The moon is not shamed by the barking of dogs
Meaning: Those with true integrity remain unaffected by baseless criticism or petty noise.
Origin: Credited to many cultures — Arabic, Native American, Czech and others — which usually means no single source can be found. A dog barking at a moon that ignores it is a common way of saying that critics cannot touch what is far above them.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: La lune n'est pas honteuse des aboiements des chiens (literally: The moon is not shamed by the barking of dogs)
- Spanish: La luna no se avergüenza del ladrido de los perros (literally: The moon is not shamed by the barking of dogs)
- Japanese: 月は犬の吠え声を気にしない (Tsuki wa inu no hoegoe wo ki ni shinai) (literally: The moon does not mind the barking of dogs)
- German: Die Hunde bellen, die Karawane zieht weiter (literally: The dogs bark, the caravan moves on)
More proverbs about Wisdom
- The more you know, the more you realize you don't know — True knowledge reveals the vastness of what remains to be learned.
- The greatest wealth is health — Good health is more valuable than any material possession or social status.
- Eagles don't catch flies — People of high purpose and ambition don't concern themselves with petty matters.
- You cannot step into the same river twice — Everything is constantly in flux; no experience can ever truly be repeated.
- A little knowledge is a dangerous thing — Partial knowledge breeds overconfidence and can be more harmful than honest ignorance.
- The frog in the well knows not the great ocean — Those with limited experience cannot comprehend the vastness of the wider world.
From our false friends
- Sensible — Actually means 'sensitive'. For sensible/level-headed, say raisonnable.
- Librairie — Actually means 'bookshop'. A library is une bibliothèque.
- Constipado — Actually means 'having a head cold'. Estoy constipado = I have a cold.