Water Quotes from Around the World

Jim Lauria

During my recent webinar “How to Stand Out on LinkedIn: Tips for Water Professionals”, I talked about my extensive collection of water quotes. Recently I posted my favorite water quotes from Leonardo da Vinci.

Here are my favorite water quotes from around the world…

1. “Pure water is the world’s first and foremost medicine.” – Slovakian proverb

2. “When you drink the water, remember the spring." - Chinese proverb

3. “If you run out of water, you run out of life.” - Uzbekistan saying

4. "Mai huli ’oe I kokua o ke kai!" - Hawaiian for "Never turn your back on the ocean!"

5. “When one man drinks while another can only watch, doomsday soon follows.” – Turkish proverb

6. “For the beauty of the rose, we also water the thorns.” - African proverb

7. “When you are dying of thirst, it is too late to dig a well.” - Japanese proverb

8. “A waster of water is a waster of better.” – Old Irish adage

9. “Filthy water cannot be washed.” - West African proverb

10. “Don't throw away the old bucket until you know whether the new one holds water.” - Swedish proverb

11. "Water always has a source and trees always have roots."- Chinese proverb

12. “Only a fool tests the depth of the water with both feet.” - African proverb

13. “The deeper the waters are, the more still they run.” - Korean proverb

14. “The stone in the water knows nothing of the hill which lies parched in the sun.” – African proverb

15. “A little water is a sea to an ant.” – Afghan proverb

16. “It is wise to bring some water when one goes out to look for water.” - Arab proverb

17. “Water has no enemy.” - Yoruba proverb

18. “Don’t empty the water jar until the rain falls.” – Philippine proverb

19. “It is the calm and silent water that drowns a man.” - Ghanaian proverb

20. “The frog does not drink up the water in which he lives." - Native American proverb

21. “Praise to you, O Nile, that issues from the Earth, and comes to nourish Egypt...” - Egyptian hymn

22. “When the river is dry, water always returns in the spring." - Afghan proverb

23. “When you see clouds gathering, prepare to catch rainwater.” – Gola People of Liberia

24. “Enough shovels of earth - a mountain. Enough pails of water - a river.” - Chinese proverb

And from my own neck of the woods…

25. “Always drink upstream from the herd.” - Cowboy proverb

If you have any to add, please post them in the comments section.

Thanks and please check out the other posts from my series “Water Quotes from…”

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