Classic Celtic wisdom gives an insight into the world of the Celtic proverb and the society that forged them. It was a rural world consisting of farmers and hunters, who had time to fight as well as time to make verses. The short, ironic comment,often intended as a delicate put-down or a reminder of human fallibility is dear to the celtic mind,and so the proverbs emerge, quite naturally, and with distinctive wit and charm.
Classic Celtic Wisdom
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Necessity knows no
law
Whoever is born to fourpence will never achieve five pence
A covetous eye never got a good bargainthe
Best economy,economy of words
Say little but say it well
Even the longest day has its end
Trust not a spiteful man
Dig your bait while the tide is out
A little hole will sink a big ship
It is better to exist unknown to the law
Better be sure than sorry
Better a waiting from exile than a waiting from the grave
A priest should be learned,but learning won't make a priest
The best apple is on the hightest bought
The work praises the man
It is no secret if three know it
Classic Celtic Wisdom （二）
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A soft answer turn away anger
Let him who will not take advice have conflict
Better a good retreat than a bad stand
To a man prepared for war, peace is assured
No matter who comes off well, the peace-maker is sure to come off ill.
A sword’s honour is in its idleness
Better a waiting from exile than a waiting from the grave.
The guilty one will flee without being pursued
Patience conquers destiny
No hero is proof against injury
Do not show your teeth until you can bite
Neither break the law nor make one
What comes with the wind will go with the water
When thieves dispute, honest men will get their own
A “thank—you”doesn’t pay the fiddler
A man’s wealth is his enemy
Enough is a little more than you already have
A little,often, leaves wrinkles in the purse
Speak well of your friend; of your enemy say nothing
Who is born to be hanged will never be drowned
When your hand is in the dog’s mouth, withdraw it gently
Put silk on a goat and it is still a goat
A patch is better than a hole
The chief’s house has a slippery doorstep
Time and tide wait for no man
A great sin can enter by a small door
Tomorrow is a stranger
It is no deceit to deceive a deceiver
A word to the wise, a stick to the unwise
Better a wise lad than a foolish king
He who comes with a story to you will bring two away from you
It is a sign of nobility to patronize art
They heard the music but did not understand the tune
Who speaks the least, he is the wisest
It matter not what the colour of the harp is if the melody is sweet
A wave will rise on quiet water
Contend with the wise, you will be the wiser
It is difficult to cure an old horse of a bad habit.
The man with a big nose thinks everyone talks of it.
Both your friend and your enemy think that you will never
die.
When death comes it will not go away empty.a
A dry cough is death’s trumpet
Youth sheds many a skin
A lazy youth will make an active old man.
What the little ones see, the little ones do
Age is honourable and youth is noble
The beginning and end of one’s life is to draw closer to the
fire
A light heart lives long
He who desires to be praised, let him die
Grief will sleep but anxiety will not
Classic Celtic Wisdom （二）
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A soft answer turn away anger
Let him who will not take advice have conflict
Better a good retreat than a bad stand
To a man prepared for war, peace is assured
No matter who comes off well, the peace-maker is sure to come off ill.
A sword’s honour is in its idleness
Better a waiting from exile than a waiting from the grave.
The guilty one will flee without being pursued
Patience conquers destiny
No hero is proof against injury
Do not show your teeth until you can bite
Neither break the law nor make one
What comes with the wind will go with the water
When thieves dispute, honest men will get their own
A “thank—you”doesn’t pay the fiddler
A man’s wealth is his enemy
Enough is a little more than you already have
A little,often, leaves wrinkles in the purse
Speak well of your friend; of your enemy say nothing
Who is born to be hanged will never be drowned
When your hand is in the dog’s mouth, withdraw it gently
Put silk on a goat and it is still a goat
A patch is better than a hole
The chief’s house has a slippery doorstep
Time and tide wait for no man
A great sin can enter by a small door
Tomorrow is a stranger
It is no deceit to deceive a deceiver
A word to the wise, a stick to the unwise
Better a wise lad than a foolish king
He who comes with a story to you will bring two away from you
It is a sign of nobility to patronize art
They heard the music but did not understand the tune
Who speaks the least, he is the wisest
It matter not what the colour of the harp is if the melody is sweet
A wave will rise on quiet water
Contend with the wise, you will be the wiser
