French Proverbs from 1611: Farms, plants, and the weather

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Main Page

known | booze | church | clothes | devil | dirty | english | farm | food | fool | friends | government | illness | latin | love | luck | marriage | money | music/dance | animals | theft | war | women

Proverbs about farming, plants, and the weather.


[A l'agneler verra on lesquelles sont prains:] [Prov.] At lambing time we find what Ewes were full.


[Apres gros tonnerre force eau sur la terre:] [Prov.] [After a furious thunder much raine the earth doth blunder.]


[Aussi tost meurt vache comme veau:] [Pro.] [The skipping Calfe, and wanton Lambe, are often kill'd before their damme.]
[Aussi tost meurt vache comme veau:] [Prov.] [As soone the young, as old, goes to the pot.]
[Aussi tost meurt veaut comme vache (& le hardi comme le lasche;)] [Pro.] [As soone dyes the yong as the old (the coward as the bold.)]


[Avoine touillé e croist comme enragé e:] [Prov.] [In mirie ground Oats grow as if they were mad.]


[Bon gaignage fait bon potage:] [Prov.] Fruitfull crops yeeld fattening sops; or, good hearbes good pottage yeeld.


[C'est vne vache de Barbarie, qui ne recognoit que son propre veau:] [Prov.] [Applied vnto such, as respect, or know not any, but their own family, friends, and kindred; a rude, ignorant, barbarous humor.]
[Vache de Barbarie qui ne recognoist que ses propres veaux:] [Pro.] [Applyable to one that either simply knowes not, or churlishly cares not for, more the[n] her own.] {notdef}


[Charruë de chien ne vaut rien:] [Prov.] The plough that a dog drawes is not worth the driuing.


[Cuideurs sont en vendenge:] [Prov.] Vpon a merrie Haruest many ground fond hopes.


[De bonne terre bon tupin:] [Prov.] [Good earth good pipkins yeeldeth.]


[De bon terroir bon vin:] [Prov.] A good soyle yeelds good fruit.


[De doux arbre douces pommes:] [Prov.] Such as the tree such is the fruit; sweet th'one, sauorie th'other; (yet we say, that many a good cow hath but an euell calfe.)


[En four chaud ne croist herbe:] [Prov.] [Grasse growes not in hot Ouens.]
[En four chaud ne croist herbe:] [Prov.] Hot Ouens breed no hearbes.


[En hyver par tout pleut; en esté là ou dieu veut:] [Prov.] In Winter it raines all ouer, in Summer but some where.
[En hyver par tout pleut, en Esté là ou Dieu veut:] [Prov.] [Raine falls in Winter euerie where, in summer onely by fauour; (somewhat like whereunto is;)] [Là ou Dieu veut il pleut:]


[En petit champ croist bien bon blé:] [Prov.] [Small fields haue good corne growing in them.]
[En petit champ croist bien bon bled:] [Prov.] Good corne growes very well in little fields; or (better) verie good corne growes in little fields; excellent spirits are often lodged in exile, or small, bodies.


[En vain plante qui ne clost:] [Prov.] In vaine hee plants that hedges not.


[Il ne faut aller aux Meures sans crochet:] [Prov.] Mulberries must not be gathered without a hooke; nor harsh worke fingered with naked hands.
[Il ne faut aller aux meures sans crochet:] [Prov.] [We must not goe about a businesse without helpes to facilitate, and meanes to effect, it.]


[Il ne sç ait que c'est de vendre vin qui n'attend de May la fin:] [Prov.] [Against good husbandrie he hath offended, that sells his wines before May be full ended.]
[Il ne sç ait que c'est de vendre vin qui n'attend de May la fin:] [Prov.] [Belike because he cannot before that time guesse what will be the next yeares Vintage.]


[La geline pond par le bec:] [Prov.] [A Henne layes as she is fed.]


[La rose en fin devient vn gratecul:] [Pro.] [The fairest Rose ends in a hep; griefe sits on pleasures highest step.]
[La Rose en fin devient vn grate-cul:] [Prov.] [The Rose at length becomes a Hep.]


[La vache du riche velle souvent, celle du povre avorte:] [Prov.] [The rich mans cow doth often calfe, the poore mans oft miscarries.]
[La vache du riche velle souvent, celle du povre avorte:] [Prov.] The rich mans cow is fruitfull, fat, and strong, the poore mans (leane, and ill kept) casts her young.
[La vache du riche velle souvent, celle du povre avorte:] [Prov.] [The rich mans Cow (well-fed) does often calfe, the poore mans casts hers, & thriues worse by halfe.]


[Le mal an entre en nageant:] [Pro.] Th'ill (or vnseasonable) yeare comes swimming in; [viz. begins with much raine.]
[Le mal an entre en nageant:] [Prov.] [The vnseasonable yeare begins with raine.]


[Le rouge soir, & blanc matin font resjouïr le pelerin:] [Prov.] [The euening red, and morning gray presage a faire succeeding day.]
[Le rouge soir, & blanc matin, font resjouïr le pelerin:] [Prov.] [The euening red and morning gray, are hopefull signes of a faire day.]


[Nid tissu oiseau envolé:] [Prov.] [Tis a signe that the birds are flowen when Spiders build ouer the neast.]
[Nid tissu oiseau envolé:] [Prov.] [We loose an opportunitie while we spend time in preparations.]


[Nul bien sans haine:] [Prov.] No good thing vngrudged at.
[Nul bien sans haine:] [Prov.] [No happinesse without hatred.]
[Nul endroict sans son envers:] [Prov.] No commoditie without a discommoditie.
[Nul endroict sans son envers:] [Prov.] No outside without an inside.
[Nul grain sans paille:] [Pro.] [No corne without some chaffe.]
[Nul grain sans paille:] [Prov.] [No corne without straw (or chaffe;) good and bad are commonly together.]
[Nulle noix sans coque:] [Pro.] [No nut without a shell.]
[Nulle rose sans espine:] [Prov.] [No Rose without a prickle.]
[Nulle terre sans guerre: &, Qui a terre si a guerre:] [Prov.] [No land without Law; no contentment without contention.]
[Nulle terre sans guerre:] [Prov.] [No land without warre; he that hath land is seldome out of law;] [The like is]; [Qui a terre, si, a guerre:] [Prov.] [He that hath soyle hath suits.]
[Nul miel sans fiel:] [Prov.] [No honie without gall.]


[On ne doit pas laisser bonne terre pour mauvais seigneur:] [Pro.] [Good land must not be left because of a bad Landlord.]
[On ne doit pas laisser bonne terre pour mauvais seigneur:] [Prov.] [Quit not good land because of a bad Landlord.]
[On ne doit pas laisser bonne terre pour mauvais Seigneur :] [Prov.] [Rich land must not be left for a rigorous Landlord; nor a good countrey quit because tis gouerned by a bad Prince.]


[On ne doit point querir brebis qui se veut perdre:] [Pro.] [The sheepe which will be lost must not be lookt for.]
[On ne doit point querir brebis qui se veut perdre:] [Prov.] [A wilfull sinner must not be reclaimd.]


[Pluye de Fevrier vaut esgout de fumier:] [Prov.] [Februarie raine is th'husbandmans gaine.]
[Pluye de Fevrier vaut esgout de fumier:] [Prov.] We say, Aprill showers bring in May flowers.


[Pourceau gras rompt sa soute:] [Prov.] [(Appliable to the vnrulie humors of pampered, or high-fed creatures.)]
[Pourceau gras rompt sa soute:] [Prov.] [The well-fed hog breakes ope his stie.]


[Pour neant va au bois qui marrein ne cognoist:] [Pro.] To no purpose he vndertakes a businesse that vnderstands not the substance, effect, or end, of it.
[Pour neant va au bois qui marrein ne cognoist:] [Prov.] [In vaine goes he to the wood that hath no skill in wood;] or, In vaine doth any man in forrests poake, that takes a dotard for a timber-oake.
[Pour neant va au bois qui marrein ne cognoist:] [Prov.] [To no purpose goes he, who knowes not wood, vnto the wood.]


[Quand il tonne en Mars, nous pouvons dire helas:] [Prov.] [(So euill a signe is that monethes thunder held.)]
[Quand il tonne en mars nous pouvons dire helas:] [Prov.] [We say that], Winters thunder is Summers wonder.


[Quand le chou passe le cep le vigneron meurt de soif:] [Prov.] [When the Cabbidge growes faster then the Vine, there will be a great dearth of Wine.]


[Quand les febves sont flories, les sots commencent leurs folies:] [Prov.] [In Cuckoe-time when Beanes doe flower, the cracke-braind fooles build vp their bower.]
[Quand les febves sont flories les sots commencent leurs folies:] [Prov.] When Beanes doe flower youth enters into follie.


[Qui a peur des fueilles ne doit aller au bois:] [Pro.] [Let him thats skar'd by leaues keepe from the Wood.]
[Qui a peur des fueilles ne doit aller au bois:] [Pro.] (like our) [let him that feares the wagging of feathers keepe from among wildfowle.]


[Qui fait haye souvent dit haye:] [Prov.] [He that makes hedges often prickes his fingers.]


[Qui ne retire de sa vache que la queuë ne perd pas tout:] [Prov.] [He looses not his whole auayle, that of his Cow saues but the tayle.]
[Qui ne retire de sa vache que la queuë ne perd pas tout:] [Prov.] [He that can recouer the least part of his owne, yet looses not all, or is not to neglect it; for better is something, how little soeuer, then nothing.]
[Qui ne retire de sa vache que la queuë ne perd pas tout:] [Prov.] [He that recouers but the tayle of his cow looses not all his cow; better saue a little then loose all.]
[Qui ne retire de sa vache que la queuë ne perd pas tout:] [Prov.] [Tis good, when all is going, to saue any little; something, though meane, hath sauor, nothing none.]


[Qui sç auroit les avantures il ne seroit iamais povre:] [Pro.] [(We say)] if a man knew when it would raine, he would make hay in faire weather.


[Qui se mesle d'autruy mestier il trait sa vache en vn panie:] [Prov.] [As good milke a Cow into a Siue, as deale in an vnknowne Trade.]
[Qui se mesle d'autruy mestier il trait sa vache en vn panier:] [Pro.] [He that meddles with another mans Trade, milkes his Cow in a Pannier; viz. looses his profit, and vndoes himselfe.]
[Qui se mesle d'autruy mestier il trait sa vache ne vn panier:] [Pro.] [He that with other mens trades will be medling, doth most-an-end loose the fruit of his pedling.]


[Qui suit les poules apprend à grater la terre:] [Pro.] [Henne-followers turne earth-scrapers; wee quickly learne the bent of those we much frequent.]
[Qui suit les poules apprend à grater la terre:] [Pro.] [He that followes a henne soone learnes to scrape; imitation is, most commonly, too good a Schoolemistresse.]


[Tant tonne, & vente, que pluye descend:] [Pro.] [So much it thunders that at length raine falls;]


[Tant vente qu'il pleut: &, Tant tonne, & vente que pluye descend:] [Prov.] [This wind will haue raine; bloud-wipes often follow big words.]


[Telle racine telle fueille:] [Prov.] [Such root (we say, such tree) such fruit.]
[Telle racine telle fueille:] [Prov.] We say; such as the tree such is the fruit.


[Qui peu seme peu prend:] [Prov.] [He that sowes little reapes little.]
[Qui peu seme peu prend:] [Prov.] [Of small seeding a small crop.]
[Telle semence telle moisson:] [Prov.] [Ill seed, ill weed;] or, such as the seed such is the crop.
[Telle semence telle moisson:] [Prov.] [Looke how you sow so shall you reape.]


[Terre chevauché e est a demy mangé e:] [Prov.] [The reuenue of land thats often rid vnto is halfe consumed in riding charges.]
[Terre chevauché e est à demy mangé e:] [Pro.] [Farreoff land oft rid to halfe spends it selfe;] [The like is]; [Terre loing de foy n'apporte que flascons, & bouteilles:] [Pro.] Ground that lies farre off yeelds nought but pots, and bottles.


[Tout bois vaut busches:] [Prov.] Any wood is as good as a log.
[Tout bois vaut busches:] [Pro.] [The worst wood's good ynough to make logs of;] or, the worst wood yeeldeth fuell for the fire.
[Tout bois vaut busches:] [Prov.] [All wood is worth logs.]


[Toutesfois fut le pré tondu:] [Prov.] [Yet was the medow mowen;] {notdef}


[Toutes heures ne sont pas meures:] [Prov.] [All times are not in season for all things.]


[Trop achepte le miel qui sur espines le leche:] [Pro.] [He buyes honie too deere that lickes it off thornes.]
[Trop achette le miel qui sur espines le leche:] [Prov.] Too deere's the sweet thats bought with much affliction.


[Truye aime mieux bran que roses:] [Prov.] [The Sow had rather lye in dung then on a bed of Roses.]
[Truye aime mieux bran que Roses:] [Prov.] The Sow loues draffe better then delicacies.


[Vache de loing a laict assez:] [Pro.] [Things farre-fetcht are held most sufficient; the further a thing is brought, the better we thinke of it.]
[Vache de loing a laict assez:] [Prov.] [A forreine commoditie cannot be defectiue; we esteeme that most that comes furthest.]


[Vache en sç ait que vaut sa queuë iusques à ce qu' elle l'ait perduë:] [Prov.] [The want, more then the vse, indeares the worth of good things; we know our friends best when we want them most.]
[Vache ne sç ait que vaut sa queuë iusques à ce qu' elle l'ait perduë:] [Prov.] [We know not the worth of things till we haue lost them.]


[Verde busche faict chaud feu:] [Prov.] A greene log makes a hot fire.


[Vne vache prend bien vn lievre:] [Prov.] [A Cow may catch a Hare]


[Vn sac percé ne peut tenir le grain:] [Prov.] [A sacke thats full of holes can hold no corne.]
[Vn sac percé ne peut tenir le grain:] [Prov.] [A sacke thats torne doth shed it corne; a broken or crackt heart can hold no good thing in it; applyable also to a heart, that pierced with griefe, cannot hold but must vtter it.]


Return to French Proverbs from 1611