It is a wise child that knows his own father

Meaning: A version, “it is a wise father that knows his own child” (spelling modernized), is used in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, and the modern version, in a translation of the Odyssey by Samuel Butler (see quotations), which likely popularized the proverb.

Origin: English proverb.

Translations

• Spanish: El hijo sabe que conoce á su padre (literally: It is a wise son that knows his own father)

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