Proverbs were bright shafts in the Greek and Latin quivers.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
What is told into the ear of a man is often heard a hundred miles away.
—Chinese Proverb
Justifying a fault doubles it.
—French Proverb
Firelight will not let you read fine stories but it’s warm and you won’t see the dust on the floor.
—Irish Proverb
A collections of anecdotes and maxims is the greatest of treasures for the man of the world, for he knows how to intersperse conversation with the former in fit places, and to recollect the latter on proper occasions.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
Silence is medication for sorrow.
—Arabic Proverb
Ignorance is not privileged by titular degrees
—Latin Proverb
What is a epigram? A dwarfish whole. Its body brevity, and wit its soul.
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) English Poet, Literary Critic, Philosopher
A dose of adversity is often as needful as a dose of medicine.
—Common Proverb
It is the nature of the ego to take, and the nature of the spirit to share.
—Common Proverb
The tree of revenge does not carry fruit
—Dutch Proverb
A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.
—Spanish Proverb
Although none of the rules for becoming more alive is valid, it is healthy to keep on formulating them.
—Susan Sontag (1933–2004) American Writer, Philosopher
Clear conscience never fears midnight knocking.
—Chinese Proverb
Do not judge your neighbor until you walk two moons in his moccasins.
—American Indian Proverb
They who increase knowledge, increase sorrow
—Common Proverb
Drink nothing without seeing it; sign nothing without reading it
—Spanish Proverb
Take time to smell the roses.
—Common Proverb
If we cannot do what we will, we must will what we can.
—Yiddish Proverb
He who knows nothing neither doubts nor fears anything.
—Mexican Proverb
In shallow holes moles make fools of dragons
—Common Proverb
From the withered tree, a flower blooms.
—Zen Proverb Japanese School of Mahayana Buddhism
God gives all birds their food but does not drop it into their nests
—Danish Proverb
Judge a man by the reputation of his enemies
—Arabic Proverb
A cat bitten once by a snake dreads even rope.
—Arabic Proverb
As the grace of man is in the mind, so the beauty of the mind is eloquence.
—Common Proverb
Love is blind. That is why he always proceeds by the sense of touch.
—French Proverb
To understand your parents’ love you must raise children yourself.
—Chinese Proverb
The house of danger is built upon the borders of safety
—Arabic Proverb
A late Easter, a long cold spring.
—French Proverb
A knife wound heals; a wound caused by words does not
—Turkish Proverb
To regret the past is to forfeit the future.
—Chinese Proverb
Dwell not upon thy weariness, thy strength shall be according to the measure of thy desire.
—Arabic Proverb
Give advice; if people don’t listen, let adversity teach them
—African Proverb
Those who’ll play with cats must expect to be scratched.
—Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) Spanish Novelist
Better a friendly refusal than an unwilling consent.
—Spanish Proverb
Joy and sorrow are next door neighbors
—German Proverb
The one who asks questions doesn’t lose his way
—African Proverb
Bygone troubles are good to tell.
—Yiddish Proverb
A word uttered cannot be taken back
—African Proverb
A proverb is not a proverb to you until life has illustrated it.
—John Keats (1795–1821) English Poet
Charity sees the need, not the cause.
—German Proverb
He who wants Lent to seem short should contract a debt to be repaid at Easter.
—Italian Proverb
Defeat the Defeat before the Defeat Defeat’s you.
—Indian Proverb
With the beauty before me,
May I walk
With beauty behind me,
May I walk
With beauty above me,
May I walk
With beauty below me,
May I walk
With beauty all around me,
May I walk
Wandering on a trail of beauty,
Lively, I walk.
—American Indian Proverb
Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.
—Chinese Proverb
The soldier who retreated 50 paces jeered at the one who retreated 100 paces
—Chinese Proverb
Instead of complaining that the rosebush is full of thorns, be happy that the thorn bush has roses.
—German Proverb
In doing what we ought we deserve no praise, because it is our duty.
—Augustine of Hippo (354–430) Roman-African Christian Philosopher
He who lives by medical prescriptions lives miserably.
—Common Proverb