Proverbs Concerning Water From Around the World

(Geographical or ethnic origin in brackets) • A child without a mother is like a fish in shallow water. (Myanmar) • A coconut shell full of water is a sea to an ant. (India) • Getting money is like digging with a needle. Spending it is like water soaking into the sand. (Japan) • Heaven is dark and yet out of it streams clear water. (Afghanistan) • In shallow waters, shrimps make fools of dragons. (China) • No-one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see. (Taoist) • One cannot manage too many affairs; like pumpkins in water, one pops up while you try to hold down the other. (China) • The army is the poison and the people are the water in which the poison is mixed. (Vietnam) • The buffalo that arrive late will have to drink muddy water and eat dried grass. (Vietnam) • When having a party, go first; when walking in the water, go after. (Vietnam) • With water make rivers, with rice make armies (Cambodia) • Words are mere bubbles of water; deeds are drops of gold. (Tibet) • You cannot separate water by beating it with a fork. (India) • Even hard rocks can be drilled by persisting soft drops of water. (Portugal) • All water flows into the ocean like money into the purse of the rich.(Denmark) • Fire, water and government know nothing of mercy. (Albania) • A mule can swim seven different strokes but the moment he sees the water he forgets them all. (Armenia) • Fish must swim three times: once in the water, a second time in the sauce, and a third time in wine in the stomach. (France) (“Typique, eh!” – Meg) • Fools grow without watering (Italy) • If the seawater were hotter we could catch boiled fish. (France) • On ne se baigne jamais deux fois dans le meme fleuve. (France) • To give counsel to a fool is like throwing water on a goose. (Denmark)