Долг платежом красен
With accent marks:
Долг платежо́м кра́сен.
Translation:
The beauty of a debt is its payment
Meaning:
This proverb reminds us that we should always pay our debts back.
The word красен here comes from красный (red). In the old times, красный meant красивый.
The closest English equivalent is "One good turn deserves another".
Other Russian proverbs
-
Strike the iron while it's hot.
-
A bad example is contagious.
-
Не так страшен чёрт, как его малюют
The demon is not as scary as he is depicted.
-
Век живи, век учись, а дураком помрёшь
Live for a century, learn for a century, but die being a fool anyway.
-
Кто рано встаёт, тому бог подает
(lit.) Whoever gets up early, God gives him
-
Time for business, an hour for fun.
-
Каждый кулик своё болото хвалит
Each sandpiper praises its swamp.
-
Not everything that glitters is gold.
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