Provençal expression

qu bèn fara, bèn troubara

Wisdom

Literal translation

who does well will find well

Meaning

do good and good will come back to you

Explanation

The saying states, in the form of a short, rhythmic sentence, the principle of a natural justice governing actions: acting well always ends up bringing a benefit in return, as though the world answered in kind to the conduct one shows it. The echoing construction, fara... troubara, two future tenses answering each other from one half of the line to the other, gives the saying the shape of a rhymed proverb, a form much favored in Provençal popular wisdom to ease memorization and oral transmission. The meaning closely matches the equivalent French proverb, nearly identical in form and message, showing how widely this belief in the reward of good deeds travels across cultures with little variation. The verb troubara (will find) does not refer here to discovering an object but to obtaining a favorable outcome, a very common figurative sense of the verb to find in Romance languages. The saying is quoted to encourage someone to act uprightly, implicitly promising them a deserved reward.

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Other expressions on the same theme

fai de bèn à Bertrand, te lou rènd en cagantantdo good to Bertrand, he repays it with ill treatment l'òci es lou paire de toui li viceidleness is the root of all vices es paraulo d'Evangèliit's the gospel truth acò's un conte de Mèste Arnaudit's a tall tale, hard to believe tóuti li cop que dis uno verita ié toumbo un ueievery time he tells the truth it costs him dearly (said of a liar) meno uno vido que lou bon Diéu sauphe leads a life only God could account for