A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs Comprising French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese and Danish, with English Translations and a General Index

Part 20

Chapter 204,181 wordsPublic domain

Quan léjos de ojo, tan léjos de corazon. _Out of sight, out of mind._

Quanto sabes no dirás, quanto vés no juzgarás, si quieres vivir en paz. _Tell not all you know, nor judge of all you see, if you would live in peace._

Quatro cosas sacan al hombre de tino, la muger, el tabaco, naypes y vino. _Four things put a man beside himself—women, tobacco, cards, and wine._

Quebrarse un ojo para sacar à otro los dos. _To lose one eye that you may deprive another of two._

Quebrasteme la cabeza, y ahora me untas el casco. _You have broken my head and now you bring plaister._

Quebreme el pie, quizá por bien. _I broke my leg, perhaps for my good._

Quem jugata co ferro, jugata co demo. _He who plays with a sword plays with the devil._ (Galician.)

Quem mal quer os seus, no querrá ben os alleus. _He that is unkind to his own will not be kind to others._ (Galician.)

Queso de ovejas, leche de cabras, manteca de vacas. _Cheese from the ewe, milk from the goat, butter from the cow._

Qui barat, el cap se grat. _He who hunts after bargains will scratch his head._ (Catalan.)

Qui de tot es moll, de tot es foll. _Who is tender in everything is a fool in everything._ (Catalan.)

Quien abrojos siembra espinas coje. _He who sows brambles reaps thorns._ (_As you sow, so you shall reap._)

Quien acecha por agujero, ve su duelo. _He who peeps through a hole will discover his dole._ (_Harm watch, harm catch._)

Quien adelante no mira, atras se queda. _He who does not look before lags behind._

Quien á dos señores ha de servir, al uno ha de mentir. _He who has two masters to serve must lie to one of them._

Quien al cielo escupe, en la cara le cae. _He who spits above himself will have it fall on his face._

Quien á los veinte no entiende, á treinta no sabe y á quarenta no tiene, ruin vejez le espera. _He who at twenty understands nothing, at thirty knows nothing, and at forty has nothing, will lead a wretched old age._

Quien amaga y no da, miedo ha. _He who threatens to strike, and does not, is afraid._

Quien a mano agena espera, mal yanta y peor cena. _He who lives in hopes, breakfasts ill and sups worse._

Quien á muchos amos sirve á alguno ha de hacer falta. _He who serves many masters must neglect some of them._

Quien anda al reves, anda al camino dos veces. _He who takes the wrong road must make his journey twice over._

Quien á su enemigo popa, á sus manos muere. _He who makes light of his enemy dies by his hand._

Quien á su muger no honra, á si mismo deshonra. _He who does not honour his wife, dishonours himself._

Quien á su perro quiere matar, rabia le ha de levantar. _He who wants to kill his dog has only to say he is mad._

Quien á treinta no asesa, no comprará dehesa. _He who at thirty has no brains, will never purchase an estate._

Quien a veinte no es galan, ni á treinta tiene fuerza, ni á quarenta riqueza, ni á cincuenta esperiencia, ni será galan, ni fuerte, ni rico, ni prudente. _He that is not gallant at twenty, strong at thirty, rich at forty, or experienced at fifty, will never be gallant, strong, rich, or prudent._

Quien bien ama, tarde olvida. _He who loves well is slow to forget._

Quien bien ata, bien desata. _He that ties well, unties well. (Safe bind, safe find.)_

Quien bien bayla, de boda en boda se anda. _He who dances well goes from wedding to wedding._

Quien bien quiere á Beltran, bien quiere á su can. _He who loves Bertrand loves his dog. (Love me, love my dog)._

Quien bien quiere á Pedro, no hace mal á su perro. _He who loves Peter won’t harm his dog._

Quien bien quiere, bien obedece. _He who loves well, obeys well._

Quien bien quiere, de léjos ve. _A well-wisher sees from afar._

Quien bien siembra, bien coge. _He who sows well, reaps well._

Quien bien te hará, ó se te muere, ó se te va. _He who does good to you either dies or goes away._

Quien bueyes ha perdido, cencerros se le antojan. _He who has lost his oxen is always hearing bells._

Quien busca halla. _He who seeks, finds._

Quien calla, otorga. _Silence gives consent._

Quien calla piedras apaña. _He who is silent gains store._

Quien canta, sus males espanta. _Who sings, drives away care._

Quien come la carne que roa el hueso. _He who eats the meat let him pick the bone._

Quien come y condensa, dos veces pone la mesa. _He who eats and puts by, has sufficient for two meals._

Quien come y dexa, dos veces pone la mesa. _A penny spared is a penny saved._

Quien compra cavallo, compra cuidado. _He who buys a horse buys care._

Quien compra y vende lo que gasta no siente. _He who buys and sells does not feel what he spends._

Quien con el viejo burló, primero rió y después lloro. _He who made fun of the old man, laughed at first and cried afterwards._

Quien con lobos anda, á aullar se enseña. _He who goes with wolves learns to howl._

Quien con perros se echa, con pulgas se levanta. _He who lies down with dogs gets up with fleas._

Quien con ropa agena se viste, en la calle se queda en cuerpo. _Who arrays himself in other men’s garments is stripped on the highway._

Quien con tosco ha de entender, mucho seso ha menester. _He who has to deal with a blockhead has need of much brains._

Quien da lo suyo ántes de su muerte, que le den con un mazo en la frente. _Who gives what he has before he is dead, take a mallet and knock that fool on the head._

Quien da presto, da dos veces. _He gives twice who gives in a trice._

Quien de ageno se viste, en la calle le desnudan. _He who dresses in others’ clothes will be undressed on the highway._

Quien del alacran está picado, la sombra le espanta. _He who has been stung by the scorpion is frightened at its shadow._

Quien de locura enfermó, tarde sanó. _Whoever falls sick of folly, is long in getting cured._

Quien desalaba la cosa ese la compra. _He who finds fault wants to buy._

Quien desparte lleva la peor parte. _He who divides gets the worst share._

Quien de todos es amigo, ó es muy pobre, ó es muy rico. _He who is everybody’s friend is either very poor or very rich._

Quien dice lo que quiere, oye lo que no quiere. _He who says what he likes, hears what he don’t like._

Quien dice lo suyo, mal callará lo ageno. _He who tells his own secret will hardly keep another’s._

Quien dineros y pan tiene, consuegra con quien quiere. _He who has both money and bread, may choose with whom his daughter to wed._

Quien echa agua en la garrafa de golpe, mas derrama que ella coje. _He who pours water hastily into a bottle spills more than goes in._

Quien el aceyte mesura, las manos se unta. _He who measures oil greases his hands._

Quien en la plaza á labrar se mete, muchos adestradores tiene. _He who works on the highway will have many advisers._

Quien en un año quiere ser rico, al medio le ahorcan. _He who wants to be rich in a year comes to the gallows in half a year._

Quien en una piedra dos veces tropieza, no es maravilla se quiebre la cabeza. _No wonder if he breaks his head who stumbles twice over one stone._

Quien escucha, su mal oye. _Listeners hear no good of themselves._

Quien esta en su tienda, no le achacan que se halló en la contienda. _He that minds his business at home, will not be accused of taking part in the fray._

Quien estropieza y no cae, en su paso añade. _He who stumbles and does not fall mends his pace._

Quién es tu enemigo? Hombre de tu oficio. _Who is your enemy? A man of your own trade._

Quién es tu enemigo? El de tu oficio. _Two of a trade can never agree._

Quien feo ama, hermoso le parece. _She who loves an ugly man thinks him handsome._

Quien fia ó promete, en deuda se mete. _He who pledges or promises runs in debt._

Quien guarda halla. _He who saves, finds._

Quien guarda su poridad escusa mucho mal. _He who keeps his own secret avoids much mischief._

Quien hace lo que quiere, no hace lo que debe. _He who does what he likes, does not what he ought._

Quien hace por comun, hace por ningun. _He who gives to the public, gives to no one._

Quien hace un cesto, hará ciento. _He that makes one basket can make a hundred._

Quien ha criados, ha enemigos no escusados. _He who has servants has unavoidable enemies._

Quien ha de echar el cascabel al gato? _Who is to bell the cat?_

Quien ha de llevar el gato al agua? _Who is to carry the cat to the water?_

Quien la fama ha perdido, muerto anda en la vida. _He who has lost his reputation is a dead man among the living._

Quien la miel menea, siempre se le pega de ella. _He that stirs honey will have some of it stick to him._

Quien la raposa ha de engañar, cumplele madrugar. _He who would cheat the fox must rise early._

Quien las cosas mucho apura, no tiene vida segura. _Who is always prying into other men’s affairs, leads a dangerous life._

Quien las sabe, las tañe. _Let him play the instrument who knows how._

Quien la vaca del rey come flaca, gorda la paga. _He who eats the king’s cow lean, pays for it fat._

Quien lazo me armó, en él cayó. _He who laid a snare for me has fallen into it._

Quien lejos va a casar, ó va engañado ó va á engañar. _He who goes far from home to marry, goes either to deceive or be deceived._

Quien lengua ha, á Roma va. _He who has a tongue goes to Rome._

Quien lleva las obladas que taña las campanas. _He who receives the offerings let him ring the bells._

Quien madre tiene en villa, siete veces se amortaza cada dia. _The servant wench that has a mother in town swoons seven times a day._

Quien mala cama hace, en ella se yace. _As you make your bed so you must lie in it._

Quien mal anda en mal acaba. _He who begins badly, ends badly._

Quien malas hadas no halla, de las buenas se enhada. _He that has no ill luck grows weary of good luck._

Quien mal casa, tarde enviuda. _He who marries ill, is long in becoming widowed._

Quien mas corre, menos vuela. _The more haste the less speed._

Quien mas sabe mas calla. _Who knows most says least._

Quien mas tiene, mas quiere. _The more one has the more one wants._

Quien ménos procura, alcanza mas bien. _He who asks the fewest favours is the best received._

Quien mucho abarca, poco aprieta. _He who grasps at much holds fast little._

Quien mucho duerme, poco aprende. _He who sleeps much, learns little._

Quien mucho habla, en algo acierta. _He who talks much is sometimes right._

Quien mucho habla, mucho yerra. _Who talks much, errs much._

Quien no adoba gotera, adoba casa entera. _He who does not repair his gutter has a whole house to repair._

Quien no alza un alfiler, no tiene en nada á su muger. _He who does not pick up a pin cares nothing for his wife._

Quien no aprieta en vallejo, no aprieta en consejo. _He who has no voice in the valley, will have none in the council._

Quien no castiga culito, no castiga culazo. _He who does not whip the child does not mend the youth._

Quien no está enseñado á bragas, las costuras le hacen llagas. _When a man is not used to breeches the seams gall him._

Quien no hace mas que otro, no vale mas que otro. _He who does no more than another is no better than another._

Quien no miente, no viene de buena gente. _He that does not lie, does not come of good blood._

Quien no parece, perece. _He who does not show himself, is overlooked._

Quien no se aventura, no ha ventura. _Who ventures nothing has no luck._ (_Nothing venture nothing have._)

Quien no te conoce te compre. _Let him who does not know you buy you._

Quien no tiene mas de un sayo no puede prestarlo. _He who has but one coat cannot lend it._

Quien no va á carava, no sabe nada. _He who does not mix with the crowd knows nothing._

Quien ó A quien Dios no le dió hijos, el diablo le dió sobrinos. _He to whom God gives no sons, the devil gives nephews._

Quien ó A quien no habla, no le oye Dios. _He who does not speak, God does not hear._

Quien ó A quien pone los ojos en el suelo, no fies tu dinero. _He who looks demurely trust not with your money._

Quien padre tiene alcalde, seguro va á juicio. _He goes safely to trial whose father is a judge._

Quien peces quiere, mojarse tiene. _He who wants to catch fish must not mind a wetting._

Quien pesca un pez, pescador es. _He who catches one fish is a fisherman._

Quien poco sabe, presto lo reza. _He who knows little soon tells it._

Quien presta, no cobra; y si cobra, no todo; y si todo, no tal; y si tal, enemigo mortal. _Who lends recovers not; or if he recovers, recovers not all; or if all, not such; or if such, a mortal enemy._

Quien primero viene, primero muele. _He who comes first grinds first._

Quien promete, en deuda se mete. _He who promises incurs a debt._

Quien quando puede no quiere, quando quiere no puede. _He that will not when he can, cannot when he will._

Quien quiere medrar, iglesia, ó mar, ó casa real. _He who would thrive must follow the church, the sea, or the king’s service._

Quien quiere tomar, conviénele dar. _He who would take must give._

Quien quiere vivir sano, la ropa de invierno traiga en verano. _He that would be healthy must wear his winter clothes in summer._

Quien quisiere muger hermosa, el sabado la escoja. _He that would have a beautiful wife should choose her on a Saturday._

Quien quisiere mula sin tacha, ándese á pie. _He who wants a mule without fault must walk on foot._

Quien quisiere vivir sano, coma poco y cene temprano. _He that would be healthy, must eat temperately, and sup early._

Quien quita la ocasion, quita el pecado. _He who avoids the temptation avoids the sin._

Quien ramo pone, su vino quiere vender. _He who hangs out a branch wants to sell his wine._

Quien se fia de amigo no fiel, buen testigo tiene contra el. _He that trusts a faithless friend, has a good witness against him._

Quien se guarda, Dios le guarda. _God helps him who helps himself._

Quien se muda, Dios le ayuda. _He who reforms, God assists._

Quien siembra abrojos, no ande descalzo. _He who sows brambles must not go barefoot._

Quien siempre me miente, nunca me engaña. _He who always tells me a lie never cheats me._

Quien sirve al commun, sirve á ningun. _He who helps everybody, helps nobody._

Quien sirve no es libre. _He who serves is not free._

Quien solo come su gallo, solo ensille su caballo. _He that eats his fowl alone may saddle his horse alone._

Quien su carro unta, sus bueyes ayuda. _He who greases his cart-wheels helps his oxen._

Quien te cubre te descubre. _That which covers thee discovers thee._

Quien te da el capon, dale la pierna y el alon. _To him who gives the capon you may spare a leg and wing._

Quien te hace fiesta que no te suele hacer, ó te quiere engañar, ó te ha menester. _He that is more civil than usual, either wants to cozen you or has need of you._

Quien tiempo tiene y tiempo atiende, tiempo viene que se arrepiente. _Who has time yet waits for time, comes to a time of repentance._

Quien tiene arte, va por toda parte. _He who has a trade may travel through the world._

Quien tiene boca, no diga á otro, Sopla. _Let him that has a mouth not say to another, Blow._

Quien tiene enemigos no duerma. _He who has enemies, let him not sleep._

Quien tiene hijas para casar, tome vedijas para hilar. _He who has daughters to marry, let him give them silk to spin._

Quien tiene quatro, y gasta cinco no ha menester bolsico. _He who has got four and spends five, has no occasion for a purse._

Quien tiene tejado de vidrio, no tire piedras al de su vecino. _He who has a glass roof should not throw stones at his neighbour’s._

Quien tiene una hora de espacio, no muere ahorcado. _He that has an hour’s start will not be hanged._

Quien todo lo niega, todo lo confiesa. _He who denies everything confesses everything._

Quien todo lo quiere, todo lo pierde. _He who grasps all loses all._

Quien tras otro cabalga, no ensilla quando quiere. _He who rides behind another does not saddle when he will._

Quien tuviere hijo varon, no llame á otro ladron. _He who has a son grown up should not call another a thief._

Quien una vez hurta, fiel nunca. _He who steals once is never trusty._

Quiéralo Dios, Matea, que este hijo nuestro sea. _God grant, dear wife, that this son be ours._

Quieres buen mercado? Con el necio necesitado. _Do you want to buy cheap? Buy of a needy fool._

Quieres hacer del ladron fiel? Fiate de el. _If you would make a thief honest, trust him._

Quieres que te siga el can? Dale pan. _If you would have the dog follow you, give him bread._

Quieres ver loba parida? Casa la hija. _Do you want to see a wolf with young_ (i. e. _an insatiable plunderer_)? _Marry your daughter._

Qui escudella daltri espera, freda la menja. _He who waits for another’s platter has a cold meal._ (Catalan.)

Quitáron me el espejo por fea, y dieronlo á la ciega. _They took away the mirror from me because I was ugly, and gave it to the blind woman._

R.

Raposa que mucho tarda, caça aguarda. _The fox that tarries long is on the watch for prey._

Raton que no sabe mas de un horado, presto le toma el gato. _The rat that knows but one hole is soon caught by the cat._

Recebido ya el daño, atapar el horado. _To stop the hole after the mischief is done._

Reniego de cuentas, con deudos y deudas. _Curses on accounts with relations._

Reniego del amigo, que cubre con las alas y muerde con el pico. _Avoid a friend who covers you with his wings and destroys you with his beak._

Resfriadas duelen mas las llagas. _Wounds pain most when grown cool._

Rifaban los rocines del vidriero, y él mirando qual daba mejor coz al compañero. _The glass-dealer’s horses fell out, and he looked on to see which kicked hardest._

Riñen las comadres y dicense las verdades. _The gossips fall out and tell each other truths._

Rogar al santo hasta pasar del trance. _To pray to the saint until the danger is past._

Ruego de grande fuerza es que te hace. _A great man’s entreaty is a command._

Ruegos porque cante, y ruegos porque calle. _Entreaties to get him to sing, and entreaties to leave off._

Ruego y derecho hacen el hecho. _Entreaty and right do the deed._

S.

Sabedlo, coles, que espinacas hay en la olla. _Know, cabbages, that there is spinach in the stew._

Saberlo como su Paternoster. _He knows it as well as his Lord’s Prayer._

Saca lo tuyo al mercado, y uno te dirá prieto y otro blanco. _Tell your affairs in the market-place, and one will call them black and another white._

Sacar el ascua con mano agena. _To take out a burning coal with another’s hand._ (_To make a cat’s paw of one._)

Sacar el pie del lodo. _To draw the foot out of the mire._

Sacarlo de entre los cardos, sacároslo hemos de entre las manos. _Pluck it from among the thistles, and we will take it off your hands._

Sacar un fuego con otro fuego. _To quench fire with fire._

Sacar un pie del lodo, y meter otro. _To take one foot out of the mire and put the other into it._

Sacar verdad por decir mentira. _To discover truth by telling a falsehood._

Sacristan de amen. _An amen clerk._

Salamon pasó por su puerta quando nació, mas no entró dentro. _When he was born, Solomon passed by his door, and would not go in._

Salga pez, ó salga rana, á la capacha. C_ome fish, come frog, all goes into the basket._ (_All’s fish that comes to the net._)

Salir de un lodo y entrar en otro. _To get out of one muck into another._

Salir del lodo, y caer en el arroyo. _Out of the mire and into the brook._ (_Out of the frying-pan into the fire._)

Saltar de la sarten, y dar en las brasas. _To jump out of the frying-pan and fall into the fire._

Salud y alegria belleza cria; atavio y afeito cuesta dinero y miente. _Health and cheerfulness make beauty; finery and cosmetics cost money and lie._

Sal vertida, nunca bien cogida. _Salt spilt is never all gathered._

Sanan cuchilladas, mas no malas palabras. _Wounds from the knife are healed, but not those from the tongue_.

Sanan llagas, y no malas palabras. _Wounds heal, but not ill words._

Sangrarle y purgarle; si se muriere, enterrarle. _Bleed him and purge him; if he dies, bury him._

Sea mi enemigo, y vaya á mi molino. _Be my enemy and go to my mill._

Sease velado, y sease un palo. _Let it be a husband, though it be but a log._

Seco y no de hambre mas recio es que alambre. _A man that is lean, not from hunger, is harder than brass._

Señal mortal no quierer sanar. _Not to wish to recover is a mortal symptom._

Ser alguno un caxon de sastre. _To be like a tailor’s pattern-book._

Ser como el escudero de Guadalaxara, que de lo que dice de noche, no hay nada á la mañana. _To be like the esquire of Guadalaxara, who knew nothing in the morning of what he said at night._

Ser como el puerro, tener la cabeza blanca, y lo demas verde. _To be like a leek, have a grey head and the rest green._

Ser como piojo en costura. _To be like a louse in a seam._

Ser como unas ortigas. _To be like a bunch of nettles._

Ser el sastre del Campillo, que cosia de valde, y ponia el hilo. _To be like the tailor of Campillo, who worked for nothing, and found thread._

Ser mercader mas va en el cobrar, que en el vender. _To be a merchant, the art consists more in getting paid than in making sales._

Ser toda hoja sin fruto. _All leaf and no fruit._

Si bien me quieres, Juan, tus obras me lo diran. _If you love me, John, your acts will tell me so._

Si da el cántaro en la piedra, ó la piedra en el cántaro, mal para el cántaro. _Whether the pitcher strike the stone, or the stone the pitcher, woe be to the pitcher._

Si de alguno te quieres vengar, has de callar. _If you want to be revenged, hold your tongue._

Si el cielo se cae, pararle las manos. _If the sky falls, hold up your hands._

Si el cielo se cae, quebrarse han las ollas. _If the sky falls there will be pots broken._

Si el niño lloráre, acallelo su madre, y si no quisiere callar, déxelo llorar. _If the child cries let the mother hush it, and if it will not be hushed let it cry._

Siembra trigo en barrial, y pón viña en cascajal. _Sow corn in clay, and plant vines in sand._

Siéntate en tu lugar, no te harán levantar. _Seat yourself in your place and you will not be made to quit it._

Si esta pella á la pared no pega, á lo menos dexará señal. _If this ball does not stick to the wall it will at least leave a mark._

Siete es convite, y nueve es convicio. _Seven is company, and nine confusion._ (_Alluding to a dinner party._)

Siete hermanos en un consejo, de lo tuerto hacen derecho. _Seven brothers in a council make wrong right._

Si la locura fuese dolores, en cada casa darian voces. _If folly were a pain, there would be groaning in every house._

Si la piedra da en el cántaro, mal para el cántaro; y si el cántaro da en la piedra, mal para el cántaro. _If the pitcher knocks against a stone, woe to the pitcher; and if the stone knocks against the pitcher, woe to the pitcher._

Si lo cena, no lo almuerza. _If you eat it up at supper, you cannot have it at breakfast._

Si no va el otero á Mahoma, vaya Mahoma al otero. _If the mountain will not go to Mahomet, Mahomet must go to the mountain._

Si quieres buena fama, no te dé el sol en la cama. _If you would acquire fame, let not the sun shine on you in bed._

Si quieres dar de palos á tu muger, pídele al sol á beber. _If you want to thrash your wife, ask her for a drink of water in the sun._

Si quieres enfermar, lavate la cabeza y vete á echar. _If you want to be dead, wash your head and go to bed._

Si quieres ser bien servido, sírvete a tú mismo. _If you wish to be well served, serve yourself._

Si quieres ver quanto vale un ducado, búscalo prestado. _If you want to know what a ducat is worth, try to borrow one._

Sirve á señor, y sabrás que es dolor. _Serve a lord and you’ll know what is grief._

Si secretos quieres saber, buscalos en el pesar ó en el placer. _If you want to know secrets, seek for them in trouble or in pleasure._

Si se perdieron los anillos, aquí quedáron los dedillos. _If the rings are lost, here are the fingers still._

Si soy bobo, meteme el dedo en la boca. _If I am a fool, put your finger in my mouth._