Provençal proverbs

This collection gathers 169 Provençal proverbs from La Tour-Keyrié, Recueil de proverbes provençaux (1882), a public-domain work digitised by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (Gallica). Each proverb is presented in Maritime Provençal, together with its English translation.

Proverbs are organised by theme. Use the search box or the thematic links below to browse the collection.

Friends

Jan per coumpagnié se bagnavo emé soun auco.John, for the sake of company, bathed with his goose.

Love

Que se marido per amour
A bouono nuech e marrit jour.He who marries for love has a good night and a wretched day.

Animals and Insects

Touto rato que se fiso qu'a n'un trau es lèu presso.Any mouse that trusts in but a single hole is quickly caught. Vai bèn mau dins un oustau
Quand la galino fa lou gau.Things go very ill in a household when the hen plays the cock. Pouerc delicat vèn jamai gras.A finicky pig never grows fat. De tout pèu lia rosso.From every coat there is a jade.

Misers

Tirarié de san d'uno rabo.He would draw blood from a turnip. Es large deis espalo.He is broad in the shoulders.

Witticisms

A mai mes sus la bugado.He has added more to the wash. Grosso testo pau de sen.Big head, little sense.

Food and Drink

A manja de gounflo gusHe has eaten the puff-up-the-poor — he has eaten beans.

Chatterboxes

Paraulo longo fan lei jour court.Long talk makes short days.

Hunting and Fishing

Emé lou tambour l'on pren jamai lèbre.With a drum one never catches a hare. Jamai cassaire
A nourri soun paire.No hunter ever fed his father.

Advice

Qu san trèvo, san devèn.He who keeps company with saints becomes a saint. Se voues saupre ço que fa toun vesin
Coucho-te d'ouro e lèvo-te matin.If you want to know what your neighbour is doing, go to bed early and rise in the morning. Oustau basti, vigno plantado.A house already built, a vineyard already planted. Voulès arresta uno lèbre, marida-la.Would you stop a hare? Marry it. Faire lou bèn e fugi lou mau
Autre sermoun noun vous fau.Do good and shun evil — no other sermon do you need. La semano dei Tenchurié, la semano que vèn.The dyers' week — next week. Garda-vous d'un ome qu'a ren a faire.Beware of a man who has nothing to do. Lause la mar e tente en terro.Praise the sea and keep to dry land. Despènde lou pendu e lou pendu te pendra tu.Cut down the hanged man and the hanged man will hang you. Qu es pas d'un bouon oustau que se lou fague.He who is not from a good house, let him make himself one.

Debtors and Creditors

Conto viei valoun ren per degun.Old accounts are worth nothing to anyone. Tau vai pagara que noun s'en douto.One who suspects nothing will yet pay the price.

Spendthrifts, Gamblers, Drunkards

Vesié des galino a doues testo.He saw two-headed chickens. A coume moussu Rispo manjo de tout.He is like Monsieur Rispe — he eats everything. Faire de blad de luno.To make moonlit wheat. Es lou peirau que mascaro la sartanIt is the cauldron calling the pot black. Lei cau soun mascle, lei resoun soun femello.Blows belong to the man, reasons to the woman. Vau pas lei braio d'un pendu.He is not worth the breeches of a hanged man. Enfant nourri de vin
Raramen fa bouono fin.A child reared on wine seldom comes to a good end. Qu manjo soun capitau
Pren lou camin de l'espitau.He who spends his capital takes the road to the poorhouse. Qu se leisso ana dei doues man es bèn lèu au sau.He who lets himself go with both hands soon ends up on the ground.

Children

Enfant venen, enfant tournan.We come into the world as children and return to childhood in old age. Marrit enfant bouon ome.A wayward child makes a sensible man. Lia ren de pu bèu
Que la graisso souto la pèu.There is nothing more beautiful than fat beneath the skin. Enfant e pasto au soulèu se jalo.Child and dough freeze even in the sun.

Women

Touto femo que landò
Soun oustau brando.Any woman who lingers too long away from home leaves her house on unsteady ground. Lou cat o la femo
Au mai manjo au mai renoThe cat and the woman, the more they eat the more they grumble. Femo daurado
Es lèu counsoulado.A woman laden with gold is quickly consoled. Lei femo noun soun gens.Women are not people. Eco e femo
Lou secrèt li peno.Echo and woman keep a secret with difficulty. De marrido femo gardo-ti bèn,
E de bouono ti fisc en ren.From a bad wife guard yourself well, and from a good one trust not at all. Tèms platela e femo fardado
Soun pas de durado.Sluggish weather and a painted woman are never lasting. Es ni tu, ni vous, la mita de nàni.She is neither here nor there — barely half of nothing. Toutei lei màri que soun counten de soun sort dansarien su lou cuou d'un goubeletAll the husbands who are content with their lot could dance on the bottom of a glass. Es de grano de brès.She is of cradle seed. Lou vèn, la femo e la fourtuno
Soun mouvedis coume la luno.The wind, the woman and fortune are as changeable as the moon.

Girls

Quand uno fiho es maridado, tout lou mounde la vau.Once a girl is married, every man wants her. Qu fiho gardo e pouer meno,
Pau dire qu'es pas senso peno.He who keeps a young girl and herds a pig may well say his lot is no painless one. Fiho que pren, se vènde o se rende.A girl who accepts gifts either sells herself or surrenders herself. Fiho que escouto
Es lèu dessouto.A girl who listens is soon beneath.

Gluttons

Fa pas un repas senso se lipa lei brego.He does not sit down to a meal without licking his lips. Voudrié mai lou carga que de lou rempli.It would cost less to carry him than to fill him. Tout fa ventre
Mai que noun sente.Anything fills the belly, provided it does not smell.

Historical

Se voues un couquin, vai lou cerca a Grasso.If you want a rogue, go look for one in Grasse. Sabès pas mounte l'esclop mi fai mau.You do not know where the clog pinches me. Cadet de Prouvènço
D'argènt es senso.A younger son of Provence is without money.

Clothes, Footwear and Grooming

La barbo bèn souvènt
Arribo avans lou sen.The beard very often arrives before good sense.

The Moon

Quand per Nouvè lia ges de luno
Quau a doues cabro n'en vènde uno.When at Christmas there is no moon, he who has two goats sells one. Luno rousso
Rousti lei pousso.The red moon scorches the new shoots. Jalado de luno rousso,
De la planto rouino la pousso.A frost under the red moon ruins the shoots of the plant.

Sundials

Badau fai toun camin.Gawker, go your way. Souvènt-te jouven
Que passan coume lou vèn.Remember, young man, that we pass like the wind.

Masters and Servants

Es pas nourriço de naturo
Mai nourriço de pasturo.She is not a nurse by nature, but a nurse for pay. Acò li vai coume la paio eis aseIt suits him as straw suits donkeys. Escoubo novo fa bèu sau.A new broom sweeps a fine floor. Per la douçour es Jan trepasso.In gentleness he is the ne plus ultra.

The Unfortunate

Au peirau dei doulour cadun a soun escudelloAt the cauldron of sorrows, each has his bowl. Paureta meno lagno.Poverty breeds ill humour. Es un tirasso malur.He is a dragging misfortune. Diéu a pas fa toutei lei paureGod has not made all the poor. L'esperanço es lou pan dei malurous.Hope is the bread of the wretched. L'ome mandat es un aucèu en gabiolo.A married man is a bird in a cage.

Months and Days

Per Santo Madaleno
Lei nose soun pleno.By Saint Madeleine's Day, the walnuts are full. Au mes de mars
Lou calen es en bas.In the month of March the hanging lamp hangs low. Au mes de setèmbre
Lou calen es a pèndre.In the month of September the hanging lamp is to be suspended. A Nouvè 'me tei paren, a Pasco 'me toun cura.At Christmas with your kin, at Easter with your priest. Au mes de mai.
Pas mai.In the month of May, no more. Au mes de jun
Counsultes degun.In the month of June, consult no one.

Husbands, Fathers, Mothers

Quand lou paire douno au fiéu
Ris lou paire, ris lou fiéu.
Mai quand lou fiéu douno au paire
Plouro lou fiéu, plouro lou paire.When the father gives to the son, father laughs and son laughs; but when the son gives to the father, son weeps and father weeps. Un ome de paio vau uno femo d'or.A man of straw is worth a woman of gold.

Medicine and Doctors

Emé encaro un gavèu es cue.One more vine-shoot and he is done for. La fauto dèi medecin, la terro lei cuerbe.The earth covers the mistakes of physicians. Es ana fuma lei mauvo.He has gone to smoke the mallows. Paciènci es la medecino dei paure.Patience is the medicine of the poor.

Simpletons

Es un gros Darnagas.He is a great blockhead. Vous lacho lei resoun coume leis ai lei pet.He flings his reasons at you as donkeys let fly their wind. Lou fourrié pas fouesso fusteja per n'en faire un imbecile.It would take little whittling to turn him into an imbecile. A coume lei testo de moutoun, ris de soun malur.He is like sheep's heads — he grins at his own misfortune. Davans que se siegue boulega, aurias tua un ase a cau de poun.Before he has stirred himself, you could have beaten a donkey to death with your fists. Es bèsti de naturo,
Sau pas legi soun escrituro.He is dull by nature — he cannot even read his own handwriting.

Gold and Silver

Qu se vai sente se vai manja.He who has money spends it. La pèiro toumbo toujour au clapié.The stone always falls on the heap. Noun es pas riche qu a de bèn, mai aquéu que se countento.Rich is not he who has wealth, but he who knows how to be content.

The Proud

Aquéu a pèu e mecho.That one has the luck of the draw. Es gounfle coume un perus.He is puffed up like a muscat pear. Peto din sa pèu.He is bursting in his own skin.

Trades, Farmers, Workers

Es un pesca borni.It is a trade that needs but one eye. Qu pinto, vènde.He who advertises, sells.

Philosophers

Aquéu a la sentido.That one has the nose for it. De segnour, de ribiero e de gran camin
Fa pas bouon èstre vesin.Lords, rivers and high roads make bad neighbours. Tau paire, tau flou.Like father, like son. Qu bèn fara,
Bèn trouvara,
lèu vau a la messo.Do well and you shall find good — as for me, I am off to mass. Qu avalo amar pau pas escupi dous.He who swallows bitter cannot spit sweet. Es pas bèu ço qu'es bèu, mai es bèu ço qu'agrado.Beauty is not what is fair, but what pleases. Sen e jouven
Vai gaire ensèn.Good sense and youth seldom go together. Fouesso e bèn
Noun se counvèn.Much and well do not go hand in hand. Qu san trèvo
San devèn.He who keeps company with saints becomes a saint. Lou pus gros mouloun tiro.The larger heap draws in the smaller. La Mar fa de riche e de paureThe Sea makes men rich and men poor. Qu noun fa quand pau,
Noun fa quand vau.He who will not act when he can shall not act when he wishes.

The Lazy and the Fearful

Pren uno paio per un saumié.He mistakes a straw for a beam. Acò li vèn dau pedas.That goes back to his swaddling clothes. Es propre coume la barro d'un galinié.He is as clean as the perch of a henhouse. Garo bouon ten.He who drives away fine weather.

Lawsuits and Lawyers

Bouon avoucat, marrit vesin.A good lawyer makes a bad neighbour. Au mai pènde
Au mai rende.The longer it hangs, the more it yields. Qu a proucès a besoun de tres cavo : de paciènci, d'ami, e d'argènt.He who has a lawsuit needs three things: patience, friends and money. Qu a fa la lei a fa l'engàmbi.He who made the law also made the means to evade it.

The Prodigal

Ten qu ten, reno que reno.Hold what you hold, and let him grumble who will.

Rich and Poor

Se pigno pas 'me un fus.He does not comb his hair with a spindle. Se mando pas la man au sen per uno niero.He does not put his hand in his breast for the sake of a flea. Lou Bouon-Diéu fa pas toutei lei paure.The good Lord does not make all the poor. Paureta meno lagno.Poverty breeds trouble. Quand lou paure douno au riche, lou diable s'en ris.When the poor man gives to the rich, the devil laughs. Ren emé ren fa pas bouono figuro.Nothing with nothing makes no fine figure. Riche e fouel fa ço que vau.Rich and foolish does as he pleases.

Religion

A coume lou dimècre es toujour au mitan.He is like Wednesday — always in the middle. Es laido coume un pecat.She is as ugly as sin. Quand plòu su lou cura, degouto su lou vicàri.When it rains on the priest, it drips on the curate. Es jamai tard quand Diéu ajudo.It is never too late when God helps. Qu'emé Diéu counfiso ren noun perde.He who trusts in God loses nothing.

The Weather

Se toutei lei gau cantoun en meme tèms fara jamai jou.If all the cocks crow at the same time, it will never be daybreak. Lei jou de nèblo se cauco.On foggy days the grain is trodden. Lei plueio de san Miquèu
Soun jamai restado au cèu.The rains of Saint Michael's Day (29 September) have never yet stayed in the sky. Au jou de l'an
Lei jou creissoun dau repas d'un can.On New Year's Day the days lengthen by a cock's meal. Rouge de sero
Bèu tèms espero,
Rouge de matin
Plueio per camin.Red at evening means fair weather ahead; red in the morning means rain on the way. Rouge de sero, blanc dau matin,
Es lou journau dau pelerin.Red at evening, white in the morning — that is the pilgrim's almanac.

Deceivers and the Vain

Es un marchan de mouert subito.He is a peddler of sudden death.

Wine

Marchan de vin,
Marchan mesquin.A wine merchant is an unlucky merchant. L'aigo gasto lou vin,
La carreto lou camin,
E la femo l'ome.Water ruins the wine, the cart ruins the road, and the woman ruins the man.

Thieves

Misè Durènço.A name given to a woman who sweeps up everything in her path, as the Durance does when it floods. Qu raubo per leis autre es pendu per éu.He who steals for others is hanged for himself. Faire cadaulo.To turn the latch.

Miscellaneous

Uno bouono bugadiero
A toujour espousca sa pariero.A good washerwoman has always splashed her neighbour. Chin en vido vau miés que lien mouert.A live dog is worth more than a dead lion. A uno bravo cagno.He has a fine cool nerve. A san Miquèu
Lei figo soun per leis aucèu.At Saint Michael's Day the figs belong to the birds. Faire uno cagado.To make a blunder, to do a foolish thing. Es un tro bèl aglan per un tant foutu pouer.It is too fine an acorn for such a wretched pig. Mando li su la testo un passarés.Send a chamber pot down on his head. Faire San-Miquèu.To do Saint Michael's. Es sot coume un panié.He is as dull as a basket. A me lou pèd din lou Mourrau.He has put his foot in the trap. Lou goi disié au troussa coume ti vai.The lame man said to the twisted one: how are you? Lou sang sanguino.Blood draws the one in whom blood holds sway. A pichot pèd jamai grosso sabato li vai bèn.On a small foot, a large shoe never fits well. L'aigo fai veni pouli.Water makes things grow fair. Parte pas toujour quand embasto.He does not always leave on the day he puts his boots on. Vau miés èstre couioun qu'avugle : l'on ve sèi parié.Better to be a fool than blind — at least you can see your fellow fools. Qu vau leis aubado fau que pague lei tambourin.He who wants the serenades must pay the drummers. Es dur coume l'amo dau diable.He is as hard as the devil's soul. Es empacha coume un gau din l'estoupo.He is as tangled up as a cock in tow. Faire soun penequet.To take a little nap, on a chair for instance, during the day. Qu trau embrasso manque lou trin.He who grasps too much misses the train. S'es foundu coume un aiòli.He has melted away like an aioli.