Selection of Emilian proverbs, sayings and idioms most used in Emilia Romagna, including translation into Italian, as testimony to the wisdom of its people.
Emilian idioms
- A bona dbuda la t’fa rómpar mej l'êria and la t’fa vdé is mond pió bël. (A good drink makes you break the air better and makes you see the world more beautiful)
- A to un vecc da is su usitéri, the instess he is sending is zimiters. (Taking an old man off his habits means sending him to the cemetery)
- The brasala 'd chijetar a la pè sempar piò granda. (The chop of others seems bigger and bigger)
- It is the world that is fat in the round and whoever navigates is going to the bottom. (The world is round and those who can't navigate go to the bottom)
- La prèscia bisàgna lassèrla al levri. (The haste must be left to the hares)
- Whoever buys tea, buys guera. (Who buys land, buys war)
- Well it is Fri and Lassa andê Aqua in E ’Mulen. (Drink wine and let the water go to the mill)
- Aqua d’curri. Tott i mael the door there. (The water that flows all the evils takes them away)
- Of the water, only the palmun to the marzarì. (Don't drink water, because your lungs will rot)
- Dov an i is al soul, i is spass al duttaur. (Where the sun doesn't come, the doctor often comes)
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- Rèmin da navighe, Cesena da cante, Furlé da ballé, Ravena da magne, Lugh da imbruje, Faenza da lavurê, Jemula da fè’l’amor. (Rimini to sail, Cesena to sing, Forlì to dance, Ravenna to eat, Lugo to cheat, Faenza to work, Imola to make love)
- S'a j acàt who has invaded the fadiga a i vol fe un brudet. (If I find who invented the job I want to make him a soup)
- Al prémm turtèl, an vén mai bèl. (The first tortellino never comes out well)
- A d’aenter mond an leads only to bain and mael. (Only good and bad deeds are brought to the other world, never earthly goods)
- Cum stè? Cumè and pes te paier. (How are you? Like a fish in a haystack)
- Sa zèint an a vot campêr, i to fàt agh èt da fer. (If you want to live a hundred years, you don't have to be too curious)
- And it also takes away and fom mal pepie. (It also takes away the smoke from the pipes)
- U j is ch’magna par campe and chi ch’magna par s-ciupe. (There are those who eat to live and those who eat to burst)
- In Paradis, ai is a scrana prepared for the premma nóra and madóna ch'i en andè d’acórd. (In Heaven there is a chair prepared for the first daughter-in-law and mother-in-law who got along)
- Ai puvrètt agh lacks ways, mo ai aver agh lacks tót. (The poor are missing many things, but the miser is missing everything)
- Santa in cisa, dievl in ca. (Saint in church, devil in the house)
- S'a vrì vèdor il pen-i dl’infèron, fornèr d'istè and molinèr d'invèron. (If you want to see the pains of hell, be a baker in summer and a miller in winter)
Emilian sayings
- Donate giuvna, vein, turtél and go where the world is good. (Young woman, wine, tortellini and come on, the world is beautiful)
- El donn he ein as el castagn, and fùra blocks it and déintr’al magagn. (Women are like chestnuts, outside beauty and inside flaws)
- If you are well, magna fort and be de ’ven! (If you want to feel good, eat a lot and drink wine)
- From det al fat to a great deal. (From saying to doing there is a great deal)
- A taevla and a laet. An vol i respaet. (At table and in bed. It takes respect)
- At the prem còulp an fall the tree. (The first time the tree does not fall)
- Murir inco or murir edmàn l'è istas, sol êssregh pasdmàn. (Dying today or dying tomorrow is the same, the important thing is to be there the day after tomorrow)
- J’omi cativi and al vèin bon i düri pocu. (Bad men and good wine do not last long)
- S’t vù vivar in aligrì guêrdat’d in front and no of drì. (If you want to live peacefully look ahead and not behind)
- To do the fat on an ever man els. (Whoever does his own thing, never gets his hands dirty)
- The blazza for an an, the buntè for sèimper.(Beauty for a year, goodness forever)
- I fàt en màsti, and al parol en famen. (The work is of men, the word of women)
- Amizezzia makes large el zoi and cinèń i dśgost. (Friendship makes joys big and sorrows small)
- When missing the pess is bon anch i gambar. (When there is no fish, prawns are also good)
- La muiér I'is a sèrva that biśàggna tratèr da regèńna. (The wife is a servant who must be able to put on a throne)
- The memory of the Creditour is the samper piò bòna and that of the debitur. (The creditor's memory is always better than that of the debtor)
- Al cór l'è as uń magatt; al và spàiś pòch a la vòlta. (The heart is a treasure, it would be a ruin to spend it in one fell swoop)
- Danna who mourns her, amm ch'al zura, caval ch’al sweats, i ein fèls as a judge. (Woman who weeps, man who swears, horse who sweats; they are false as a Jew)
- L 'inteligiànt vòl savàir, al sumarnaz vòl insgnèr. (The intelligent wants to educate himself, the stupid to teach)
- Three aqui cunsumèdi: lavèr la chèrna, daquèr al vèin and lavèr a cuntadèin. (Three waters consumed: wash the meat, add water to the wine and wash a farmer)
- You know and you know where I know it. (There is nothing useless, not even the uselessness itself)
- Nissun piat gòsta e vèl like the caplètt to dè’d Nadèl. (No dish tastes and is worth as much as cappelletti on Christmas day)
Emilian proverbs
- A bona dbuda la t’fa rómpar mej l'êria and la t’fa vdé is mond pió bël. (A good drink makes you break the air better and makes you see the world more beautiful)
- Avrel, tott i dè a barel. (April, a barrel of rain every day)
- The brasala 'd chijetar a la pè sempar piò granda. (The chop of others seems bigger and bigger)
- When the gal sings from galen-na, the ca goes to the arven-na. (When the rooster crows like a hen, the house is ruined)
- La prèscia bisàgna lassèrla al levri. (The haste must be left to the hares)
- The muschi i gh’én sèt més a l'an, i rompabàl tut l'an. (The flies are there seven months a year, the troublemakers all year round)
- Cleaning is well done by the infura de portafoi. (Cleaning is fine everywhere except in the wallet)
- Well it is Fri and Lassa andê Aqua in E ’Mulen. (Drink wine and let the water go to the mill)
- Who ch'cardess to tot what little bit holds, mat is bit dvintê. (Anyone who believes everything he can dream about can become mad)
- Of the water, only the palmun to the marzarì. (Don't drink water, because your lungs will rot)
- From those who often go to cunsè, b-sogna sempra diffidé. (From those who go to confession too often, always be wary)
- Rèmin da navighe, Cesena da cante, Furlé da ballé, Ravena da magne, Lugh da imbruje, Faenza da lavurê, Jemula da fè’l’amor. (Rimini to sail, Cesena to sing, Forlì to dance, Ravenna to eat, Lugo to cheat, Faenza to work, Imola to make love)
- One is enough to have the rasònm, I need ch'i t’la dëga. (It is not enough to be right: they must give it to you)
- Al prémm turtèl, an vén mai bèl. (The first tortellino never comes out well)
- A bit more heart than a zezt d’lumêgh. (He has more horns than a basket of snails)
- Cum stè? Cumè and pes te paier. (How are you? Like a fish in a haystack)
- It is a pass for how long the leg is, and it is par for how long the mouth is. (The step for how long the leg is, the bite for how wide the mouth is)
- And it also takes away and fom mal pepie. (It also takes away the smoke from the pipes)
- I sold i fa and the water par insins. (Money makes the water go upwards)
- In Paradis, ai is a scrana prepared for the premma nóra and madóna ch'i en andè d’acórd. (In Heaven there is a chair prepared for the first daughter-in-law and mother-in-law who got along)
- I prit i sings and icsé i enchant. I prit i pray, mo i n'u cares. (Priests sing and so enchant. Priests pray but I don't care)
- Santa in cisa, dievl in ca. (Saint in church, devil in the house)
