Sayings of Walloon origin
Three hairs are quickly combed.
The best ointment comes in small boxes.
Do what you want, but make sure you are first.
Fat geese don’t fly far.
You only know saints by their miracles.
The chemist doesn’t smell his own medicine.
When two poor men help each other, God laughs.
The tail is always the most difficult part to skin.
Better warn than be warned.
The more the billy goat stinks, the more the nanny goat loves him.
A tree falls the way it leans.
Beauty is not so much what you see as what you dream.
In dark weather the devil is in the air.
He who keeps his mouth shut, dies without confession.
Don’t make use of another’s mouth unless it has been leant to you.
White flowers are not to be found in a coal sack.
He started with nothing and still he has just his begging bag.
As one nail drives out another.
It is better to be alone than to be in bad company.
Wallonia is the predominantly French-speaking southern region of Belgium. It is governed as the Walloon Region, which makes up 55% of the territory of Belgium but with only a third of its population. Contrary to the situation in Flanders, the Walloon Region was not merged with the French Community of Belgium, a political level responsible for matters related mainly to culture and education. The small German-speaking minority in the east forms the German-speaking Community of Belgium, which has its own government and parliament for culture-related issues. The demonym for Wallonia is Walloon. More on Wallonia from Wikipedia!
The capital of Wallonia is Namur, and its largest metropolitan area is Liège, while its most populous municipality proper is Charleroi.
Walloon language is a Romance language that was spoken as a primary language in large portions (70%) of Wallonia in Belgium, in some villages of Northern France (near Givet) and in the northeast part of Wisconsin until the mid 20th century. It belongs to the langue d’oïl language family, whose most prominent member is the French language. The historical background of its formation was the territorial extension since 980 of the Principality of Liège to the south and west.
Le Chant des Wallons (The Song of the Walloons) is the anthem of Wallonia (Video).
Of our land Wallonia we are proud.
Her children are esteemed the world over.
Behold the triumph of her industry,
The grandeur of her arts!
Though our land be small, still her science
Surpasses that of many a populous nation
What we yearn for most is our freedom.
That is why we are proud to be Walloons!
We Walloons are brothers to one another
And comfort one another in distress
We do good without boasting about it
And try to keep it secret
Charity visiting a poor cottage
Goes by night and cautiously
We may give little, but it comes from the heart.
That is why we are proud to be Walloons!
O humble land of Wallonia,
Modestly we hail thee, land of our hearts’ desire.
We are saddened when men speak ill of thee.
It truly breaks the heart!
But fear not attacks from the enemy
Thy children will defend thy high repute.
Who dare affront our anger?
That is why we are proud to be Walloons!
We love between brothers in Wallonia
And we’re willing each other to shake hands.
We are pleased that we do not often say so.
No one appears when it wants to do good.
The charity that enters the house
Is that going to night with a thousand precautions.
The little that gives no one gives in secret:
That’s why we are proud to be Walloons!
