Italian proverbs- chi non muore si risente

Here is a proverb which is perhaps not so intuitive: chi non muore si rivede (sometimes "si risente"). You will (eventually) see/hear back from whomever does not die. In other words, as long as you and the other person you knew are still alive, you'll meet again somehow.

Like most proverbs, it came from a less-populated, relatively immobile society. It makes sense to think that in a peasant, small-town or rural environment where people stay put, you will run into people again (whether you like it or not). This would not seem to be the case in more modern times.

But wait a minute. The omnipresence of electronics and social networks has once again made this true. You can look up people from long ago and far away on the ole Web (and vice-versa). The difference being that you can choose whether to make yourself known and make contact. And if they belong to long ago and far away, they should probably stay there.

Italian proverbs- predica bene e razzola male

Here is a well-known proverb in Italian, with a near-equivalent in English.

Predica bene e razzola male. Literally, he/she preaches well and acts badly. They don't practice with they preach. The fact that this saying is so widespread in the two languages shows that the behavior is universal and timeless.

The verb razzolare actually means to scratch on the ground, as chickens do (if they're free-range chickens). It's rarely used, and it's likely that you'll encounter it only in this proverb.

(in the picture, Moliere's Tartuffe, the symbol of religious hypocrisy)

Italian proverbs- chi di spada ferisce

Iraqi Muntazer Al-Zaidi rose to fame not long ago by throwing a shoe at former (thank God) President George W. Bush. Yesterday a countryman of his launched the same weapon at him during a conference in Paris.

This brings to mind the proverb chi di spada ferisce di spada perisce-literally, he who wounds by the sword perishes by the sword. Our "live by the sword, die by the sword." This is one of those sayings that has limited truth value. Unfortunately, there are plenty of people who are violent and destructive and don't get theirs, at least not in proportion.

Now the shoe is on the other foot for Al-Zaidi and he'll have to walk a mile in Bush's shoes. His fellow Iraqi was also clever to deploy the footwear in a country where he won't be imprisoned for it.

Italian proverbs- occhio di straniero

Today's proverb isn't terribly common but I like it. Occhio di straniero vede meglio di sparviero. The eye of a stranger/foreigner sees better than a hawk. Specifically, a sparrowhawk. They just threw in the sparrowhawk thing to make it rhyme, which is always fun with proverbs.

According to this saying, outsiders see things more clearly precisely because they are not within the system they are observing. There is a lot of truth in this. I strongly believe that being half Italian and having spent so many years, including formative years, in Italy has given me invaluable perspective on my own country, the United States. And I can also see Italy from a non-Italian viewpoint. But it is also true that an outsider's view may be distorted by ignorance, resentment, hostility, and all sorts of nastiness. All and all, some well-disposed, well-meaning, perspicacious outsiders may have a very useful contribution to make in understanding a social phenomenon.

(in the photo, a mother sparrowhawk teaching her chicks to scrutinize and criticize other species)

Italian proverbs- Dio li fa e Dio li accoppia

Dio li fa e Dio li accoppia- God makes them and God pairs them off. Said of couples, especially married couples, who are somehow alike or at least, if not alike, deserve each other. That is, despite all the talk about marital discord and the so-called battle of the sexes, this proverb states that there is a basic affinity between couples.

Italian proverbs- cielo a pecorelle

Today was supposed to be a nice sunny day in Boston, with highs in the upper 70's. As Mark Twain (a non-native New Englander, like me) once said: New England has too much weather. And this is all too true.

Instead, when I woke up, I found gray skies and high humidity. When I went out, I saw what the Italians call a cielo a pecorelle. What is that? A pecora is a sheep. Therefore, a sky that looks sheepish is a fleecy sky (see photo).

The full proverb is cielo a pecorelle, acqua a catinelle. Fleecy sky, bucketfuls of water. When the sky looks like this, you can expect rain.

I've personally found that this saying is not as reliable, from the scientific, predictive viewpoint, as the previously-examined Rosso di sera bel tempo si spera. I haven't always seen a lot of rain after fleecy skies.

Meteorology is a common topic of conversation, and not only among the British. The Italians have the very well-known saying: Piove, governo ladro. It's raining, the government is crooked. In other words, let's blame the Powers That Be for everything.

Well, I'm revising this in the afternoon, and still no rain. Hmmm.

Italian proverbs- Dire a nuora perche' suocera intenda

Here is a proverb that is fairly common, but not really among the best known or most intuitive. Dire a nuora perche' suocera intenda. To tell the daughter-in-law so that the mother-in-law finds out. In other words, when you want to get something out (especially something delicate, critical, or even offensive) without confronting the person directly, you tell a third person who is sure to let it out.

This obviously relies on the not rare negative perceptions of mothers-in-law, which seem to be cross-cultural.

In the photo, we see a label for the Milk-of-Mother-in-Law liqueur: "one sip and you fall off a cliff," and "previously in use by Malay pirates." The Italians also have pasta and cookies called lingue di suocera (mother-in-law tongues) that are long and rough, with sharp edges.

Italian proverbs- parenti serpenti, fratelli coltelli

Coming from a people who are supposedly so family-loving, it may be surprising that the Italians have this little proverb: parenti serpenti, fratelli coltelli. Which means: relatives are snakes, siblings are knives. Not an entirely idyllic view of kin. Not entirely unrealistic either.

To illustrate our cynical little saying, I've chosen the wildly popular video of two Brit kids, where the baby is already biting big brother (like a snake, probably can't handle a knife yet), then giving a little gleeful laugh. Love the elder boy, who's already developed his stiff upper lip- he starts to cry, but then changes his mind.

Italian proverbs- al contadino non far sapere

This is one of the few proverbs I actively dislike.

Al contadino non far sapere quanto e' buono il formaggio con le pere. Don't let the farmer know how good cheese is with pears.

Well, at least it rhymes (in Italian). But besides this pleasing feature, it is obscure even to Italians. The most likely interpretation is that if the farmer knew how good his stuff was he'd be reluctant to part with it, or would raise the price. But it seems to me that the farmer would be the first to know about the quality of his products. And in fact an alternate school of thought maintains that this is an injunction not to lecture people on things they know better than you do.

So a book was actually written just about this one proverb, by food historian Massimo Montanari. He maintains that as pears were food for the nobility and cheese for the poor, the upper classes wished to keep the peasants from combining the two as a sort of symbolic class difference.

Does this make any sense to you? Not to me. The mystery persists. Its only possible use may be as a conversation starter with Italians, perhaps during the cheese/pear course, just to see them wrack their brains.

(The picture shows a still life with pears but no cheese by Giorgio Morandi, who was obviously in on the conspiracy to keep Italian farmers in the dark about this pairing)

Italian proverbs- fra moglie e marito non mettere il dito

Have you ever been tired of something even before it started? I'm already tired of Prime Minister Berlusconi's impending divorce.

The proverb says: fra moglie e marito non mettere dito. Literally, do not put your finger between wife and husband- butt out. But here it seems to be "that lady" (as B. is now calling his wife) who is encouraging the world as a whole to be a buttinski. Not long ago, after one compliment too many to a nubile young lady, Veronica Lario complained via the left-of-center Repubblica, demanding a public apology. Which Silvio complied with. Now he has gone so far as to attend the eighteenth birthday party of a pretty blonde who calls him "papi." This time the septuagenarian head of state is not apologizing, so the lady is filing for divorce. "Berlusca" maintains that the attractive former actress is being manipulated by his rivals on the left. A vast left-wing conspiracy.

Another proverb comes to mind: i panni sporchi si lavano in casa. Dirty laundry should be washed at home. But apparently Veronica is a rule-breaker and is challenging the long-held Italian male's light-hearted attitude to adultery. And using her husband's own tools (the media) against him.

Italian proverbs- volere e' potere

This should be an easy one for you. Volere e' potere- to want (something) is to be able (to do it). This is obviously the equivalent of "where there's a will there's a way." Both words are infinitives, and "potere" is also a noun meaning "power."

Hmm. Don't know about this. Seems to me that there are way too many variables outside one's control to make simple will the sole or even primary factor in getting what you want or even need. Although will and determination are certainly very important. My verdict on this proverb: a good deal of truth, but overstated.

Italian proverbs- l'erba del vicino e' sempre piu' verde

Well, this is an easy one, and the equivalent of the English: l'erba dalla parte del vicino e' sempre piu' verde. The grass is always greener on the other side (literally, the grass on one's neighbor's side is always greener).

This reflects the universal need to think that things are better elsewhere, somewhere. Being half Italian and half American, I am regularly exposed to Americans who think that Italy is a semi-paradise ("how could you leave?") and Italians who think that Italy is intolerable and are thinking of expatriating. Both are wrong.

In the words of one of my favorite poets, the Frenchman Charles Baudelaire (photo): "Cette vie est un hôpital où chaque malade est possédé du désir de changer de lit." Life is a hospital where each patient is obsessed by the desire to change his bed.

Italian proverbs- chi la fa l'aspetti

This is a very common Italian proverb: chi la fa, l'aspetti. Literally: (he/she) who does it (should) expect it. Evidently in reference to bad actions. The verb aspettare has a primary meaning of "to wait," but also means "to expect," as in this case.

This does not necessarily imply retaliation by the victim, but would be along the lines of our "what goes around comes around." I have two objections here. I don't believe that wrongdoers always (or even usually) pay for their deeds. Or they may not pay for them in proportion: often the power or money they have accumulated insulates them from retribution. Not only that: even those who don't indulge in evil are often the victims of evil. Also disproportionately.

All in all, I think this is one of the less wise Italian proverbs.

Il potere logora chi non ce l'ha

I'm back, and feeling refreshed. I was debating what the New Year's first post should be. I was undecided between a recipe for polpettone or an explanation of Italian punctuation. Both worthy and compelling matters. But I decided in the end to say farewell to President Bush.

If you're feeling exhausted by eight years of W., console yourself by comparing him to sempiternal Italian politician Giulio Andreotti. One of his many pithy sayings was "il potere logora chi non ce l'ha," or, power wears down those who don't have it. This is the only possible explanation for George's mystifying light-heartedness. He's worn us down. But I foresee a great surge in the national, international, and personal energy level come the 20th.

Italian proverbs- non c'e' peggior sordo

Here is one of those Italian proverbs that has an equivalent in English, but not a literal equivalent. Non c'e' peggior sordo di chi non vuol sentire. There is no worse deaf man than he who does not want to hear. Or, no man so blind as he who will not see. I agree with this totally. Denial is widespread and harmful, even among those who think they are alert to denial. Their own and others'.

By the way, do Italians use the politically correct words for "blind" or "deaf"? They sure do. They have now respectively become i non-vedenti and i non-udenti. The non-seeing and the non-hearing. How do they say "politically correct"? They call it "il politically correct."

Italian proverbs- dagli amici mi guardi Iddio...

Most of you have probably heard the neologism "frenemy" to refer to a false friend. The Italians in their wisdom seem to have expressed this long ago in the common proverb: dagli amici mi guardi Iddio che dai nemici mi guardo io. It even rhymes, which is always cool in a proverb.

Translation: may God save me from/keep me from/guard me from my friends, because I can guard/defend myself from my enemies. Why? Because you already know to watch out for your enemies whereas you let your guard down with enemies posing as friends. Or as a catchy tune from long ago said: "your enemy won't do you no harm, 'cause you know where he's coming from... don't let the handshake and the smile fool ya, take my advice I'm only tryin' to school ya...smiling faces tell lies, and that's the truth." It is.

Note that the first verb is a subjunctive and the second one is an indicative. "Iddio" is an archaic or formal word for "Dio."

Italian proverbs- tutto il mondo e' paese

This is one of the very most common Italian proverbs, which can be given the banal meaning that people are the same everywhere. Literally, it means that all the world is a town (or perhaps country, as the word paese means both things).

I used to be highly skeptical of Italians' predilection for this saying, and attributed it to a probable consolatory function due to the widely-recognized messed-uppedness of Italy. In other words, the natives would comfort themselves when things went more or less wrong in their country (which happens daily, I can assure you) by saying that it's the same everywhere. But in my heart of hearts, I knew that my country, the United States, was different. This widespread belief actually has a name, "American exceptionalism."

Well, folks, it may have taken me awhile, but I no longer believe this. Can it happen here? It already does happen here.

Italian proverbs-piove sul bagnato

This has been the rainiest summer I've ever experienced anywhere, here or in Europe. It continues to rain here in the Boston area, in a pattern that is not at all typical of the hot day-afternoon thunderstorm pattern. Someone said it must be global warning, but the average temps have been lower for the season.

And this brings us to our pertinent proverb: piove sul bagnato. Literally, it's raining on (what is already) wet. This is of course the equivalent of our "it never rains but it pours".

Italian proverbs: rosso di sera

Here's one of those Italian proverbs that has a direct equivalent in English: rosso di sera, bel tempo si spera; rosso di mattina, la pioggia si avvicina. Literally- red in the evening, one hopes for fine weather; red in the morning, rain is approaching.

This is of course our English "red sky at night, sailor's delight; red sky at morning, sailor's warning." The Italian saying is much more commonly known than our version. It is said that it generally holds true at mid latitudes in the Northern hemisphere, and I have personally noticed the phenomenon (both in Italy and here in Massachusetts).

Interesting trivia: the observation was already found in the Bible at Matthew 16:2-3- "He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?"

Italian proverbs- non tutti i mali vengono per nuocere

Here is another Italian proverb I agree with wholeheartedly. Non tutti i mali vengono per nuocere. Not all bad things that occur come about to harm you.

This is similar to our "every cloud has a silver lining." The English version is more optimistic; it is also, literally and figuratively, less true- plenty of clouds (and negative events) have no silver lining. Closer to the Italian is the old-fashioned saying "it's an ill wind that blows no good." The idea is also expressed by the phrase "blessing in disguise."

The Eggplant has always been opposed to undue optimism, from which its fellow Americans often suffer. However, one can also go overboard with the pessimism.