Traditional proverbs of Saint Barthélemy in fr and English — each with its meaning and source.
Petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid.
“Little by little, the bird builds its nest.”
Patient, steady effort eventually accomplishes great things.
Source: Traditional French proverb, ancestral heritage of the Norman, Breton and Poitevin settlers of Saint Barthélemy, public-domain oral tradition
Qui vole un œuf vole un bœuf.
“He who steals an egg will steal an ox.”
A small dishonesty reveals a character capable of much larger wrongdoing.
L'habit ne fait pas le moine.
“The habit does not make the monk.”
Outward appearance does not determine a person's true nature.
Chat échaudé craint l'eau froide.
“A scalded cat fears even cold water.”
A painful past experience makes a person overly cautious afterward.
Loin des yeux, loin du cœur.
“Far from the eyes, far from the heart.”
Distance and absence gradually weaken bonds and memory.
Qui sème le vent récolte la tempête.
“He who sows the wind shall reap the whirlwind.”
Reckless or harmful actions bring consequences far worse than intended.
Pierre qui roule n'amasse pas mousse.
“A rolling stone gathers no moss.”
Constant change or restlessness prevents a person from building lasting stability.
Il ne faut pas vendre la peau de l'ours avant de l'avoir tué.
“Do not sell the bear's skin before you have killed it.”
Do not count on the rewards of something before it is actually achieved.
Tout ce qui brille n'est pas or.
“All that glitters is not gold.”
Appearances can be deceiving; something attractive is not always genuinely valuable.
Mieux vaut tard que jamais.
“Better late than never.”
Doing something after a delay is preferable to never doing it at all.
Qui ne risque rien n'a rien.
“He who risks nothing has nothing.”
Reward requires the courage to take a chance.
Il faut battre le fer pendant qu'il est chaud.
“One must strike the iron while it is hot.”
Act on an opportunity while conditions are favorable, before it passes.
Les murs ont des oreilles.
“The walls have ears.”
Be careful what you say, for someone may always be listening.
Après la pluie, le beau temps.
“After the rain comes fair weather.”
Hard times eventually give way to better ones.
Qui trop embrasse mal étreint.
“He who grasps too much holds nothing well.”
Trying to take on too much at once causes everything to be done poorly.
On ne fait pas d'omelette sans casser des œufs.
“You cannot make an omelet without breaking eggs.”
Achieving a worthwhile result usually requires some sacrifice or disruption.
Chacun voit midi à sa porte.
“Everyone sees noon at their own door.”
People judge situations from their own narrow point of view.
L'union fait la force.
“Union makes strength.”
People working together accomplish far more than they could alone.
Il n'y a pas de fumée sans feu.
“There is no smoke without fire.”
A persistent rumor usually has some basis in truth.
Rira bien qui rira le dernier.
“He who laughs last laughs best.”
A final, lasting victory matters more than an early, premature one.
Tel père, tel fils.
“Like father, like son.”
Children take after their parents in character and behavior.
Aide-toi, le ciel t'aidera.
“Help yourself, and heaven will help you.”
Take responsibility for your own effort before expecting outside help.
Qui va à la chasse perd sa place.
“He who goes hunting loses his place.”
Step away from what you hold, and someone else may take it.
Il vaut mieux prévenir que guérir.
“It is better to prevent than to cure.”
Taking precautions beforehand is wiser than fixing damage afterward.
Ce qui est fait est fait.
“What is done is done.”
Accept the past and move forward rather than dwelling on it.
Les bons comptes font les bons amis.
“Good accounts make good friends.”
Being clear and honest about money and debts protects a friendship.
À bon entendeur, salut.
“To a good listener, greetings.”
A wise person needs only a hint to understand a warning fully.
Vouloir, c'est pouvoir.
“To want is to be able.”
Strong determination is often enough to achieve what once seemed impossible.
Un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l'auras.
“One bird in hand is worth more than two you will have.”
A smaller certain gain is worth more than a larger uncertain one.
Il ne faut jamais dire jamais.
“One must never say never.”
Circumstances can always change, so avoid absolute claims about the future.
La nuit porte conseil.
“The night brings counsel.”
Sleeping on a difficult decision often brings clarity by morning.
Les grands esprits se rencontrent.
“Great minds meet.”
People of real insight often arrive independently at the same idea.
Qui court deux lièvres à la fois n'en attrape aucun.
“He who chases two hares at once catches neither.”
Dividing your effort between two goals usually means failing at both.
Il faut tourner sa langue sept fois dans sa bouche avant de parler.
“One must turn one's tongue seven times in one's mouth before speaking.”
Think carefully before you speak, so as not to say something regrettable.
Tout vient à point à qui sait attendre.
“Everything comes in time to those who know how to wait.”
Patience is eventually rewarded, even when results are slow to arrive.
L'argent ne fait pas le bonheur.
“Money does not make happiness.”
Wealth alone cannot guarantee a genuinely happy life.
Qui ne dit mot consent.
“Who says nothing consents.”
Failing to object to something is often taken as agreement with it.
Nécessité fait loi.
“Necessity makes law.”
In dire circumstances, ordinary rules give way to what must be done to survive.
Chacun pour soi, Dieu pour tous.
“Every man for himself, God for all.”
In hard times each person must look after their own survival first.
Qui aime bien châtie bien.
“He who loves well disciplines well.”
True care sometimes requires firmness rather than indulgence.
Il n'est pire eau que l'eau qui dort.
“There is no worse water than water that sleeps.”
The calmest, quietest people or things can hide the deepest currents or intentions.
L'appétit vient en mangeant.
“Appetite comes with eating.”
Desire or enthusiasm for something often grows once you begin doing it.
Qui se ressemble s'assemble.
“Those who resemble each other come together.”
People with similar characters or interests naturally seek each other out.
Paris ne s'est pas fait en un jour.
“Paris was not built in a day.”
Great achievements take time and cannot be rushed.
Tel est pris qui croyait prendre.
“He who thought to catch is caught himself.”
A trap set for someone else can end up ensnaring its own creator.
Un malheur ne vient jamais seul.
“Misfortune never comes alone.”
Hardships tend to arrive in clusters rather than one at a time.
Il ne faut pas mettre la charrue avant les bœufs.
“One must not put the plow before the oxen.”
Do not do things in the wrong order or rush ahead of necessary preparation.
Les cordonniers sont les plus mal chaussés.
“Shoemakers are the worst shod.”
People often neglect applying their own skills or advice to their own lives.
Tout est bien qui finit bien.
“All is well that ends well.”
A difficult process is judged worthwhile if the final outcome turns out well.
À chaque jour suffit sa peine.
“To each day is sufficient its own trouble.”
Do not burden yourself today with worries that belong to tomorrow.
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