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Archive for the 'French Proverbs' Category
Contents
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Housewarming and Proverbs about One’s House
Tuesday, August 8th, 2006As you may already know, a housewarming is a party for someone who has just moved into a new home. Last month I wrote a little about housewarming traditions. Since then, I’ve discovered that many people are interested in learning more about housewarming traditions, gifts, sayings and poems.
I found some proverbs related to buying or having a house…
-One’s house, one’s castle.
-My house is my castle.
-The house shows the owner.
-Home is where the heart is.
-He that buys a house ready wrought, hath many a pin and nail for naught.
-Better one’s house too little one day, then too big all the year after.I particularly like this French proverb…
A chaque oiseau, son nid est beau.
Meaning… To every bird, its own nest is beautiful.If anyone’s aware of any other housewarming sayings, poems or traditions, please comment below.
Thanks!
Lisa
UPDATE: There’s one other saying I just remembered… Home, Sweet Home. My mother used to say this to me when I was a child, and we’d just get home. Now I say it to my children. I’ve seen it on signs that can be hung in the house.
June Proverbs
Thursday, June 15th, 2006Here are some English proverbs and nursery rhymes about June…
June brings tulips, lilies, roses,
Fills the children’s hands with posies.***
Marry when June roses grow,
Over land and sea you’ll go.***
A good leak in June
Sets all in tune.***
A dripping June
Puts all things in tune.***
Calm weather in June
Sets all in tune.***
Here are some French proverbs about June. They’re mainly about the rain and crops…
Juin bien fleuri,
Vrai paradis.June well in bloom,
True paradise.**
S’il pleut à la saint Médard,
Il pleuvra quarante jours plus tard,
À moins que saint Barnabé
Lui coupe l’herbe sous le pied.If it rains for St Médard (on June 8th)
It will rain 40 days later,
Unless St Barnabé (on June 11th)
Cuts the grass below his feet.***
Eau de juin
Ruine le moulin.June water (Rain in June)
Ruins the mill**
En juin c’est la saison
De tondre les moutons.In June it’s the season,
To sheer the sheep.**
Qui en juin se porte bien,
Au temps chaud ne craindra rien.Who in June is in good health,
Has nothing to fear in the hot weather.***
Here’s a Spanish proverb about June…
En junio, la hoz in puño.
In June, the scythe in hand.
(Meaning, It’s time to gather hay.)***
Feel free to comment below with proverbs from your country!
Many thanks to Monique of Mama Lisa’s World en français for sending me the Spanish proverb and some of the French proverbs.
April Proverbs from Around the World
Thursday, April 13th, 2006It’s interesting to compare proverbs from different countries. Here are some I found from around the world. If you know of any others, you’re welcome to add them in the comments below.
English Proverbs about April
-April showers bring May flowers.
-Sweet April showers, do spring May flowers.
-April comes in with his hack and his bill, And sets a flower on every hill.
-April cold and wet fills barn and barrel.
-Betwixt April and May if there be rain, ‘Tis worth more than oxen and wain.
(A wain is a large open farm wagon.)
-April and May are the key of all the year.
-After a wet April, a dry June.
-Moist April, clear June.
-Fogs in April, floods in June.
-April weather, Rain and sunshine, both together.
-A cold April, much bread, and little wine.
-An April flood carries away the frog and her brood.
-April wears a white hat.French Proverbs about April with their English translations
-En avril, ne te découvre pas d’un fil.
(Don’t put away your winter clothes, it might still get cold.)-Avril et mai, Sont la clé de l’année.
(April and May are the key to the year.)-D’avril les ondées, Font les fleurs de Mai.
(April Showers, Make May flowers.)-Avril fait la fleur, Mai en a les honneurs.
(April makes the flowers, May has the honors.)-Le vin d’avril est un vin de Dieu,
Le vin de mai est un vin de laquais.(The wine of April is the wine of God
The wine of May is the wine of flunkeys.)-Mars venteux et avril pluvieux,
Font mai gai et gracieux.(Windy March, Rainy April,
Make a May that’s gracious and gay.)Spanish Proverbs about April
-En abril, aguas mil.
(literally… In April, thousands of waters. Meaning… April is a rainy month.)-Abril lluvioso hace a mayo hermoso.
(A rainy April makes a pretty May.)German Proverb about April
-April macht was er will.
(April does what it wants.)Italian Proverb about April
Aprile, ogni goccia un barile.
(literally… April, every drop, a barrel. Meaning… April, every raindrop, a barrel of wine.)***
I noticed that many of these proverbs are related to April weather.
Whatever the weather is where you live this month, I hope your April is fine!
Lisa
Many thanks to Monique of Mama Lisa’s World en français for sending me some of these proverbs, and for translating some of them too!
Crêpes and Candlemas in France
Monday, January 30th, 2006In France, Candlemas is called the Fête de la Chandeleur or Feast of Candlemas.
Pancakes and crêpes are an important aspect of Candlemas. First, both resemble the sun, which everyone is sorely missing at this exact halfway point of winter. Also, it is said that Pope Gelasius I, who introduced Candlemas into the Catholic Church, often gave crêpes to people who made the pilgrimage to Rome.
The French have many proverbs about eating crêpes on Candlemas. Here are some of them…
(I’m using crêpes and pancakes interchangeably)
Manger des crêpes à la chandeleur
Apporte un an de bonheur.Eat crêpes on Candlemas
And have a year of happiness.***
Il faut faire sauter les crêpes avec une pièce dans la main
Afin de s’assurer prospérité toute l’année.You must flip the crêpes with a coin in your hand
In order to ensure prosperity all year long.***
Celui qui retourne sa crêpe avec adresse,
Qui ne laisse pas tomber à terre,
Celui-là aura du bonheur
Jusqu’à la Chandeleur prochaine.Whoever turns over his pancake with skill,
Who doesn’t let it fall to the floor,
That one will have happiness
Until the next Candlemas.***
Here’s a French song for Candlemas, in French and with an English translation…
In French…
La veille de la Chandeleur
La veille de la Chandeleur
L’hiver se passe ou prend rigueur
Si tu sais bien tenir la poêle
A toi l’argent en quantité
Mais gare à la mauvaise étoile
Si tu mets la crêpe à côté.In English…
The day before Candlemas
The day before Candlemas
Winter passes, or gets stronger.
If you know how to hold the frying pan,
To you, lots of money.
But you’ll be under an unlucky star
If the pancake misses the mark.Enjoy your pancakes!
Lisa
***
Many thanks to Monique of Mama Lisa’s World en français for pointing out the tradition of eating pancakes in France on Candlemas.Come visit the Mama Lisa’s World France page for more French children’s songs with their English translations and…
Mama Lisa’s World en français for children’s songs around the world with their French translations.
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