Literal translation
from running too much, you then break your snout
Meaning
run too hard and you'll fall flat on your face
Explanation
This proverb warns against the consequences of excessive haste or a pace pushed too hard, which sooner or later leads to a painful failure. Literally, a forço de trop courre, vous roumpès pièi lou mourre translates as from running too much, you then break your snout: the image, very concrete and physical, describes the inevitable fall of someone running too fast without watching where they place their feet, hurting their face as they hit the ground head on. The word mourre, naming the snout or face of an animal as much as a person, adds a familiar and slightly comic note to the warning. The analogy extends to ventures pursued with reckless haste, where the initial rush sets up the eventual failure. The register belongs to folk wisdom, used to recommend moderation and patience. It matches the French saying about pacing one's mount to travel far.