Envy shoots at others and wounds itself.
—English Proverb
Separation secures manifest friendship
—Indian Proverb
God gives all birds their food but does not drop it into their nests
—Danish Proverb
Rebuke with soft words and hard arguments.
—Common Proverb
Even when throwing in the river, measure what you throw
—Indian Proverb
Eat little, sleep sound
—Persian Proverb
Charity looks at the need and not at the cause.
—Hebrew Proverb
Don’t think there are no crocodiles because the water is calm.
—Malaysian Proverb
To him who is determined it remains only to act.
—Italian Proverb
With much wealth comes many worries
—Hebrew Proverb
Never advise anyone to go to war or to get married.
—Spanish Proverb
Too much luck is bad luck
—German Proverb
Life is not a continuum of pleasant choices, but of inevitable problems that call for strength, determination, and hard work
—Indian Proverb
Burgundy for Kings, Champagne for Duchesses, and claret for Gentlemen
—French Proverb
All sunshine makes the desert.
—Arabic Proverb
Fall seven times and stand up eight.
—Japanese Proverb
Books and proverbs receive their chief value from the stamp and esteem of ages through which they have passed.
—William Temple (1881–1944) British Clergyman, Theologian
Lawless are they that make their wills their law.
—Spanish Proverb
It is impossible to overdo luxury
—French Proverb
A short saying oft contains much wisdom.
—Sophocles (495–405 BCE) Ancient Greek Dramatist
When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other.
—Chinese Proverb
Love me when I least deserve it, because that’s when I really need it.
—Swedish Proverb
Only a fool tests the depth of the water with both feet.
—African Proverb
He who suffers much will know much
—Greek Proverb
He who cannot dance says the stage is not ready
—Indian Proverb
After dinner sit a while, and after supper walk a mile.
—English Proverb
A merry heart does good like medicine.
—Common Proverb
A secret is like a dove: when it leaves my hand it takes wing.
—Arabic Proverb
Before you love, Learn to run through the snow Leaving no footprint
—Turkish Proverb
Better a friendly refusal than an unwilling consent.
—Spanish Proverb
A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.
—Greek Proverb
He who conquers his anger has conquered an enemy
—German Proverb
Defeat the Defeat before the Defeat Defeat’s you.
—Indian Proverb
Roses fall, but the thorns remain.
—Dutch Proverb
Prayers go up and blessings come down.
—Yiddish Proverb
The cat loves fish, but she’s loath to wet her feet.
—Common Proverb
Ignorance is not privileged by titular degrees
—Latin Proverb
Proverbs are short sentences drawn from long experience.
—Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) Spanish Novelist
I want nothing to do with any religion concerned with keeping the masses satisfied to live in hunger, filth, and ignorance. I want nothing to do with any order, religious or otherwise, which does not teach people that they are capable of becoming happier and more civilized, on this earth, capable of becoming true man, ‘master of his fate and captain of his soul’.
—Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964) Indian Head of State
It is well to remember that there are five reasons for drinking: the arrival of a friend, one’s present or future thirst, the excellence of the wine, or any other reason.
—Latin Proverb
If we cannot do what we will, we must will what we can.
—Yiddish Proverb
Don’t speak unless you can improve on the silence.
—Spanish Proverb
Hunger is the best sauce.
—Common Proverb
Making the beginning is one third of the work.
—Irish Proverb
By learning you will teach, by teaching you will learn.
—Latin Proverb
To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping
—Chinese 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
The tree of revenge does not carry fruit
—Dutch Proverb
In time of prosperity friends will be plenty; In time of adversity not one in twenty.
—James Howell (c.1593–1666) Anglo-Welsh Writer, Historian
No one tests the depth of a river with both feet.
—African Proverb