A. Justice, Reciprocity, and Retribution
These proverbs express the principle of reciprocal justice—that actions have consequences, often mirroring the original act.
| Proverb | Example |
| Occhio per occhio, dente per dente (Eye for eye, tooth for tooth) | Non chiedere vendetta; la legge antica diceva occhio per occhio, dente per dente (Don’t seek revenge; the ancient law said an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.) |
B. Individualism, Self-Reliance, and Collective Responsibility
These proverbs explore the relationship between self-interest and communal welfare, between individual action and divine providence.
| Proverb | Examples |
| Ognuno per sé e Dio per tutti. (Every person looks after their own interests, but God watches over all) | In momenti di crisi, ognuno pensa a sé: ognuno per sé e Dio per tutti. (In times of crisis, everyone thinks of themselves: each for himself and God for everyone.) |
| Chi fa da sé fa per tre (If you do something yourself, it gets done better and faster than if three people did it) | Non aspettare che gli altri facciano il lavoro: chi fa da sé fa per tre. (Don’t wait for others to do the work: if you do it yourself, it gets done better.) |
C. Moderation, Balance, and the Nature of Harm
These proverbs reflect on the nature of harm, benefit, and the limits of action.
| Proverb | Examples |
| Una volta per uno non fa male a nessuno (Once for each (person) doesn’t hurt anyone) | Dai un dolce a ciascun bambino, una volta per uno non fa male a nessuno. (Give each child a treat; once per person doesn’t hurt anyone.) |
| Non tutto il male viene per nuocere (Not everything bad turns out badly; every cloud has a silver lining) | Ho perso il treno, ma così ho incontrato un vecchio amico: non tutto il male viene per nuocere. (I missed the train, but then I met an old friend: every cloud has a silver lining.) |
| Non tutti i mali vengono per nuocere (Not all bad things are intended to harm; some bring unexpected benefits) | Quel fallimento è stato un bene inaspettato: non tutti i mali vengono per nuocere. (That failure was an unexpected blessing: not all evils come to harm.) |
D. Tradition, Change, and Risk
These proverbs reflect on the wisdom of tradition versus the risks of novelty.
| Proverb | Example |
| Chi lascia la via vecchia per la nuova sa quel che lascia ma non sa quel che trova (One knows what one is giving up when embracing change, but the outcome of the change is uncertain) | Pensa bene prima di cambiare lavoro: chi lascia la via vecchia per la nuova sa quel che lascia ma non sa quel che trova. (Think carefully before changing jobs: you know what you’re leaving but not what you’ll find.) |
E. Time, Cause, and Consequence
These proverbs express the relationship between present actions and future outcomes.
| Proverb | Example |
| Oggi per domani (What you do today determines tomorrow; actions have future consequences) | Risparmia oggi per domani. (Save today for tomorrow.) |
Next lesson:
La semplice preposizione (Per) nelle esclamazioni / The simple preposition (Per) in exclamations