He who does not risk does not gain — without risk there is no reward. Fortune favours the brave, and excessive caution leads to stagnation.
The Lombard merchant tradition is built on risk: the great merchant families of medieval Milan built their fortunes by taking calculated risks at the right moment. This proverb captures the entrepreneurial spirit that made Milan the economic engine of Italy. It contrasts with the more cautious peasant wisdom (chi va piano va lontano) and represents the other side of the Lombard character: the willingness to bet on a new venture, to cross the Alps for a new market, to invest in a new technology. The proverb is associated with the Milanese taste for enterprise: the city that invented the company, the shopping gallery (the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II), and the fashion week operates on this principle. Rosica comes from the root to gnaw: he who does not risk has nothing to chew on.
Lombard entrepreneurial proverb. Rosica derives from the Latin rodere (to gnaw). The proverb reflects the commercial adventurousness of the Lombard merchant tradition.
A Milanese entrepreneur convincing a cautious partner
— E se fallisce? — Chi no risica, no rosica. Le opportunità non aspettano. Firmiamo.
— And if it fails? — He who does not risk does not gain. Opportunities do not wait. Let us sign.
A fashion entrepreneur in Milan
Ho lasciato un posto sicuro in banca per aprire il brand. Tutti mi dicevano che ero matta. Chi no risica, no rosica — adesso il marchio vale dieci volte quello che guadagnavo.
I left a secure job at the bank to start the brand. Everyone told me I was mad. He who does not risk does not gain — now the brand is worth ten times what I used to earn.
A young man deciding whether to move to Milan
— Ho paura di lasciare il paese. — Chi no risica, no rosica. Milano ti aspetta — ma devi arrivarci tu.
— I am afraid to leave the village. — He who does not risk does not gain. Milan is waiting for you — but you have to go there yourself.
A poker game in a Milanese club
— Passo. — Chi no risica, no rosica, Carletto. Ma sei libero di tenere i tuoi soldi.
— I fold. — He who does not risk does not gain, Carletto. But you are free to keep your money.