Qui voit Ouessant voit son sang, qui voit Sein voit sa fin, qui voit Groix voit sa croix.

“He who sees Ouessant sees his own blood; he who sees Sein sees his end; he who sees Groix sees his cross.”

A sailors' warning that the waters around these Breton islands are so treacherous that merely sighting them foretells shipwreck and death.

Quand les mouettes ont pied, il est temps de virer.

“When the seagulls have their feet on the ground, it is time to turn back.”

Seabirds seeking refuge on land signal an approaching storm, so sailors should head home.

Ciel pommelé, femme fardée, ne sont pas de longue durée.

“A dappled sky and a powdered woman do not last long.”

Fine weather under a mottled sky changes as fast as makeup fades — nothing about it can be trusted to hold.

Brouillard dans la vallée, pêcheur fais ta marée.

“Fog in the valley, fisherman, go make your catch.”

Morning fog low in the valleys is a sign of a fair day at sea, so the fisherman should set out.

À force de contempler la mer, on finit un jour par la prendre.

“By gazing at the sea long enough, one day you end up taking to it.”

A life spent watching the sea eventually draws a person into becoming a sailor themselves.

Qui trop écoute la météo, passe sa vie au bistro.

“He who listens too much to the weather forecast spends his life in the bar.”

A sailor who waits for a perfect forecast before setting out will never actually leave port.