Folk & Oral Tradition
Traditional Argentina Wisdom gathers the proverbs, sayings and gaucho verse that have circulated among the Argentine people for generations. Much of this wisdom has no single named author; it is the shared inheritance of rural gauchos, farmers, families and storytellers who compressed hard-won experience into a few memorable words. A great deal of it flows from the Rioplatense oral tradition of the pampas and from the national epic 'Martín Fierro' by José Hernández (1872 and 1879), whose lines about unity, dignity, survival and prudence passed so completely into everyday speech that many Argentines quote them as folk proverbs without knowing their source. Argentine sayings often draw on the land, animals, rivers, family loyalty and the hard independence of gaucho life, and they teach solidarity, vigilance, humility and caution in dealing with power. Because these lines live in everyday speech rather than in one fixed printed form, small variations exist between regions and retellings. This platform records the widely recognised forms and, in keeping with its accuracy rule, presents anonymous sayings as traditional while citing the epic 'Martín Fierro' where a line is genuinely drawn from that public-domain work.
Sources: José Hernández, 'El Gaucho Martín Fierro' (1872) and 'La Vuelta de Martín Fierro' (1879) — public-domain Argentine gaucho epic · Rioplatense oral tradition, public-domain folk wisdom
“Let the brothers be united, for that is the first law; may they keep true union in whatever time it may be, because if they fight among themselves, those from outside will devour them.”
Los hermanos sean unidos, porque ésa es la ley primera; tengan unión verdadera en cualquier tiempo que sea, porque si entre ellos pelean los devoran los de ajuera.
Source: José Hernández, 'La Vuelta de Martín Fierro' (1879), Canto XXXII — public-domain Argentine gaucho epic
“Make friends with the judge; do not give him reason to complain — for it is always good to have a hitching post to go and scratch yourself on.”
Hacete amigo del juez, no le des de qué quejarse; y cuando quiera enojarse vos te debés encoger, pues siempre es güeno tener palenque ande ir a rascarse.
Source: José Hernández, 'La Vuelta de Martín Fierro' (1879), the advice of Viejo Vizcacha — public domain
“Nobody is more than anybody.”
Naides es más que naide.
Source: Traditional Rioplatense gaucho saying, popularized by 'Martín Fierro' (José Hernández, 1872) — public-domain oral tradition
“A man's first care is to defend his own hide.”
El primer cuidao del hombre es defender el pellejo.
Source: José Hernández, 'La Vuelta de Martín Fierro' (1879), Viejo Vizcacha's counsel — public domain
“The devil knows more from being old than from being the devil.”
Más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo.
Source: Traditional Argentine (Rioplatense) proverb, public-domain oral tradition
“The shrimp that falls asleep is carried off by the current.”
Camarón que se duerme, se lo lleva la corriente.
Source: Traditional Argentine (Rioplatense) proverb, public-domain oral tradition
“Whoever wants the sky-blue must pay the price for it.”
El que quiere celeste, que le cueste.
Source: Traditional Argentine (Rioplatense) proverb, public-domain oral tradition
“Tell me who you walk with and I'll tell you who you are.”
Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres.
Source: Traditional Spanish-language proverb widely used in Argentina, public-domain oral tradition