Industry and Idleness
No pains, no gains.
No sweat, no sweet.
No mill, no meal.
From the Latin, “Qui vitat molam, vitat farinam.” “To stop the hand is the way to stop the mouth” (Chinese).
He that wad eat the kernel maun crack the nut.—Scotch.
He that gapes till he be fed will gape till he be dead.
Naethin is got without pains but dirt and lang nails.—Scotch.
“Good luck enters by dint of cuffs” (Spanish).300 Success in life is only to be won by hard striving.
“The nimble runner courses Fortune down,
And then he banquets, for she feeds the brave.”
An idle brain’s the deil’s smiddy.—Scotch.
An idle brain’s the devil’s workshop.
“By doing nothing we learn to do mischief” (Latin).301 “He that labours is tempted by one devil, he that is idle by a thousand” (Italian).302
Idle dogs worry sheep.
Sloth is the key of poverty.
Lazy folks take the most pains.
“The dog in the kennel barks at his fleas; the dog that hunts does not feel them” (Chinese).
Who so busy as he that has nothing to do?
The Italians compare such a one to a pig’s tail that is going all day, and by night has done nothing.
Seldom lies the deil dead by the dyke side.—Scotch.
You are not to expect that difficulties and dangers will vanish without any effort of your own.
Footnotes
300 A puñadas entran las buenas hadas.
301 Nihil agendo male agere discimus.
302 Chi fatica è tentato da un demonio, chi sta in ozio da mille.