There is a vast difference between saying you will do something and actually doing it. Promises and intentions are easy; action is hard.
The sea (mare) that separates saying (dire) from doing (fare) in this proverb is one of the most powerful spatial metaphors in Italian popular wisdom. For a peninsula surrounded by water, the sea was simultaneously a gateway to trade and opportunity and a formidable, dangerous barrier. Using the sea to measure the gap between words and deeds gives the proverb an immensity that smaller metaphors could not achieve. The saying appears in Italian collections from at least the sixteenth century and is among the most universally recognized Italian proverbs today. It belongs to a family of sayings across European languages that observe the gap between intention and execution, but the Italian version is particularly memorable for its geographical specificity and the internal rhyme of 'dire' and 'fare.' The proverb is used across all social contexts wherever someone has made a promise or stated an intention but has not yet acted on it. It is especially common in Italian political discourse, where the gap between electoral promises and governmental action is a perennial theme. The English 'Easier said than done' is the direct functional equivalent.
The sea metaphor is uniquely powerful in a peninsula culture; the rhyme dire/fare gives the proverb a phonetic elegance that has kept it in constant use since the 1500s.
A broken promise
Diceva che avrebbe smesso di fumare da anni. Tra il dire e il fare c'è di mezzo il mare.
He'd been saying he would quit smoking for years. Between saying and doing lies the sea.
Political promises
Il programma elettorale era pieno di promesse. Tra il dire e il fare c'è di mezzo il mare.
The electoral program was full of promises. Between saying and doing lies the sea.
Fitness resolution
Ha detto che iniziava a correre tre mesi fa. Tra il dire e il fare c'è di mezzo il mare.
She said she was starting to run three months ago. Between saying and doing lies the sea.
A home renovation
Vuole ristrutturare casa da anni. Tra il dire e il fare c'è di mezzo il mare.
He's wanted to renovate the house for years. Between saying and doing lies the sea.