proverb · Source-linked selection
Do not abstain from sowing for fear of the pigeons.
Do not abstain from sowing for fear of the pigeons.
In print by 1857 AD · industrial
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Some possible loss is not a reason to abandon an undertaking altogether. Compare the likely benefit and available protections with the cost of never starting.
What the words are saying
The pigeons may eat some of the seed, yet sowing nothing ensures there will be no crop. The proverb contrasts an uncertain partial loss with the complete loss of opportunity caused by inaction. It encourages a considered attempt, including sensible ways to protect the work, rather than an insistence on perfect security before beginning. The agricultural image does not show how large a particular risk is. Its value lies in asking whether caution protects an undertaking or has become a rule that prevents any worthwhile undertaking at all.
Everyday example
A community garden uses netting where appropriate and plants its crop instead of abandoning the season because some seeds may be lost.
When to use it
Use it when fear of a manageable loss prevents worthwhile action.
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What it does not mean
Some risks are too large or irreversible to accept. Assess the actual stakes and alternatives rather than treating every hesitation as timidity.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional (French-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1857 AD · industrial
In print by 1857: recorded in A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857) (1857 AD)
Printed page 23; French section, paragraph 466; source wording: Il ne faut pas laisser de semer pour crainte des pigeons.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.