Italy Revisited by Mary Melfi

Folk Sayings on Fortune and Fate
Italy - Pre 1969 or Around the World, Click here

Italy

Date: Centuries-old

Notes: The following list of Italian proverbs and sayings about fate and fortune was taken from the book, "Proverbi Spiegati al Popolo" edited by Fanny Ghedini Bortolotti (Milan: Treves, 1869). The translations were done by Mary Melfi with help from Google's free translation service at www.translate.google.com. For Bortollotti's copyright-free text visit www.archive.org.

2. E. Those who help themselves, God helps.
I. Aiutati che io ti aiuterd (dice il Signore), ovvero:
chi si aiuta, Dio l'aiuta.

13. E. By falling we learn to stand up.
I. A furia di cadere s'impara a stare in piedi.

14. E. Those who prick themselves with a needle, learn to sew. (Learn by doing).
I. Chi si punge impara a cucire.

17. E. Who goes fast, goes slowly.
I. Chi ha fretta vada adagio.

19. E. Who goes slowly, goes far and in one piece.
I. Chi va piano, va sano e va lontano.

20. E. Embrace those who want to make a good voyage.
I. S'imbarchi adagio chi vuole buon viaggio.

24. E. Diligence is the mother of prosperity.
I. La vigilanza e la madre della prosperita.

25. E. Who has time doesn't wait for it.
I. Chi ha tempo non aspetti tempo.

31. E. It is easier to tell who is a liar than who is a cripple.
I. Si conosce piu presto un bugiardo che uno zoppo.

32. E. Who is a liar is a thief.
I. Chi e bugiardo e ladro.

40. E. Poverty can turn one into a coward.
I. Poverta fa vilta.

45. E. When you need something badly, honestly goes out the window.
I. Quando il bisogno picchia all' uscio, l'onesta
si butta dalla finestra.

46. E. Who has not, is not.
I. Chi non ha, non e.

51. E. Having a crazy person in one's own house is more valuable than have ten wise ones in in some else's house.
I. Val piu un matto in casa sua, che dieci savi in casa altrui.

63. E. Praise the sea, and wait by the shore.
I. Loda il mare e attienti al lido.

64. E. God sees and will provide for.
I. Dio vede e Dio provede.

65. E. God sends the cold according to the clothes.
I. Dio manda il freddo secondo le vesti.

66. E. Not a leaf moves that God does not want it to.
I. Non si muove foglia che Dio non voglia.

68. E. The devil's flour goes into the bran.
I. La farina del diavolo va tutta in crusca.

69. E. The devil teaches you to steal, but not how to hide.
I. II diavolo insegna a rubare, ma non a na-
scondere.

70. E. The devil teaches you how to act, but not how to endure.
I. II diavolo insegna a fare, ma non a durare.

71. E. The devil can make the pot, but not the lid.
I. II diavolo sa fare la pignatta, ma non il coperchio.

72. E. Who is not afraid of the devil is not lucky in life.
I. Chi ha paura del diavolo non fa fortuna.

74. E. He who wants too much, doesn't get anything.
I. Chi troppo vuole, nieote ha.

76. E. Who pulls too hard, breaks.
I. Chi troppo tira, rompe.

80. E. Who endures win.
I. Chi dura , vince.

81. E. The man who is strong does not lose his fortune.
I. Uomo che dura non perde sua ventura.

82. E. Those who persevere get work.
I. L'ostinato vince lavaro.

83. E. The continuous drop eventually cracks the rock.
I. La goccia continua rompe la pietra.

85. E. The habit does not make the monk.
I. La tonaca non fa il monaco.

86. E. All that glitters is not gold.
I. Tutto cio che luce non e oro.

87. E. Looks can be deceiving.
I. L'apparenza inganna.

88. E. Trust is good, not to trust is better.
I. Fidarsi e bene, non fidarsi e meglio.

91. E. He who digs a pit for others will fall in it.
I. Chi scava la fossa agli altri, vi cade pel
primo.

92. E. What does it, can expect it (What goes around, comes around).
I. Chi la fa, l'aspetti.

93. E. Deception rules in the house of the ignorant.
I. L'inganno torna in casa dell'ingannatore.

94. E. What you sow, you reap.
I. Come si sparge tal si raccoglie.

96. E. Who doesn't know how to sow, reaps nothing.
I. Chi male semina, rnab miete.

100. E. He who leaves the old road for the new, regrets it if he has to return.
I. Chi lascia la via vecchia per la nuova, pen-
tito si ritrova.

102. E. Money and holiness, half of half.
I. Denari e santita, meta della meta.

103. E. Joke with the knaves, and leave alone the saints.
I. Scherza coi fanti e lascia stare i santi.

106. E. Only God has no faults.
I. Senza difetti non v'e che Dio.

142. E. Those who cannot pretend, cannot reign.
I. Chi non sa fingere, non sa regnare.

145. E. Arms bring peace.
I. L'armi portan pace.

146. E. Who does only for himself, is lost.
I. Chi fa per se, fa pertre.

165. E. Don't start playing if you don't want to take any risks.
I. Non ti mettere a giocare, se non vuoi pericolare.

166. E. Wins by himself who does not play.
I. Vince solo chi non gioca.

175. E. Who works has a hump, and who steals has clothing.
I. Chi lavora fa la gobba, e chi ruba fa la robba.

Contributed by: English translations, Mary Melfi; Italian text, courtesy of www.archive.org

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Italy

Date: Centuries-old

Notes: The following proverb was taken from the book, "Proverbi verificat per l'esperienza cotidiana" by Giuseppe Maria Mitelli (Augsburg: Kolb, 1718).

I. Chi ben comincia ha la meta deli opra ne si cominicia ben se non dal cielo.
E. He has begun the deed has put into motion that which cannot be done in the sky.