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Kujibu

Is this a proverb?

ya acdibble, 5 Desemba 2010

Ujumbe: 9

Lugha: English

acdibble (Wasifu wa mtumiaji) 5 Desemba 2010 7:30:13 alasiri

Mi regalis la diablon, li donacis al mi fablon.

I was wondering if this sentence is a proverb and what the English would be if it were.

Donniedillon (Wasifu wa mtumiaji) 5 Desemba 2010 7:57:32 alasiri

I would translate as:

I entertained the devil, he told me a fable.

I have no idea what this might actually mean in actual use though. Perhaps, "if you hang out with a bad person, he will lie to you"? Similar to, "If you play with fire you will get burned"?

bagatelo (Wasifu wa mtumiaji) 5 Desemba 2010 9:48:41 alasiri

I would interpret as meaning that the devil, as the father of lies, will only tell you what you want to hear to your destruction. The moral of the story being avoid the devil/flatterers/sycophants/demagogues.

The Genesis account of Satan's lies to Eve spring to mind.

bagatelo (Wasifu wa mtumiaji) 5 Desemba 2010 9:52:45 alasiri

How about this for a free translation?

I dallied with the devil and he spun me a tale.

acdibble (Wasifu wa mtumiaji) 5 Desemba 2010 10:11:25 alasiri

Well I translate it more literally as:

I regaled the devil and he gave me a fable.

sudanglo (Wasifu wa mtumiaji) 6 Desemba 2010 10:30:14 asubuhi

Fablo='fable'; fabelo=fairy tale.

The first is moral instruction, the second is of dubious veracity.

Donniedillon (Wasifu wa mtumiaji) 6 Desemba 2010 5:43:32 alasiri

sudanglo:Fablo='fable'; fabelo=fairy tale.

The first is moral instruction, the second is of dubious veracity.
Just curious, where did you find that distinction? There is no distinction in the Lernu! Vortaro, and I didn't find it in Benson either.

darkweasel (Wasifu wa mtumiaji) 6 Desemba 2010 5:55:36 alasiri

Donniedillon:
sudanglo:Fablo='fable'; fabelo=fairy tale.

The first is moral instruction, the second is of dubious veracity.
Just curious, where did you find that distinction? There is no distinction in the Lernu! Vortaro, and I didn't find it in Benson either.
Try reta-vortaro.de.

acdibble (Wasifu wa mtumiaji) 7 Desemba 2010 2:58:55 asubuhi

A fable in the sense of it has a moral at the end?

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