ὄφις ~ ὄφεως (noun m.): snake
κύων ~ κυνός (noun c.): dog
λύκος ~ λύκου (noun m.): wolf
λεβηρίς ~ λεβηρίδος (noun f.): snakeskin
ἀλώπηξ ~ ἀλώπεκος (noun f.): fox
Ὄφιν θάλπεις.
Κύων ἐν ῥόδοις.
Λύκος κρέας νέμει.
Κενότερος λεβηρίδος.
Ἀλώπηξ οὐ δωροδοκεῖται.
And now, some commentary:
Ὄφιν θάλπεις.
You're warming a snake.
In English we warn people about the threat posed by a snake or viper in one's bosom, i.e. a dangerous person to whom you are close, but this Greek proverb alludes specifically to the Aesop's fable about the foolish man who found a snake half-frozen in the snow; feeling sorry for the snake, he warmed it in his cloak (or by his fireside), but when the snake revived, it bit him!
Κύων ἐν ῥόδοις.
A dog in the roses.
The idea here is incongruity, and also disparaging the dog: not only does a dog have nothing to do with roses, but a dog supposedly has no way to appreciate the roses either. (Dogs don't get a lot of respect in Greek proverbs.)
Λύκος κρέας νέμει.
A wolf is distributing the meat.
This is something like the proverbial "lion's share." You know that the wolf is going to be constantly taking for himself even while he is "sharing" the meat with others.
Κενότερος λεβηρίδος.
Emptier than a snakeskin.
I really like this comparison! Because once the snake has shed its skin and crawled out, that snakeskin is about as empty as something can be. So, this hyperbolic comparison is about something that, somehow, is even more empty than the skin shed by a snake.
Ἀλώπηξ οὐ δωροδοκεῖται.
A fox cannot be bribed.
The idea here is that foxes are sneaky. They would no doubt gladly accept your gifts, but that does not mean they will change their behavior. If you offer the fox a chicken to stay away from the henhouse, the fox will take the chicken... and still raid the henhouse! So, be careful if you are going to bribe someone: you don't want to bribe someone who is like the fox.
And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too:
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