Mataluna: 151 Afghan Pashto Proverbs

Reading Proverbs that our Afghan friends have probably grown up with in their culture has given us an idea of how they consider life. As they try so hard to adjust to a totally foreign land we can look at how a lot of “who they are” revolves around helping each other and less on building treasures on this earth. It has lovely verses.

This is a very helpful book. The proverbs are in Pashto, romanized in English, written literally in English, and a meaning of the proverb. Also given an English counterpart to those that have one. The beginning pages of the book give explanation, history, and pronunciation to the proverbs and language as well. Very excited for to learn and memorize these.

Captain Zellem continues to impress me with his newest book of Pashto proverbs. I am amazed how we have so many similarities in this world that we tend to forget until a book like this reminds us. As I read through all of the proverbs, I was reminded of how we really do have so much in common. I found Mataluna to be inspirational in the sense that I was able to feel a connection to so many of the proverbs, and each one inspired me in a different way. I loved the illustrations, and thank the children in Afghanistan for their creativity and open minds. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to lift their spirits by understanding the power of a proverb.

Captain Zellem has done it again.... Hit it out of the park with Mataluna! His first book, Zarbul Masalha: 151 Dari Proverbs, has been translated into 12 languages and enjoys worldwide popularity. Now Mataluna follows providing deep insight into the Pashto culture and language and will certainly gain similar acclaim. Captain Zellem’s passion for Afghan culture and language is remarkable and his efforts to expand literacy in Afghanistan while simultaneously gaining global attention and perspective are commendable. Simple proverbs provide great insight and understanding into culture and language and with these books Captain Zellem has developed the perfect vehicle for introducing Afghan culture globally.

Wonderful book of proverbs with translation and interpretation. Beautiful illustrations. Interesting to see how much we all have in common. A book for all ages.

Excellent insights and wisdom captured in proverbs. Worth reading again and again.

Thanks for this book !

Das ist so ein schönes Buch. Ich habe es meinem afghanischen Vater zum Bayram geschenkt und er hat sich sehr über das Buch gefreut. Die verschiedenen Zitate und Weisheiten sind jeweils in Paschtu geschrieben, dann in Lautschrift und zum Schluss noch eine Englische Übersetzung + manchmal eine kurze Erläuterung.

What a great collection of popular Pashto proverbs. You don't have to be an Afghan to enjoy, apply and understand sayings in this book. I liked it so much, I purchased two. This little gem of a book is full of wisdom and knowledge.

There are no stories as to how the poems came about, just a few poems in Pashto with English translation. You can get these and many more for free just googling them.