Though
silent, they cry aloud. (Dum tacent, clamant.) –Inscription on a monument to
Union soldiers in a New Orleans cemetery
Know
thyself. –On the oracle’s temple at Delphi
Do
not look where you fell but where you slipped. –African
No
one tests the depth of a river with both feet. –African
Whether
the knife falls on the melon or the melon on the knife, the melon suffers. –African
All
sunshine makes the desert. –Arab
Death
was afraid of him because he had the heart of a lion. –Arab
Make
your bargain before beginning to plough. –Arab
If
you wish to drown, do not torture yourself with shallow water. –Bulgarian
Crows
are black all the world over. –Chinese
To
see what is right and not to do it is the part of a coward. –Chinese
Who
must die must die in the dark, even though he sells candles. –Colombian
Do
not be in a hurry to tie what you cannot untie. –English
Don’t
halt before you are lame. –English
For
whom does the blind man’s wife paint herself? –English
Go
not to Hell for company. –English
Still
waters run deep. –English
Write
down the advice of him who loves you, though you like it not at present. –English
(Qui
s’excuse, s’accuse.)
He who makes excuses, accuses himself. –French
He
who can lick can bite. –French
Skeptics
are never deceived. –French
To
want to forget something is to think of it. –French
Whoever
profits by the crime is guilty of it. –French
(Cead
Mile Failte!)
100,000 welcomes! -Gaelic
(Go
mbeirimid beo ar an am seo aris.)
May we be alive at the same time next year. -Gaelic
(Slainte!)
To your health! –Gaelic
(Besser
stumm als dumm.)
Better silent than stupid. –German
Do
not ask a blind man which way is the right way. –German
(Ewig
ist ein langer Kauf.)
Forever is a long bargain. –German
If
there is a hell, Rome is built on top of it. –German
Never
give advice unless asked. –German
(Keine
Antwort ist auch eine Antwort.)
No answer is also an answer. –German
Old
thieves make good jailers. –German
The
devil catches most souls in a golden net. –German
The
devil is civil when he is flattered. –German
The
morning hour has gold in its mouth. –German
The
only real equality is in the cemetery. –German
(Es
sind nicht alle Koche, die lange Messer tragen.)
They are not all cooks who carry long knives. –German
When
a dove begins to associate with crows its feathers remain white but its heart
grows black. –German
When
the fox preaches, look to your geese. –German
Who
does not punish evil invites it. –German
Who
has lost his freedom has nothing else to lose. –German
Don’t
shake hands too eagerly. –Greek
Gray
hair is a sign of age, not of wisdom. –Greek
To
forgive everyone is as much cruelty as to forgive no one. –Greek
God
burdens no man beyond his power. –Indian
If
you live in the river, you should make friends with the crocodile. –Indian
Better
be quarreling than lonesome. –Irish
Sleep
sweet within this room, whoe’er thou art, and let not dreams of yesterday
disturb thy heart, nor let tomorrow with its fears of coming ill.
Thy awaker is thy changeless friend, his love surrounds thee still.
The stars are watching overhead.
Put out each earthborne light.
Sleep sweet, good night. –Irish
The
Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be
gracious unto thee. –Irish
Everyone
thinks that his own cross is heaviest. –Italian
He
that is afraid of the devil does not get rich. –Italian
If
you try to be too sharp, you will cut yourself. –Italian
Since
the house is on fire, let us warm ourselves. –Italian
Beware
of him who has nothing to lose. –Italian
When
the game is over, the king and pawn go into the same box. –Italian
Drink
and sing, an inch before us is black night. –Japanese
Fall
seven times, get up eight. –Japanese
The
reverse side also has its reverse side. –Japanese
A
man is not honest simply because he never had a chance to steal. –Jewish
If
charity cost nothing, the world would be full of philanthropists. –Jewish
If
prayer did any good, they’d be hiring men to pray. –Jewish
Locks
keep out only the honest. –Jewish
The
charming don’t have to be beautiful. –Jewish
What
you don’t see with your eyes, don’t witness with your mouth. –Jewish
Remember,
even monkeys fall out of trees. –Korean
(Amphora
sub veste numquam poratur honeste.)
A jug is never carried under one’s coat for an honest reason. –Latin
(Ad
astra per aspera.)
A rough way leads to the stars. –Latin
(Ad
finum esto fidelis.)
Be faithful to the end. -Latin
Believe
nothing and be on your guard against everything. –Latin
(Primum
non nocere)
First do no harm. –Latin medical proverb
If
there is no wind, row. –Latin
If
the wind will not serve, take to the oars. –Latin
In
doing what we ought, we deserve no praise. –Latin
In
vino veritas.
In cerversio felicitas. -Latin
Keep
quiet and people will think you are a philosopher. –Latin
Live
your own life, for you will die your own death. –Latin
Nothing
is certain except the past. –Latin
Revenge
is a confession of pain. –Latin
To
accept a benefit is to sell one’s freedom. –Latin
(Veritas
temporis filia.)
Truth is the daughter of time. –Latin
(Sub
omni lapide scorpio dormit.)
Under every rocks sleeps a scorpion.-Latin
(Nascentes
morimur, findique an origine pendet.)
We start to die when we are born, and the end depends on the beginning. –Latin
Turn
your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. –Maori
Every
man goes down to his death bearing in his hands only that which he has given
away. –Persian
To
spare the ravening leopard is an act of injustice to the sheep. –Persian
Use
your enemy’s hand to catch a snake. -Persian
That
which everybody guards will soon disappear. –Polish
Watch
the faces of those who bow low. –Polish
Stumbling
is not falling. –Portuguese
Not
every crusader is a saint. –Russian
The
wolf will hire himself out very cheaply as a shepherd. –Russian
You
can outdistance that which is running after you, but you can never outdistance
that which is running inside of you. –Russian
A
man is a lion in his own cause. –Scottish
Be
happy while you’re living, for you’re a long time dead. –Scottish
The
devil’s boots don’t creak. –Scottish
Speak
the truth, but leave immediately after. –Slovenian
Danger
and delight grow on one stalk. –Spanish
(En
boca cerrada no entran moscas.)
If you keep your mouth shut the flies won’t get in. -Spanish
(No
es lo mismo hablar de toros que estar en el redonel.)
It is not the same to talk of bulls as to be in the bullring. –Spanish
(No
se puede repicar y andar en la procesion.)
One can’t ring the bells and walk in the procession. –Spanish
They
are all honest men, but my cloak can’t be found. –Spanish
To
tell a woman what she may not do is to tell her what she can. –Spanish
Whoever
gossips to you will gossip of you. –Spanish
He
who would speak the truth must have one foot in the stirrup. –Turkish
No
matter how far you have gone on a wrong end, turn back. –Turkish
Trust
in Allah but tie up your camel. –Turkish
Three
things to avoid: a strange dog, a flood, and a man who thinks he is wise. –Welsh
A
fool is his own informer. –Yiddish
Come
for your inheritance and you may have to pay for the funeral. –Yiddish
He
who is known as an early riser can stay in bed until noon. –Yiddish
If
you can’t bite, don’t show your teeth. –Yiddish
One
good deed has many claimants. –Yiddish
When
one must, one can. –Yiddish