Inspiring Proverbs

Nearly all countries have sayings about one thing or another. The true authors of these witty, and often inspiring gems have been lost to time, but each nation seems to retain the original wisdom in the form of a national or ethnic proverb. The following collection is filled with inspiring quotes of many such proverbs.

“It is the beautiful bird that gets caged.” Chinese Proverb

“They are not all saints who use holy water.” English Proverb

“He who strikes the first blow admits he loses the argument.” Chinese Proverb

“If you don’t crack the shell you can’t eat the nut.” Persian Proverb

“A runaway monk never speaks well of his monastery.” Italian Proverb

“Wisdom and virtue are like the two wheels of a cart.” Japanese Proverb

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” English Proverb

“Life is like an onion that one peels crying.” French Proverb

“A kind word is like a spring day.” Russian Proverb

“The teeth are smiling but is the heart?” Congolese Proverb

“A dog that barks all the time gets little attention.” Argentine Proverb

“He that does you a very ill turn will not forgive you.” English Proverb

“Insults should be well avenged or well endured.” Spanish Proverb

“He who strikes first, strikes twice.” Mexican Proverb

“God promises a safe landing, but not a calm passage.” Bulgarian Proverb

“Patience is the virtue of asses.” French Proverb

“Those who wish to sing always find a song.” Swedish Proverb

“If you don’t see the bottom, don’t wade.” Scottish Proverb

“Experience is a comb which nature gives us when we are bald.” Chinese Proverb

“The best throw of the dice is to throw them away.” English Proverb

“Between two stools one sits on the ground.” French Proverb

“There are toys for all ages.” English Proverb

“Pride is the mask of one’s own faults.” Hebrew Proverb

“A beautiful thing is never perfect.” Egyptian Proverb

“God gives, but man must open his hand.” German Proverb

“No one can have peace longer than his neighbor pleases.” Dutch Proverb

“Rain does not fall on one roof alone.” Cameroon Proverb

“A trout in the pot is better than a salmon in the sea.” Irish Proverb

“When the sun rises, it rises for everyone.” Cuban Proverb

“Clouds that thunder do not always rain.” Armenian Proverb

“Love, pain and money cannot be kept secret. They soon betray themselves.” Spanish Proverb

“Better a red face than a black heart.” Portuguese Proverb

“Only the first bottle is expensive.” French Proverb

“The horse must graze where it is tethered.” Belgian Proverb

“Success and rest don’t sleep together.” Russian Proverb

“Instruction in youth is like engraving in stone.” Moroccan Proverb

“Some men go through a forest and see no firewood.” English Proverb

“Wait until it is night before saying it is a fine day.” French Proverb

“Moderation in all things.” Greek Proverb

“Luck is loaned, not owned.” Norwegian Proverb

“Bargain like a gypsy, but pay like a gentleman.” Hungarian Proverb

“Everyone gives himself credit for more brains than he has and less money.” Italian Proverb

“No one tests the depth of a river with both feet.” Ashanti Proverb

“If a link is broken, the entire chain breaks.” Yiddish Proverb

“Every tear has a smile behind it.” Iranian Proverb

“He who hunts two rats catches none.” Ugandan Proverb

“When it comes to changes, people only like those they make themselves.” French Proverb

“Pray that you will never have to bear all that you are able to endure.” Jewish Proverb

“Every disadvantage has its advantage.” Ukrainian Proverb

“Talk doesn’t cook rice.” Chinese Proverb

“To question a wise man is the beginning of wisdom.” German Proverb

“The cobra will bite you whether you call it cobra or Mr. cobra.” Indian Proverb

“Lower your voice and strengthen your argument.” Lebanese Proverb

“Blood cannot be washed out with blood.” Persian Proverb

“Speech is silver, silence is golden.” Swiss Proverb

“Write injuries in sand, kindnesses in marble.” French Proverb

“To a quick question, give a slow answer.” Italian Proverb

“Before you start up the ladder, count the rungs.” Yiddish Proverb

“Begin to weave and God will give the thread.” German Proverb

“If you are reluctant to ask the way you will be lost.” Malay Proverb

“You can’t see the whole sky through a bamboo tube.” Japanese Proverb

“See with your mind, hear with your heart.” Kurdish Proverb

“Don’t bargain for fish which are still in the water.” Indian Proverb

“The best armor is to keep out of range.” Italian Proverb

“Even this shall pass away.” Arab Proverb

“To whom you tell your secrets, to him you resign your liberty.” Spanish Proverb

“After a pleasant scratching comes and unpleasant itching.” Danish Proverb

“The comforter’s head never aches.” Italian Proverb

“The forest is the poor man’s overcoat.” New England Proverb

“Everyone wants to live long, but nobody wants to be called old.” Icelandic Proverb

“The early bird gets the worm.” American Proverb

“He who would rule must hear and be deaf, see and be blind.” German Proverb

“Affectation is a greater enemy to the face than smallpox.” English Proverb

“The excess of a virtue is a vice.” Greek Proverb

“He who goes with wolves learns how to howl.” Spanish Proverb

“Have an open face but conceal your thoughts.” Italian Proverb

“After all is said and done, more is said than done.” American Proverb

“To endure what is unendurable is true endurance.” Japanese Proverb

“From listening comes wisdom, and from speaking repentance.” Italian Proverb

“He who keeps eating after his stomach is full digs his grave with his teeth.” Turkish Proverb

“Tell not all you know, believe not all you hear, do not do all you can.” Italian Proverb

“Public money is like holy water; everybody helps himself to it.” Italian Proverb

“If you can’t bite, don’t show your teeth.” Spanish Proverb

“Hay is more acceptable to an ass than gold.” Latin Proverb

“God could not be everywhere, so he invented mothers.” Jewish Proverb

“All old sayings have something in them.” Icelandic Proverb