Home » History » Welsh History » Proverbs for Religion

Proverbs for Religion

© Sandra Jones

Religion and belief in a deity has sustained man in some form throughout the ages, and proverbs have reflected profound bits of this belief. Here is a selection of proverbs that have been prevalent in Welsh culture.

Gochel y pechod cyntaf, canys y mae lleng yn dymn wrth ei sawdl. Beware of the first sin, for there are a legion hard on its heels

Gall pechod mawr ddyfod trwy ddrws bychan. A great sin can enter by a small door

Lle bo eglwys gan Dduw bydd capel gan y diafol. Where God has a church the devil has a chapel

Da yw Duw a hir yw byth. God is good and eternity is long

Gwell aros o alltudedd nac aros o fedd. Better a waiting from exile than a waiting from the grave

Gwna dda dros ddrwg, uffern ni'th ddwg. Repay eveil with good, and hell will not claim you

Nesaf I'r eglwys, pellaf o baradwys. Nearest to the church, furthest from paradise

Melysaf y can eos, ond nid erchis Duw I'r fran dewi. Sweetest sings the nightingale, but God did not command the crow to be silent

Y cyw a fegir yn uffern, yn uffern y myn drigo. The bird reared in hell, there he will choose to dwell

Angel pen ffordd, diawl pen pentan. An angel on the highway, a devil at home

Nid twyll twyllo twyllwr. It is no deceit to deceive a deceiver

The copyright of the article Proverbs for Religion in Welsh History is owned by . Permission to republish Proverbs for Religion in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.