Mgr. Sebastião Rodolfo Dalgado’s swan song, Florilégio dos Provérbios Concanis

 

Cover image: Close-up of the plaque placed on the main cross in front of the Church of Assagão on the occasion of the birth centenary of Mgr. Dalgado on the 8th of May, 1955.

The following is the inscription in Portuguese:

Foi Filho Desta Aldeia o Monsenhor Sebastião Rodolfo Dalgado, Sacerdote Exemplar, Zeloso Missionário Régio, E Vigário-Geral De Ceilão, Bengala, E. De Onor, Grande Obreiro Social, Insigne Escritor, E. Filólogo, Notável Orientalista, Glória do Pais E Orgulho Da Freguesia.

8-5-1855 – 8-5-1955

Homenagem Da Freguesia de Assagão, Por Ocasião Do Centenário Do Seu Nascimento.

The above text has been rendered thus in English by Fr. Antonio Pereira, S.J. in his book, Dalgado, the man and the scholar (pg 37-38):

Mgr. Sebastião Rodolfo Dalgado, a son of this parish, was an Exemplary Priest, Royal Missionary, Vicar-General of Ceylon, Bengal and Honawar, Great Social Worker, Eminent Writer, Philologist, Renowned Orientalist, Glory of the Country and Pride of the Parish.

8-5-1855 – 8-5-1955

Homage of the Parish of Assagão, on the Occasion of his Birth Centenary.

Much information is available online on Mgr. Sebastião Rodolfo Dalgado, a great scholar and a learned priest of Goa. Dalgado Konknni Akademi, established in 1988, has been named after him.

Today, on the occasion of his 165th Birth Anniversary I will endeavour to briefly inform the readers about Mgr. Dalgado’s swan song, Florilégio dos Provérbios Concanis, a rich collection of 2177 Konkani proverbs and sayings.  Published by Publicacão da Academia das Sciencias, Imprensa da Universidade, Lisboa, Florilégio was released after his death. Mgr. Dalgado died on April 4, 1922.

My information is entirely based on Fr. Pereira’s monograph, Dalgado, the man and the scholar published in 1983 by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi.

Fr. Pereira writes thus about Florilégio: it is a scientifically organised work where the proverbs are given in original Konkani, translated, explained, commented upon in Portuguese and compared with those of other European and Asiatic languages, revealing to the folklorists and ethnologists not only the psychology and wisdom of a people but their relation with those of other nations. According to Dalgado the adages and proverbs constitute the storehouse where we see the philosophy and the wisdom of a people, and from where we may deduce the nature and the degree of its civilization. The one who knows them better and applies them often is a wise man. (pg 56-57)

The proverbs are classified according to subject matter and in Fr. Pereira’s opinion, “the work reveals his mastery of the Konkani adage and the comparative study of other languages”. For illustrative purposes Fr. Pereira has listed 22 proverbs along with their corresponding number as they appear in the Florilégio. 

I will quote only two (on Humility and Pride) as they appear in the book:

Xeṇantlo kiḍo, xeṇam  urăna (1034). The dung worm does not remain always in dung. It is said about a poor man who becomes rich, or, of a modest man who attains great honours.

Equivalent: Yesterday a butcher, today a knight. (Also in Spanish).

Neslim daṭ visărlim vaṭ (1055). I dressed too elegantly and I lost my way, since I did not look down. Variant (more explicit) Kumbharachem cheḍum neslem daṭ, visărlem vaṭ. The daughter of the potter dressed too elegantly and lost her way.

Note: The proverb came from a historical fact: it is applied to a person who forgets her modest origin, and commits blunders.

Equivalent: Clothed as we are, we do not know ourselves. In your good days, do not forget the evil ones. (Ecclesiasticus). When glory comes, the past passes away. (French).

Pic credit: Numismatics and Philately Section, Pilar Seminary Museum

A set of two stamps was also issued by the Correios do Estado da Índia (postal department of the Estado da Índia) on the occasion of the birth centenary of Mgr. Dalgado in 1955. This fact, however, does not find mention in Dalgado, the man and the scholar.

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For my review of Fr. Antonio Pereira’s autobiography, Mhojea Hatanchi ani Vonttanchi Kanni, kindly check this link: https://waltermenezes.magicauthor.com/2019/08/fr-antonio-pereira-sj-journey-of-jesuit.html