Quomodo nix in æstate, et pluviæ in messe, sic indecens est stulto gloria.

As well snow in summer or rain in harvest, as honour paid to a fool.

As snow in summer, and rain in harvest, so glory is not seemly for a fool.

Sicut avis ad alia transvolans, et passer quolibet vadens, sic maledictum frustra prolatum in quempiam superveniet.

Light as a bird of passage, light as sparrow on the wing, the curse that is undeserved shall reach thee.

As a bird flying to other places, and a sparrow going here or there: so a curse uttered without cause shall come upon a man.

Flagellum equo, et camus asino, et virga in dorso imprudentium.

Whip for horse, bridle for ass, and never a rod for the fool’s back?

A whip for a horse, and a snaffle for an ass, and a rod for the back of fools.

Ne respondeas stulto juxta stultitiam suam, ne efficiaris ei similis.

Leave the fool’s challenge unanswered, and prove thyself wise;

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou be made like him.

Responde stulto juxta stultitiam suam, ne sibi sapiens esse videatur.

or answer it, if thou wilt, and prove him fool.

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he imagine himself to be wise.

Claudus pedibus, et iniquitatem bibens, qui mittit verba per nuntium stultum.

Send a fool on thy errand, thou hast a lame journey, and mischief brewing for thee.

He that sendeth words by a foolish messenger, is lame of feet and drinketh iniquity.

Quomodo pulchras frustra habet claudus tibias, sic indecens est in ore stultorum parabola.

Give a fool leave to speak, it is all fair legs and no walking.

As a lame man hath fair legs in vain: so a parable is unseemly in the mouth of fools.

Sicut qui mittit lapidem in acervum Mercurii, ita qui tribuit insipienti honorem.

Pay a fool reverence, thou hast wasted one more stone on Mercury’s cairn.

As he that casteth a stone into the heap of Mercury: so is he that giveth honour to a fool.

Quomodo si spina nascatur in manu temulenti, sic parabola in ore stultorum.

Speech fits as well in a fool’s mouth as branch of bramble in the hand of a drunkard.

As if a thorn should grow in the hand of a drunkard: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

Judicium determinat causas, et qui imponit stulto silentium iras mitigat.

The law settles quarrels at last, yet silence the fool, and feud there shall be none.

Judgment determineth causes: and he that putteth a fool to silence, appeaseth anger.

Sicut canis qui revertitur ad vomitum suum, sic imprudens qui iterat stultitiam suam.

Like a dog at his vomit, the fool goes back ever to his own folly.

As a dog that returneth to his vomit, so is the fool that repeateth his folly.

Vidisti hominem sapientem sibi videri? magis illo spem habebit insipiens.

Who is in more perilous case than the fool himself? The man who lays claim to wisdom.

Hast thou seen a man wise in his own conceit? there shall be more hope of a fool than of him.

Dicit piger: Leo est in via, et leæna in itineribus.

What, go abroad? says Sloth; there is a lion there; trust me, a lion’s dam loose in the street.

The slothful man saith: There is a lion in the way, and a lioness in the roads.

Sicut ostium vertitur in cardine suo, ita piger in lectulo suo.

Sloth turns about, but keeps his bed, true as the door to its hinge.

As the door turneth upon its hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

Abscondit piger manum sub ascella sua, et laborat si ad os suum eam converterit.

With folded hands the sluggard sits by, too idle to put hand to mouth.

The slothful hideth his hand under his armpit, and it grieveth him to turn it to his mouth.

Sapientior sibi piger videtur septem viris loquentibus sententias.

Wiser than seven sages is the sluggard in his own thought.

The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit, than seven men that speak sentences.

Sicut qui apprehendit auribus canem, sic qui transit impatiens et commiscetur rixæ alterius.

Better pull a dog by the ears than meddle in another’s quarrels; pass on in quiet.

As he that taketh a dog by the ears, so is he that passeth by in anger, and meddleth with another man’s quarrel.

Sicut noxius est qui mittit sagittas et lanceas in mortem,

No excuse he finds, that deadly brand and arrow casts about him;

As he is guilty that shooteth arrows, and lances unto death:

ita vir fraudulenter nocet amico suo, et cum fuerit deprehensus dicit: Ludens feci.

nor he either, that hurts a friend by treachery and pleads that it was done in jest.

So is the man that hurteth his friend deceitfully: and when he is taken, saith: I did it in jest.

Cum defecerint ligna extinguetur ignis, et susurrone subtracto, jurgia conquiescent.

No fuel, no fire; no tell-tale, no quarrel.

When the wood faileth, the fire shall go out: and when the talebearer is taken away, contentions shall cease.

Sicut carbones ad prunas, et ligna ad ignem, sic homo iracundus suscitat rixas.

Coal needs ember, and fire tinder, and strife a quarreller, for their kindling.

As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire, so an angry man stirreth up strife.

Verba susurronis quasi simplicia, et ipsa perveniunt ad intima ventris.

Innocent enough seem the words of the backbiter, yet their poison sinks deep into a man’s belly.

The words of a talebearer are as it were simple, but they reach to the innermost parts of the belly.

Quomodo si argento sordido ornare velis vas fictile, sic labia tumentia cum pessimo corde sociata.

When the heart is wicked, fine talk is but lustre ware.

Swelling lips joined with a corrupt heart, are like an earthen vessel adorned with silver dross.

Labiis suis intelligitur inimicus, cum in corde tractaverit dolos.

The enemy that has treacherous thoughts is betrayed by his friendly talk;

An enemy is known by his lips, when in his heart he entertaineth deceit.

Quando submiserit vocem suam, ne credideris ei, quoniam septem nequitiæ sunt in corde illius.

trust him not when he speaks thee fair; here are seven depths of wickedness in a single heart.

When he shall speak low, trust him not: because there are seven mischiefs in his heart.

Qui operit odium fraudulenter, revelabitur malitia ejus in consilio.

Vain the pretences that cloak his malice; before the whole assembly it shall be made known;

He that covereth hatred deceitfully, his malice shall be laid open in the public assembly.

Qui fodit foveam incidet in eam, et qui volvit lapidem revertetur ad eum.

dig pit, and thou shalt fall into it, shift rock, and it shall roll back on thee.

He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and he that rolleth a stone, it shall return to him.

Lingua fallax non amat veritatem, et os lubricum operatur ruinas.

Fie on the glib tongues that hate all honesty, the treacherous lips that plot men’s downfall!

A deceitful tongue loveth not truth: and a slippery mouth worketh ruin.