Avant de cueillir une feuille, il faut demander la permission à l'arbre.
“Before picking a leaf, you must ask permission from the tree.”
Nothing should be taken from nature without respect and acknowledgment; what is given with reverence carries greater value.
— Traditional New Caledonia Wisdom, New Caledonia
Source: Traditional Kanak proverb, widely cited in New Caledonian oral-tradition collections, public-domain
More Proverbs from New Caledonia
Do not reject the words of the elders.
The counsel of elders carries hard-won experience and should never be dismissed by the young.
The future is before you — do not turn back.
Face forward and keep moving toward what is ahead rather than dwelling on what is behind.
The bourao leaf is carried off by the current, not knowing where it goes.
A person without direction or purpose drifts through life at the mercy of circumstance, just like a leaf swept along by water.
The best defense against an enemy is to attack first.
Waiting passively for trouble to arrive is weaker than meeting a threat with decisive action.
Rid yourself of shame and timidity, and accomplish your will.
Excessive shyness or self-doubt holds people back; real progress requires the courage to act.
Think before you act.
Careful reflection before a decision prevents the regret that follows a hasty one.