He dances well to whom fortune pipes.
Meaning: Success comes easily to those blessed with favorable circumstances rather than personal effort.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
Equivalents in Italian
- Italian: Assai ben balla à chi fortuna suona (literally: He dances well to whom fortune pipes)
More proverbs about Wisdom
- Dainty dogs may have to eat dirty puddings. — Those unwilling to compromise their preferences may face deprivation when circumstances d…
- He that gropes in the dark finds that he would not. — Blind searching without guidance leads to unwanted discoveries rather than intended ones.
- It's a wicked thing to make a dearth one's garner. — Hoarding grain during scarcity exploits others' hunger for personal profit, compounding c…
- Death is deaf and hears no denial. — Mortality cannot be negotiated with or postponed, regardless of protests or refusal to ac…
- In the deepest water is the best fishing. — Seeking worthwhile rewards requires venturing into difficult, risky, or challenging circu…
- A life spent worthily should be measured by deeds--not years. — Meaningful living accrues through consequential actions, rendering chronological age irre…
From our compliments & insults
- 石頭 (Ishiatama) — A stubborn, inflexible person who won't budge.
- Tu as du chien — You have a certain irresistible magnetism — a je-ne-sais-quoi that draws people in.
- Tu as la tête sur les épaules — You're grounded, sensible, and dependable — not easily swept off course.