Henry Bohn - A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs

Qui n’a, ne peut. Who has not, cannot.

Qui n’a pas argent en bourse, ait miel en bouche. He that has not money in his purse should have honey in his mouth.

Qui naquit chat, court après les souris. Who is born of a cat will run after mice. ( An allusion to one of Æsop’s fables. )

Qui n’a qu’un ”oe]il, bien le garde. A man who has but one eye must take good care of it.

Qui n’a rien, ne craint rien. He who has nothing fears nothing.

Qui n’a santé, n’a rien. He who has not health has nothing.

Qui ne châtie culot, ne châtie culasse. He that corrects not youth controls not age.

Qui ne dit mot, consent. Silence gives consent.

Qui ne fait pas quand il peut, il ne fait pas quand il veut. He that will not when he may, when he will shall have nay.

Qui ne fait rien, fait mal. He who does nothing does ill.

Qui ne gagne, perd. He who does not gain loses.

Qui ne hasarde rien, n’a rien. Nothing venture, nothing have.

Qui n’entend qu’une cloche, n’entend qu’un son. Who hears but one bell hears but one sound.

Qui ne parle, n’erre. He who holds his tongue does not commit himself.

Qui ne peut faire son salut par c”oe]ur, ne le fera par livre. Who cannot work out his salvation by heart will not do it by book.

Qui ne peut mordre, ne doit pas montrer les dents. Don’t show your teeth if you can’t bite.

Qui ne regarde pas en avant, se trouve en arrière. He who looks not before finds himself behind.

Qui ne retire de sa vache que la queue, ne perd pas tout. He who recovers but the tail of his cow does not lose all.

Qui ne sait bien parler de son métier, il ne le sait pas. He who cannot speak well of his trade does not understand it.

Qui ne s’aventure, n’a ni cheval ni mule; et qui trop s’aventure, perd cheval et mule. Who does not venture gets neither horse nor mule, and who ventures too much loses horse and mule.

Qui ne se lasse pas, lasse l’adversité. He who does not tire, tires adversity.

Qui ne sort que de jour, n’a que faire de lanterne. He who goes abroad by day has no need of a lantern.

Qui ne souffre pas seul, ne souffre pas tant. Company in distress makes trouble less.

Qui ne veut parler, ne veut gagner. Spare to speak and spare to speed.

Qui n’y va, n’y chet. He that ventures not fails not.

Qui parle, sème; qui écoute, recueille. Who speaks, sows; who listens, reaps.

Qui partout va, partout prend. He who goes everywhere gains everywhere.

Qui passe un jour d’hiver, il passe un de ses ennemis mortels. He who passes a winter’s day passes one of his mortal enemies.

Qui paye, a bien le droit de donner son avis. He who pays is fairly entitled to speak his mind.

Qui paye bien, est bien servi. He who pays well is well served.

Qui paye tôt, emprunte quand il veut. Who pays soon borrows when he will.

Qui perd, pèche. He who loses sins.

Qui peut lécher, peut mordre. He who can lick can bite.

Qui plus qu’il n’a vaillant dépend, il fait la corde à quoi se pend. He that spends more than he is worth spins a rope for his own neck.

Qui plus sait, plus se tait. Who knows most says least.

Qui porte un fardeau, en portera bientôt cent. He who carries one burden will soon carry a hundred.

Qui pourrait vivre sans espoir? Who could live without hope?

Qui prend femme, prend maître. He who takes a wife takes a master.

Qui prend une femme pour sa dot, à la liberté tourne le dos. Who wives for a dower, resigns his own power.

Qui prête à l’ami, perd au double. Who lends to a friend loses doubly.

Qui prouve trop, ne prouve rien. Who proves too much proves nothing.

Qui quitte sa place, la perd. He who quits his place loses it.

Qui refuse, muse. Who refuses, muses.

Qui répond, paye. Who answers for another pays.

Qui reste dans la vallée ne passera jamais la montagne. He that stays in the valley will not get over the hill.

Qui rien ne porte, rien ne lui chet. He who carries nothing loses nothing.

Qui s’acquitte, s’enrichit. He who gets out of debt enriches himself.

Qui s’arrête à chaque pierre, n’arrive jamais. He who stops at every stone never gets to his journey’s end.

Qui s’attend à l’écuelle d’autrui, dîne souvent par c”oe]ur. He who waits for another man’s trencher often dines in imagination (or with Duke Humphrey).

Qui saurait les aventures, ne serait jamais pauvre. Could a man foresee events he would never be poor.

Qui se couche avec des chiens, se lève avec des puces. He who lies down with dogs gets up with fleas.

Qui se détourne, évite le danger. He who turns aside avoids danger.

Qui se fâche, a tort. He who loses his temper is in the wrong.

Qui se fait brebis, le loup le mange. Make yourself a sheep and the wolf will eat you.

Qui se marie à la hâte, se repent à loisir. Marry in haste and repent at leisure.

Qui se marie par amours, a bonnes nuits et mauvais jours. He who marries for love has good nights and bad days.

Qui sème des chardons, recueille des épines. He who sows thistles reaps thorns.

Qui sème épines, n’aille déchaux. Who sows thorns should not go barefoot.

Qui sème, recueille. Who sows reaps.

Qui se remue, Dieu l’adjue. God helps him who helps himself.

Qui se ressemble s’assemble. Like will to like.

Qui sert commun, nul ne le paye, et s’il défaut, chacun l’abbaye. Who serves the mass is thanked by none, but cursed if aught be left undone.

Qui se sent galeux, se gratte. Let him that itches scratch himself.

Qui se sent morveux, se mouche. Let him who feels he has a dirty nose wipe it.

Qui se tient à Paris, ne sera jamais pape. He who never budges from Paris will never be pope.

Qui s’excuse, s’accuse. He who excuses himself accuses himself.

Qui s’y frotte, s’y pique. No jesting with edged tools.

Qui terre a, guerre a. Whoso hath land hath war.

Qui tient la poële par la queue, il la tourne là où il veut. He who holds the handle of the frying-pan turns it as he pleases.

Qui tient le fil, tient le peloton. He who holds the thread holds the ball.

Qui tôt donne, deux fois donne. He gives twice who gives in a trice.

Qui tourmente les autres, ne dort pas bien. He who torments others does not sleep well.

Qui trébuche et ne tombe pas, avance son chemin. He that stumbles and falls not, mends his pace.

Qui trop change, empire. Who often changes, damages.

Qui trop embrasse, mal étreint. He who grasps too much holds not firmly.

Qui trop se hâte en cheminant, en beau chemin se fourvoye souvent. He that is too much in haste, may stumble on a good road.

Qui un punit, cent menace. Who punishes one threatens a hundred.

Qui va chercher de la laine, revient tondu. He who goes to collect wool may come back shorn.

Qui va et retourne, fait bon voyage. Who goes and returns makes a good journey.

Qui va, il lèche; qui repose, il sèche. He who bestirs himself sucks up, he who lies still dries up.