J. F. Campbell Collection > Collection of Gaelic proverbs and familiar phrases

16
Am fear a's fhaide 'cliaidh o'n tigh, 's e'n ceòl 'bu
bliiime cliual e riainli ' tiugainn dachaidli '.
To him that farthest ivcnt aioay the sweetest music
he ever heard was 'come home'.
East or West, home (hame) is best. — Engl, and Scot.
Ost nnd West, daheim das Best. — Germ.
Oost, West, t' hiiis heat— Dutch.
These are all characteristically brief and plain. More tender
and poetical are the Italian, ' Casa niia, casa niia, per piccina que
tu sia, tu mi senibri ima badia,' and ' Casa mia, mamma niia '.
Am fear a 's fliaide 'chaidh riamli o'n tigh, bha cho
fad aige ri tighiun dachaidli.
The 'man that went farthest from home had as far to
come back.
Am fear a 's fhaide saoghal 's e 's mo a chi.
He that lives longest sees most.
Am fear a'sfhearr achiiireas 's e 's fhearr a bhuaineas.
Jle who sows best reaps best.
Chi nial semina mal raccoglie. — Ital.
Quien bien siembra, bien coge. — Span.
Am fear a 's fliche, rachadh e do 'n allt.
Let him that is wettest go to the hern.
It is said that a young wife having made this response to her
husband, who asked for some water on coming home wet, he went
and fetched a bucketful, which he straightway emptied over her
head, adding, ' Co's fliche a nis Ì ' ' Who is wettest now ? ' There
is a Breton story exactly to the same effect.
Am fear a 's hiaithe làmh 's e 's fhearr cuid.
Quickest hand gets biggest share.
See ' Ge b'e 's luaithe làmh,' ' Bidh a' chuid a 's miosa,' &c.
Am fear a 's lugha toinisg 's e 's àirde mòthar.
The man of least sense makes most noise.
A fool also is full of words. — Eccles. x. 14.
Am fear a 's luime 's e a's luaithe.
He thrd is barest runs best.
Let us lay aside every weight, . . . and mn with patience
the race that is set before us. — Heb. xii. 1.
A sillerless man gangs fast through the market. — Soot.
Am fear a's mo a gheallas, 's e a 's higha 'choimli-
gheallas.
He that loromises most will perform least.