ช้างตายทั้งตัว เอาใบบัวปิดไม่มิด

A guilty conscience needs no accuser

ช้างตาย
ช้าง
cháang
ตาย
dtaai
ทั้ง
táng
ตัว
dtua
เอา
ao
ใบ
bai
บัว
bua
ปิด
bpìt
ไม่
mâi
มิด
mít

Vocabulary

cháang = elephant

dtaai = [to] die ; pass away

táng = all over

dtua = body

ao = [to] take ; bring

bai = leaf

bua = lotus

bpìt = [to] hide ; conceal ; cover up

mâi = no ; not

mít = tightly ; entirely ; completely

Literal Meaning

You can't hide a dead elephant with a lotus leaf

English Proverb

A guilty conscience needs no accuser

Explanation

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A lotus leaf is large, very large, but the body of an elephant is even larger. If you cover the head with even a lotus leaf, its hind quarters will still show, try it the other way round and cover its tail end, the head will show. If we do something bad, we cannot hide it, no matter what we try to do, no matter where we place the lotus leaf, our wrong doing is sure to show.

Example

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ถึงแม้ว่าจะพยายามปกปิดความผิดเอาไว้ เข้าก็ถูกจับได้ ช้างตายทั้งตัวเอาใบบัวปิดไม่มิด

tĕung máe wâa jà pá-yaa-yaam bpòk bpìt kwaam pìt ao wái kăo gôr tùuk jàp dâai cháang dtaai táng dtua ao bai bua bpìt mâi mít

Even though he try to cover his guilty , but he still was arrest. You can’t hide a dead elephant with a lotus leaf.