More Neapolitan Proverbs

A new installment of proverbs from Naples, plus last November's installment newly improved. Minor liberties have been taken in translation, e.g. in adding specificity to the Neapolitan picture of exercising authority.

Nun facite maie bene, ca nun avite maie male.
Don't do good deeds if you don't want wicked deeds to come of them.

' O cumannà è meglio d' 'o fottere.
Giving orders is better than hot sex on the beach.

Ogne strunzo tene 'o fummo suio.
Every d*ckhead has his own special whiff.

'O palosso fa sempe mosse.
A man with a ridiculous side only draws attention to it with his attitudes.

Pulecenella, 'e fische 'e teneva p'applause.
When Pulcinella wheeled round and dog-whistled the audience he showed the true value of applause.

Quann' 'o diavulo t'accarezza è segno ca vô l'anema.
When your devil was still in short pants, mine already had his PhD.

Tutt' 'o munno è paese.
The whole world is provincial.

'O cafone tene 'e scarpe grosse e  'o cervello fino.
The definition of a peasant is someone with fat shoes and a fine mind.

Ommo senza vizie, menesta senza sale.
A man without vices is as insipid as soup without salt.

Quann' 'o tavernaro sta annanze â cantina, dinto nun ce sta nisciuno.
When the inn-keeper stands motionless in the entranceway, it means there's no one left in the inn.

Chi pava ampresso pava doie vote.
Paying up quickly is paying twice over.

'E pezziente so' sempe 'e chiù superbe.
Beggars are always the highest-minded of the lot.

Se venne Napule pe nu soldo e nun ce sta 'o soldo.
You could sell the whole of Naples for a dollar, but nobody would have the dollar to buy her.

Meglio 'o pazzo â casa soia ca 'o savio â casa 'e l'ate.
Better to play crazy at home than play the wise-man at someone else's place.

'A meglia parola è chella ca nun se dice.
The best word is the one that goes unspoken.

Chi cammina sempe pe l'ombra, offenne 'a luce.
A man who walks forever in the shadows is an offence to the light.

Chi nun tene pietà, pietà nun trova.
A man who has no pity will find no pity.

Chi guverna 'a robba 'e l'ate nun se cocca senza magnà.
A man who takes care of the goods of other people will at least manage to feed himself every day of the year.

Chi mette 'a pezza a culore è 'o vero duttore.
The man who knows how to rescue a situation is a true maestro.

Chi perde ave sempe torto.
The man who loses is always in the wrong.

Chi s'appiecceca senza raggione, fa pace senza suddisfazione.
Start a fight without motivation and you make peace without satisfaction.

D' 'o panno fino ce sta sempe 'o chiù fino.
When it comes to finery, there's always something finer.

'E morto chillo d' 'e pisciature; e che, nun se piscia chiù?
The guy who invented pisspots died. Do you think that means no one's pissing any more?

Fa' bene e scorda, fa' male e pienzace.
If you do good deeds, forget about it. If you do ill, keep it in mind.

Meglio 'o male pruvato ca 'o buono 'a pruvà.
Better to have suffered than to be compelled to enjoy.

N'ora 'e cuntiento fa scurdà mill'anne 'e turmiente.
An hour of joy makes nothing of a thousand years of suffering.

Chi va pe chisti mare, chisti pisce piglia.
He who travels these seas will catch these kinds of fish.

Chiove e malu tiempo fa: â casa 'e l'ate è buono a sta'.
When it's raining or the weather's bad it's a sweet thing to be holed up at a friend's place.

'O pirchio pare c' 'o culo l'arroba 'a cammisa.
The miser fears that his own arse will rob him of his shirt.

'E chiù fesse so' sempe 'e primme a farse sentì.
The biggest imbeciles are always the first to be heard.

Muntagne e muntagne nun se 'ncontrano.
All things come together except the mountaintops.

***

Ammore sincero dura na vita e renne allere.
Love that is sincere lasts a lifetime and fills the lover with high spirits.

Chi tene mamma, non chiange.
If you have a mother, you have no need to cry.

‘E figlie so’ piezze e’ core.
Sons are like pieces of the heart.

‘O figlio muto ‘a mamma ‘o ‘ntenne.
A son who holds his tongue is understood by his mother.

P’ ‘a sora zita ‘o frato è nu miezu marito.
To a sexy sister a brother is already half a husband.

Quann’ ‘e figlie fottono ‘e pate so’ futtute.
Once the children are f*cking, the parents are f*cked.

‘O parlà chiaro è fatto pe l’amice.
Clear speech was made for friends.

Si nun vuo’ perdere l’amico, nun ‘o mettere â prova.
If you don’t want to lose a friend, don’t put him to the test.

È viecchio sulo chi more.
Don’t say you’re old till you’re dead.

‘O viecchio ha da murì, ‘o giovane pô murì.
An old man must die, a young man can die.

‘A monaca d’ ‘e Camaldole muscio nun ‘o vuleva, ma tuosto dice che la faceva male.
The Camaldolean nun said she didn’t like it floppy, but when it was hard it hurt.

Cazzo ‘ntustato, sempe rispettato.
A stiff pr*ck is always respected.

‘A vita è n’affacciata ‘e fenesta.
Life is short, like a glance out the window.

Dicette ‘a morte: - Se ‘n Catania vaie, ‘n Catania vengo.
Death said – If you’re going to Catania, I’ll come to Catania.

Casa accunciata, morte apparicchiata.
An orderly house is a mortuary waiting to happen.

Chi ‘int’ ‘a chiesa s’ammacca ‘o pietto ‘e ponie, è fauzo e demonio.
A man who beats his breast in church is false and is a demon.

Chi nun rispetta ‘o Criatore, nun pô rispettà ‘a criatura.
A man with no respect for the Creator has no respect for His creatures.

Dicette Dio ‘nfaccia a Dio: - Lasammo fa’ a Dio.
Even God sometimes turns to God and says – Bah, leave it to God.

‘O Pateterno primm’ ‘e fa e po l’accocchia.
God in Heaven makes ‘em, then copies ‘em.

Si ‘a fatica fosse bona, ‘a farriano ‘e prievete.
If work were fun, priests would do some too.

Auciello ‘ncaiola, o canta p’arraggia o canta p’ammore.
The bird in the cage sings either out of rage or out of love.

Che ce ave a fa’ ‘a gatta, si ‘a patrona è pazza?
Why blame the cat if her mistress is a nutbag?

Quann’ a furmicula mette ‘e scelle, è segno ca vô murì.
When the ant grows wings, it’s a sign he wants to die.

Quann’ ‘o perucchio saglie ‘ngloria perde ‘a scienza e ‘a memoria.
When the louse ascends in glory it loses all trace of science and memory.

‘O pirchio pare c’ ‘o culo arroba ‘a cammisa.
The miser fears his own arse will rob him of his shirt.

Si ‘o prestito fosse buono, se ‘mprestarria ‘a mugliera.
If loans were a good thing, you’d loan out your wife.

Meglio ‘o pazzo â casa soia ca ‘o savio â casa ‘e l’ate.
Better to play crazy in your own home than play the wise man in someone else’s.

‘E galere so’ chiene ‘e gente ca tene ragione.
Prisons are full of people who are in the right.

‘A casa cu doie porte ‘o diavulo s’ ‘a porta.
A house with two entries is at risk of the devil.

‘A spieca è fatta ‘o ‘ gnurante.
Explanations are for the ignorant.

‘A femmena bella nasce matertata.
Beautiful women are born married.

[from the Italian - i.e. not the Neapolitican - by CS]