Provençal expression

Vau mai èstre ami de luen qu'enemi de proche

Wisdom

Literal translation

It is worth more to be a friend from afar than an enemy nearby.

Meaning

better a distant friend than a nearby enemy

Explanation

Better a friend from afar than an enemy nearby. This proverb of social caution favours distant friendship over close enmity.

Browse all 457 Provençal expressions

Other expressions on the same theme

au mai anavo la vieio, au mai appreniéthe older the woman grew, the more she learned vau mai un fais ben lia que dous mal astacaone well-tied bundle beats two poorly fastened ones fin emé fin valon rèn pèr doublurotwo clever schemers cancel each other out i pu fin li braio ié toumboneven the cleverest can slip up lou monde es uno escalo que mounto, que devalothe world is a ladder, some climb up, some come down Fauto de tourdre, l'on manjo de merlebeggars can't be choosers