The Eternal Popular Wisdom of Proverbs

Brief and memorable, we’ve all heard them and used them since childhood, remembering them frequently and applying its counsel countless times. Some of us even have our favourite maxims and proverbs.

Along with fables, adages and proverbs are a practical way of transmitting the wisdom of ages in a playful and memorable manner.

Using familiar elements from our environment, with imaginative associations and comparisons, even the use of rhyme, each phrase carries a quick teaching, applicable to myriad situations regardless of time or place.

Many of these reflect truths associated with human nature and behaviour, passed from generation to generation over centuries, even travelling to other cultures and translated to other languages, giving thus proof of its accuracy.

“Happiness, like the rainbow, is always seen over someone else’s house”

It’s interesting to notice that, in some cases, different countries separated both culturally and geographically, developed adages with similar advice for the same subjects.

Thus, for instance, compare these two proverbs:

He who breaks his teeth with the shell, rarely gets the almond (German)

Don’t sweat the easy stuff (United States)

Both postulate that we should not waste our energies in trifles, or we won’t achieve our goal.

Words don’t fight on paper (French)

Paper can take anything (Spanish)

What is written does not always reflects what is true, and it won’t always be complied with, regardless of the good intentions.

Happiness, like the rainbow, is always seen over someone else’s house (German)

The grass is greener on the other side of the fence (English)

Things always appear to be much better elsewhere, which is not always the fact.

“One swallow doesn’t make it Spring”

Here’s some other common subjects addressed by sayings and proverbs of different cultures:

*On the importance of prevention:
- Better to be safe than sorry (English)
- It is better to prevent than to regret (Spanish)

*All humans have the same origin, but we’re all different:
- We’re all made of the same clay, but not of the same mould (Mongol)
- Ten men, ten colours (Japanese)
- Although we’re all of the same clay, it’s not the same a catrín than a charro (Mexican)
Catrín: a person who liked to dress well to impress
Charro: elegant cowboy

*The power of money:
- Dog with a tie, no one kills it (Chilean)
- No one has ever hanged anyone with money in his pocket (Russian)
- When money talks, truth grows silent (Chinese)

*Each one has similar characteristics to his/her parents:
- So is the father, so is the son (Latin)
- From such wood, such chip (Spanish)
- The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree (Russian)
- Like father, like son / A chip off the old block (English)

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”

*The inability to change one’s nature and predestination due to natural talents:
- He who’s born for tamale, leaves fall on him from the sky (Mexican)
- He who’s born paunchy, can’t avoid it even if he’s put on a corset since childhood (Venezuelan)

*When someone doesn’t want to do something, blames it on something else:
- When one doesn’t know how to dance, one says the ground is humid (Malay)
- The grapes aren’t ripe (French)
- He who doesn’t know how to dance says that the ground is full of pebbles (African)

*The value of perseverance:
- The more you walk the forest, the more timber you find (Russian)
- More is done by he who wants than by he who can (Japanese)
- Where there’s a will there’s a way (English)
- He who wants, can (Spanish)
- He who follows it, attains it (Chilean)
- With time and patience, the mulberry leaf becomes silk (Chinese)
- Little by little you get far (Italian)

*The usefulness of doing things early:
- The early hour has gold in its mouth (German)
- The early bird catches the worm (English)
- He who rises early is helped by God (Spanish)

“In a smith’s home, a wooden knife”

Some adages, specially those of Latin origin (Roman empire), spread through cultures and countries, each one developing its own cultural variation of these ancestral advises.

Some examples of Latin adages:

- He who strikes first, strikes twice - nothing compares to the initial impact. Another version of this adage is “He who strikes first, strikes the hardest”.
- When in Rome, do as the Romans - Adapt yourself to the customs and traditions of each place you go to.
- Not all that glitters is gold - Don’t trust appearances, specially of those things that seem to be too good to be true.
- All roads go to Rome - Regardless of what you do, you’ll get the same result to achieve something.

“You don’t change horses mid river”

Other proverbs, however, are directly linked to its culture of origin, revealing its own character and idiosyncrasy. Most adages and proverbs belong to this category.

Some proverbs are direct and do not require any interpretation. For instance:

- A loving heart is always young (Greek)
- Boredom is consequence of laziness (German)
- Cruelty is the strength of cowards (Arabic)
- Loving someone who doesn’t love himself is tiring the heart (Arabic)
- He who doesn’t travel, doesn’t know the value of man (Arabic)
- The death of an elder is like the burning of a library (African)
- One lie may kill a thousand truths (African)
- One half truth is a whole lie (Jewish)
- It is not beautiful what is dear, but dear what is beautiful (Jewish)
- He who lives without discipline, dies without honour (Irish)
- Love and cough can’t be hidden (Italian)
- A thousand years' reputation may depend on the conduct of an hour (Japanese)
- Each one loves the tree that shelters him (Russian)
- No ill lasts a hundred years (Spanish)

“When the river rattles is because it carries pebbles”

However, given its playful nature and many times in verse, most adages require further explanation in order to understand its underlying message:

- When you point someone, remember that three fingers point back at you. (English) - Frequently, when we accuse someone of something that affects us, the responsibility is chiefly our own.

- Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched (English) - Don’t rely on promises, trust only on the things you have assured.

- Studying the old we learn the new (Japanese) - everything repeats and comes to happen again, so studying what has already happened prepares us for when it happens again.

- He who hasn’t tasted what’s bitter, doesn’t know what’s sweet (German) - In order to be happy, we must also experience sadness.

- He who moves a mountain begins carrying pebbles (Chinese)
- The trip of a thousand miles begins with one step (Chinese) - both proverbs illustrate that any enterprise, regardless of how long or big it may be, begins with small actions.

- Do a good deed and pitch it into the sea / Do good and then forget it (Arabic) - Keeping tab of our good deeds makes us haughty, so it’s best to do them and forget them.

 “As much as the monkey dresses in silk, she remains a monkey”

One of the most interesting aspects of adages, proverbs and sayings is their capacity to encapsulate the cultural colour, the wisdom and the idiosyncrasy of the country where they originated.       

Here’s a brief selection of adages and their places of origin:

Africa:
- The home owner knows where his roof leaks - each one knows their own flaws.
- When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers - when two powers fight, it is the weak and small who carry the consequences.
- The footprints of those who travelled together never fade - those who shared time or experiences together, remain together in spite of time.

Chile:
- You don’t change horses mid river - You shouldn’t change plans once you’ve begun an action.
- Don’t waste gunpowder shooting chickens - One should not waste efforts and resources in trifles.
- When the donkey brays, the others prick their ears - When a fool speaks, other fools hear it and follow it.

Spain:
- In the smith’s house, a wooden knife - frequently, experts do not follow or profit from their own skills and advice.
- Opportunity is depicted bald - one should seize opportunity as it comes.
- Fava beans are cooked everywhere - the same things happen everywhere, particularly the bad things.
- When the river rattles is because it carries pebbles - when there’s a rumour, usually there’s some truth to it.
- So much water goes into the jug, that in the end it cracks - every situation has a breaking point. Also a warning not to overload a situation to its breaking point.
- Dog that barks doesn’t bite - he who threatens a lot, frequently doesn’t act on its threat. A similar English version is “a dog’s bark is worse than his bite”.
- The devil knows more for being old than for being a devil - wisdom comes more due to experience than due to a title or profession.
- There’s no ill that may not for good come - the situations that may seem bad sometimes may bring unexpected benefits. A similar English version is “a blessing in disguise”.
- Authors haven’t written about tastes or colours - everybody is free to have their own likes and tastes.
- Better a well-known devil than a saint to be met - It’s better to stay with what’s known than risk it with something new. The English version is “better the devil you know”.
- The fish dies by its mouth - he who speaks too much often makes mistakes that puts him in trouble.
- A tree that’s born crooked, never gets straight - he who develops bad habits from infancy, rarely ever corrects them during his life.
- Bread for today, hunger for tomorrow - something that renders fleeting benefits at present, and may bring ill consequences for the future.

“Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched”

France:
- One swallow doesn’t make a Spring - having a slight indication doesn’t meant that something will crystallize.
- Better to have a bird in hand than a hundred flying - it’s better to have something safe than many things out of reach. A similar English version is “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”.
- Not all wood is fit for arrows - not everyone is appropriate for a job; some have better talents and abilities than others.
- When the pear is ripe, it falls - when the situation is right, things happen all by themselves.

Mexico:
- He who parts and shares takes the best half - he who’s generous with others is fortunate.
- They go see the cactus only when it’s got fruits - those who are grumpy only attract those who are interested in whatever they have.
- He who sows his corn, may eat his pinole - Everyone reaps what they sow, we all receive what we give.

Caribbean:
- As much as the monkey may dress in silk, she remains a monkey  - external appearances do not change people’s natures. Specially applied to women who pretend to be finer than they are.
- The dough ain’t fit for buns - the situation is not appropriate for something.
- The lazy one works double - Those who are lazy usually have to repeat the tasks they did badly the first time, out of laziness.

“Ten men, ten colours”

Adages, proverbs and sayings are colourful sources of popular wisdom and lively reflect the culture of each country and region. Some have even crossed over its geographical borders, with translations in different languages, yet keeping and transmitting their same old wise advice for generations.

Knowing them and applying them to our everyday lives is listening to the voices of the past, allowing the wisdom of this oral tradition to endure over time.