Selection of Tibetan Proverb Stories

Author: He Wenxuan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-03-01
Features: Selected Tibetan Proverb Stories, is a collection translated from the proverb annotations of two Tibetan texts published by the Tibet People's Publishing House in recent years: Sa Gar Proverbs and Annotations and Gedan Proverbs. There are a total of 100 proverb stories, with 32 selected from the former and 68 from the latter. Tibetan proverbs are mostly in poetic form. Their basic meter consists of seven syllables per line, with four lines forming a stanza. In each proverb poem, the first two lines convey the literal meaning, i.e., the principle or the proverb itself, while the last two lines serve as metaphors, telling stories that illustrate the proverb's meaning. Most of these stories, except for a few that are originally Tibetan historical tales, derive from Buddhist scriptures, with a strong mythological flavor. Another part comes from folklore, rich in the spirit of daily life. Their themes are diverse, plots are intricate and vivid, content is wholesome, and they are highly engaging. The two lines of main text paired with each proverb poem play a role in educating and inspiring people.