A un povir'omu, ogni cani cci abbaja.
Every dog barks at a poor man.
 

Zoccu si schifia, veni tempu chi s'addisìa.
 In time you'll want what you had scorned.
 

Diu affliggi, ma nun abbanduna.
God afflicts, but does not abandon.
 

Asini, donni e voi, nun t'alluntanari di li toi.
Don't let yourself get far away from your jackasses, women, and oxen.
 

Nun tèniri amicizia cu li sbirri ca cci perdi lu vinu e li sicarri.
Don't maintain a friendship with cops because you'll lose your wine and your cigars.
 
 

Amuri, tussi e fumu nun si ponnu tèniri cilati.
Love, coughing, and smoke can't be kept concealed.
 

Mogghi onesta, tisoru ch'arresta, mogghi trista è peju di la pesta.
An honest wife is a treasure that lasts, a sad wife is worse than the plague.
 

Tristu è l'aviri chi lu patruni 'un vidi.
Unfortunate is the property that the owner doesn't oversee.
 

Fa' beni e scordatillo, fa' mali e pènsaci.
Do good and forget it, do bad and think about it.
 

Busi di sciloccu e grana di tramuntana.
Empty stalks from the Sirocco and full spikes of wheat with the North Wind.
 

Cerca lu beni e aspetta lu mali.
Seek goodness and expect evil.

A quattru cosi crèditu nun dati: amuri di donna e carità di frati, suli di 'nvernu e nuvuli di stati.
There are four things to which you should not lend credence: love of women,
the charity of friars, sun in the winter, and clouds in the summer.
 

Nun cuntrastari cu cui nun havi chi pèrdiri.
Don't fight with someone who has nothing to lose.
 

La terra dici: Dùnami ca ti dugnu.
The earth says: Give to me and I'll give to you.
 

La furca nun è fatta pri lu riccu, ma pri la testa è fatta di viddanu.
The gallows is not made for the rich, but for the head of the peasant.
 

Megghiu muriri 'ntra li granfi di lu liuni chi sutta la cuda di l'asinu.
Better to die in the clutches of the lion than under the tail of a jackass.
 

Cu' havi terra, havi guerra.
Owning land is like fighting a war.
 

Cu' avi, è.
When you have, you are.
 

Unni cc'è la puvirtà, è suspetta la lialtà.
When there is poverty, loyalty is suspect.
 

Oggi a mia, dumani a tia, semu tutti 'n cumpagnia.
Today to me, tomorrow to you, we're all in it together.
 

Cui nun pò muzzicari, nun mustrassi li denti.
Who can't bite should not bare his teeth.
 

Donna, focu e mari fannu l'omu piriculari.
Women, fire, and the sea are perilous for man.
 

Quannu pri tanta scarsizza di lazzu, quannu pri tanta funnizza di puzzu.
Sometimes the rope is too short, sometimes the well is too deep.
 

Bonu vinu fa bonu sangu.
Good wine makes good blood.
 

Pri sùrfaru, frummentu, vini e lani, viniti di Sicilia a li paisi.
For sulphur, wheat, wine, and wool, come to the towns of Sicily.
 

Cui nun havi spirienza, nun havi scienza.
There is no knowledge without experience.
 

A spiziali nun tastari, a firraru nun tuccari.
At the pharmacy don't taste, at the blacksmith's don't touch.
 

Tantu vai, pri quantu hai.
Your value is set by your worth.
 

A la prisenza di le vecchi si parra pocu.
Speak little in the company of the old.
 

Cui di paroli è vintu, nun è sempri di virità cunvintu.
Who is defeated by words is not always convinced by the truth.
 

Lu vinu a lu sapuri, lu pani a lu culuri.
Judge wine by its taste, and bread by its color.
 

Vutu nun sidisfattu è comu nun s'avissi fattu.
An unfullfilled vow is as if it had not been made.
 
 
 

Dove un vede un campo vuoto con le pietre,
un Siciliano vede un muro di pietra incompleto ed un pascolo.
 

Where one sees an empty field with stones,
a Sicilian sees an incomplete stone wall and a pasture.