Money is round and rolls away — money is unstable, easily lost, and tends to circulate away from those who have it. A counsel of thrift and a warning that wealth is never permanent.
The round coin rolling away is one of the oldest images in the language of money across Europe. In Piedmont, where the thrift of the contadino and the careful accounting of the Sabaudo administration were equally valued, this proverb carried the weight of hard experience. The farmers of the Monferrato and the Langhe knew that a good harvest could be followed by a catastrophic one; the merchants of Turin knew that a fortune made in one trade could be lost in the next. The proverb counsels prudence without despair: money rolls away, yes — but that means it can also roll toward you. The Piedmontese response to this reality was the culture of risparmio (saving): the postal savings accounts (Poste Italiane), the cooperative credit banks, the family riserva hidden under the mattress.
Piedmontese proverb reflecting the culture of thrift and the awareness of economic fragility in a region of small farms and seasonal income.
A Piedmontese grandfather advising a grandson who just received his first salary
Metti da parte almeno un terzo. I sold a son round e giron via — oggi ce l'hai e domani non sai.
Put aside at least a third. Money is round and rolls away — today you have it and tomorrow you do not know.
A Langhe winemaker after a bad vintage
L'anno scorso avevamo incassato bene. I sold a son round e giron via — quest'anno la grandine ha preso tutto.
Last year we had good receipts. Money is round and rolls away — this year hail took everything.
A Turin accountant advising a client who wants to spend a windfall
— Ho ricevuto l'eredità, voglio comprare la barca. — I sold a son round e giron via. Investi prima, poi vedi se avanza qualcosa per la barca.
— I received the inheritance, I want to buy a boat. — Money is round and rolls away. Invest first, then see if anything is left for the boat.
A young Torinese after a month of overspending
Com'è possibile che sia già a corto prima del venti? I sold a son round e giron via — non ho capito ancora la lezione di mio nonno.
How is it possible I am already short before the twentieth? Money is round and rolls away — I still have not learned my grandfather's lesson.