Refranes españoles - Spanish sayings

Transmitted from generation to generation, of uncertain origin, sayings retain and communicate eternal moral wisdom.  

Spanish sayings are particularly worthy of mention, because they so often rhyme, giving them a rhythm that makes them especially memorable.   

Of course, because these pearls of human collective knowledge are fairly universal, many have an English equivalent which is also a saying and also sometimes rhymes.

Del dicho al hecho, hay mucho trecho - many a slip twixt cup and lip. It should be noted that these are not usually literal translations - in the Spanish version, we go from the stretch from said to done to the English slip between cup and lip.   

Donde fueres, haz lo que vieres - when in Rome, do as the Romans do, says the English version.   The Spanish version recommends doing what you see, wherever you are.

Sometimes, the translation is closer: una golondrina no hace verano - one swallow doesn’t make a summer.   And: nadie es profeta en su Tierra.    No man is a prophet in his own land.

Quite often, the English and Spanish sayings follow the same line of thought: Al que madruga, Dios le ayuda.   Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. Not a direct translation, but the idea is more or less the same.

Others have a dark cynicism for which I can’t quite find an English equivalent: Hierba mala nunca muere - weeds never die. The English translation doesn't work quite as well!   Perhaps the closest is “the devil looks after his own”.....

More scepticism about human nature:  Cada día que amanece, el número de tontos crece.    With every day that dawns, the number of fools increases.     And my personal favorite:  piensa mal y acertarás - think evil and you’ll be right. Regrettable, but too often true ......

This is not to say that Spanish sayings are never tempered with humour: Nunca renuncies a tus sueños - duerme cinco minutos más ....   Never give up your dreams.  Sleep on for five minutes ....