Salento Proverbs

A

* A ci sparte la chiu fessa parte.
o Who shares something will get the most miserable part.

* Addhu nc'è ffumu nc'è focu, ma no sempre carne rrustuta
o Where there's smoke there's fire, but not always roasted meat

* Aggi furtuna e futtite a mare.
o Have luck and thrown overboard..

* All'aria sputi? a 'nfacce te cate.
o Spit in the air? it will fall on your face..

* Allu squagghiare te la nie, parenu li strunzi.
o To melt snow, leaving droppings..

* Arcu te mane l’ommu se pija u pane; arcu te sira l’ommu se ritira
o Rainbow to the east (where the morning sun rises) man takes bread (the campaign), rainbow at night (then West) man back (from the campaign for the coming bad weather).

* Assunta a 'ncelu, acqua a 'nterra
o Rain the day of the Assumption

L

* Lu pisce puzza te la capu.
o The fish decay from head

* Lu purpu se coce cull'acqua sua stessa.
o The octopus cooks itself in its own water.


N

* Na pisciata senza piritu è comu na festa senza fochi
o Piss without a fart is like a holiday without fireworks

* Nchianu susu cullu culu, scinnu sutta cullu cazzu.
o I climb on to filter, go down below to crush him.

* Né de venere né de marte nò ssè sposa e nò ssè parte, nò ssè dà princìpiu all’arte.
o Neither Venus nor Mars is not married nor is either party initiates it art.

* Nisciunu nasce mparatu
o Nobody is born with special knowledge

* Nu bbulare mutu autu mò ca tieni l'ale, ca sempre si suggettu allu catire.
o Do not fly very high now that you have wings, because you are always subject to fall.

* Nu n'ha fare te tutta n'erba nu fasciu
o You must not do the whole lump

* Nu puei tenire la utte china e la mugghere 'mbriaca.
o You can not have both the full barrel and the wife drunk.


Q

* Quandu è francu ungimende tuttu!
o When it's free oil me all!

* Quandu tuttu e quandu nienti...
o When everything and when nothing...


T

* Tantu darlampa ca trona; tantu trona ca chiove; tantu chiove ca scampa
o Both flashes that thunders, thunders so that it rains, it rains so much that escapes

* Te fimmena mustazzuta, Ddiu cu tte juta.
o From moustached woman, God help you.

* Te lu jabbu nu ci mueri ma cci ccappi
o Teasing the neighbor does not die but will happen

* Te na ciuccia cambara nu pijare mai la fija, ca ci nu n'è tutta cambara nu picca se ssamija
o Of poor ass never take her daughter, if not all bad, however it looks a little

* Te Santu Martinu, ogne mostu denta vinu.
o St. Martin's, each must becomes wine.

* Tiempu russu acqua ientu o frusciu
o Time red wind or rain water.

* Tira cchiù lu pilu te lu 'nzartu.
o The pubic hair pull more than a coarse rope..

* Trete suntu li potenti: lu Papa, li re, e ciunca nu tene nienti
o The powerful are three: the Pope, the King and the have-nots

* Truenu cupu, l'acqua sta rria
o When you hear the distant thunder, the storm is coming.