The axe forgets, but the tree remembers

Meaning: Those who cause harm often forget quickly, while those who suffer carry the wound far longer.

Origin: Zimbabwean proverb from the Shona people, widely cited across sub-Saharan Africa.

Translations

• French: La hache oublie, mais l'arbre se souvient (literally: The axe forgets, but the tree remembers)
• Spanish: El hacha olvida, pero el árbol recuerda (literally: The axe forgets, but the tree remembers)
• Japanese: 斧は忘れる、しかし木は覚えている (Ono wa wasureru, shikashi ki wa oboete iru) (literally: The axe forgets, but the tree remembers)

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