deceptive and the final truth will come to light eventually.