Literal translation
the truth is like oil, it always comes back on top
Meaning
the truth always rises to the surface in the end
Explanation
Verita means truth, òli means oil, and revèn means comes back; la verita a coumo l'òli, revèn toujou dessus thus literally translates as truth has it like oil, it always comes back on top, an image drawn from the well-known physical fact that oil, being lighter than water, always rises back to the surface of a liquid it has been mixed into. In use, the expression asserts that the truth always comes out in the end, whatever effort is spent hiding it: just as oil resurfaces despite being stirred in, lies or concealment eventually give way to the real facts. The word dessus, meaning on top, above, does not appear as a standalone entry in the reference dictionaries; it belongs to the stock of everyday words shared with regional French, a common form requiring no separate verification. The register is proverbial and sententious, close to a moral maxim, used to reassure or warn that the truth, sooner or later, always comes to light.