Fortune is like the moon: it waxes and wanes — good luck is not permanent; it has its cycles of fullness and absence just as the moon does. The person at the height of their fortune should not forget that the moon was dark before it was full, and will be dark again.
Sicily's relationship with the moon was intimate and practical: fishermen read the moon for tides, farmers consulted it for planting, women tracked it for fertility and preserving. The moon's reliable cycle — waxing to fullness, waning to darkness, waxing again — was one of the most dependable patterns in a world of agricultural uncertainty. Mapping fortune onto this cycle provided both comfort and warning: the fortunate person was like the full moon — beautiful and useful, but temporary in that fullness. The waning was coming. But equally, the dark moon was not the end: the waxing would come again. The proverb was used to prevent arrogance in success and despair in failure, by placing both within a known, reliable cycle.
A lunar metaphor for the cyclical nature of fortune, rooted in Sicily's deep practical relationship with the moon's phases in agriculture and fishing. 'Furtuna' = fortuna, 'cresce e manca' = cresce e diminuisce (waxes and wanes). Widely used as a caution against both arrogance and despair.
Warning a successful friend not to be arrogant
Adesso va tutto bene, lo so. Ma a furtuna è comu la luna: cresce e manca — goditi questo momento ma non dimenticare che può cambiare.
Everything is going well now, I know. But fortune is like the moon: it waxes and wanes — enjoy this moment but do not forget it can change.
Consoling someone going through a difficult period
La tua luna è in fase di calante adesso. A furtuna è comu la luna: cresce e manca — aspetta la fase di crescita.
Your moon is in its waning phase now. Fortune is like the moon: it waxes and wanes — wait for the waxing phase.
Reflecting on a business that had its ups and downs
Abbiamo avuto anni d'oro e anni brutti. A furtuna è comu la luna: cresce e manca — ma siamo ancora qui.
We had golden years and bad years. Fortune is like the moon: it waxes and wanes — but we are still here.
Teaching a child about the cycles of life
Non sempre le cose vanno bene, e non sempre vanno male. A furtuna è comu la luna: cresce e manca — è la natura delle cose.
Things do not always go well, and they do not always go badly. Fortune is like the moon: it waxes and wanes — it is the nature of things.