“When one sleeps, one doesn’t think about eating.”[21]--[_Mauritius._]
[21] “_Qui dort, dine_,” is an old French proverb.
46. Ça qui fine goûté larac zamés perdi son goût. (Celui qui a goûté
l’arac n’en oublie jamais le goût.)
“He who has once tasted arrack never forgets the
taste.”--[_Mauritius._]
47. Ça qui gagné piti mil dehors, veillé laplie. (Celui qui a un peu de
mil dehors veille la pluie.)
“He who has [would raise] a little millet out of doors, watches for
rain.”--[_Hayti._]
48. Ça qui gagne zoli fille gagne coudeçapeau. (Celui qui a une jolie
fille reçoit des coups de chapeau.)
“He who has a pretty daughter receives plenty of
salutes.”--[_Mauritius._]
49. Ça qui mangé zé pas save si bonda poule fait li mal. (Ceux qui
mangent des œufs ne savent pas si le derrière de la poule lui fait mal.)
“Those who eat eggs don’t know whether the chicken
suffered.”[22]--[_Martinique._]
[22] A little too vulgar for literal translation. Those who profit by
the misfortunes of others, never concern themselves about the
suffering which they take advantage of.
50. Ça qui ni bon piè prend douvant. (Celui qui a bon pied prend le
devant.)
“He who is swift of foot takes the lead.” Force of character always
brings its possessor to the front.--[_Mart._]
51. Ça qui pas bon pou sac pas bon pour maconte. (Ce qui n’est pas bon
pour le sac, n’est pas pour le maconte.)
“What is not fit for the bag, is not fit for the
maconte.”[23]--[_Hayti._]
[23] _Waïá_ in Trinidad Creole. _Maconte_ is probably from the Spanish
_macóna_, a basket without handles. The Haytian maconte is a sort of
basket made of woven grass, and used for carrying all kinds of
articles. It is strapped to the shoulders.
52. Ça qui prend zassocié prend maite. (Celui qui prend un associé prend
(se donne) un maître.)
“He who takes a partner takes a master.”--[_Martinique._]
53. Ça qui ti bien fére, zamés ti mal fére. (Ce qui est bien fait, n’est
jamais mal fait.)
“What’s rightly done is never wrongly done.”--That is to say: Never
regret anything done for a good motive.--[_Mauritius._]
54. Ça qui tine poélon qui cone so prix lagresse. (C’est celui qui tient
le poêlon qui connaît le prix de la graisse.)
“It’s the one who holds the skillet that knows the cost of
lard.”--[_Mauritius._]
55. Ça qui touyé son lecorps travaille pour levéres. (Celui qui tue son
propre corps, travaille pour les vers.)
“He who kills his own body, works for the worms.” Applicable to those
who injure their health by excesses.--[_Mauritius._]
56. Ça qui vlé couvé, couvé su zè yo. (Ceux qui veulent couver, qu’elles
couvent leurs propres œufs.)
“Let those who want to hatch hatch their own eggs.”--That is, let
everybody mind his or her own business.--[_Martinique._]
57. * Ça va rivé dans semaine quatte zheudis. (Cela va arriver dans la
semaine de quatre jeudis.)
“That will happen in the week of four Thursdays.”[24]--[_Louisiana._]
[24] Ironically said to those who make promises which there is no
reason to believe will ever be fulfilled.
58. Ça ziè pas vouè khè pas fè mal. (Ce que les yeux ne voient pas, ne
fait pas de mal au cœur.)
“What the eyes don’t see never hurts the heart.”[25]--[_Martinique._]
[25] _Ce que yex ne voit, cuer ne deut_, is a French proverb of the
13th century, from which was probably derived our own saying: “What
the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve after.”
59. Cabritt[26] boué, mouton sou. (Quand la chèvre boit, c’est le mouton
qui est soûl.)
“When the goat drinks, they say the sheep is drunk.”--Meaning that the
innocent are made to suffer for the guilty.--[_Martinique._]
[26] _Cabri_ in French signifies a kid; in Creole it signifies either
a kid or a goat--more generally the latter. The word was originally
spelled with a final _t_; and the Creoles of the Antilles have
generally preserved the letter, even in pronunciation. I have
purposely retained the various spellings given by various authors.
60. Cabritt li ka monté roche, li descende. (Chèvre qui a monté un
rocher doit en descendre.)
“The goat that climbs up the rocks must climb down
again.”--[_Guyana._]
61. Cabritt pas connaitt goumé,[27] mais cui li batte la charge. (La
chèvre ne sait pas le battre; mais son cuir [sa peau] bat la charge.)
“The goat does not know how to fight; but his hide beats the
charge.”--[_Hayti._]
[27] _Goumé_, or in some dialects, _goumein_, is said by Turiault to
be a verb of African origin--_Étude sur la langage Créole_, page 142.
Still we have the French word _gourmer_, signifying to curb a horse,
also, to box, to give cuffs.
62. Cabritt qui pas malin pas gras. (La chèvre qui n’est pas maligne
n’est pas grasse.)
“The goat that isn’t cunning never gets fat.”--[_Martinique._]
63. Cabrite qui pas malin mangé nen pié morne. (La chèvre qui n’est pas
maligne, mange au pied du morne.)
“The foolish goat eats at the foot of the hill.”--[_Hayti._]
64. Canari vlé rîe chôdier. (Le canari [le pot] veut rire de la
chaudière [la marmite].)
“The clay-pot wishes to laugh at the iron pot.”[28]--[_Trinidad._]
[28] “Pot calls the kettle black.” The clay pot (_canari_) has almost
disappeared from Creole kitchens in Louisiana; but the term survives
in a song of which the burthen is: “_Canari cassé dans difé._”
65. Cancrelat sourti dans la farine. (Le cancrelat [ravet] sort de la
farine.)
“The roach has come out of the flour-barrel.”--Said to women of color
who whiten their faces with rice-powder.--[_Mauritius._]
66. Canna pa ni d’leau pou lì baingnein i lè trouvé pou lì nagé. (Le
canard n’a pas de l’eau pour se laver, et il veut trouver assez pour
nager.)
“The duck hasn’t enough water to wash with, and he wants enough to
swim in.”--Refers to those who live beyond their
means.--[_Martinique._]