At night all cows are black — in the dark, differences disappear and things cannot be judged clearly. It warns against making important decisions without full information, and against being deceived by surface appearances.
The proverb is rooted in the agricultural reality of Sicily's vast latifondo estates, where cattle grazed on the dry golden hillsides from Enna to Agrigento. At dusk, the herdsman could no longer distinguish a good animal from a poor one, a sick beast from a healthy one. The wisdom extended far beyond livestock: it warned against marriages arranged in haste, deals struck without clear information, judgements made on rumour. In a society where arranged marriages were common well into the 20th century, a family that accepted a suitor seen only briefly, or heard of only by reputation, was taking a dangerous risk. The proverb is a cousin of the northern Italian 'di notte tutti i gatti son bigi', but in Sicily it carries the particular flavour of cattle country and the darkness of the rural interior far from the lights of Palermo or Catania.
Sicilian variant of a widely documented Italian and European proverb. The cattle imagery is specific to the pastoral latifondo culture of Sicily's interior provinces. Collected in Pitrè's 19th-century folklore studies.
Warning against a hasty business decision
Non firmare quel contratto senza averlo letto bene. A notti tutti i vacchi su niuri — aspetta la luce del giorno.
Do not sign that contract without reading it carefully. At night all cows are black — wait for the light of day.
Scepticism about a new acquaintance who seems perfect
— Sembra un uomo d'oro. — A notti tutti i vacchi su niuri — aspetta di conoscerlo meglio prima di giudicare.
— He seems like a man of gold. — At night all cows are black — wait to know him better before judging.
After being deceived by someone who seemed trustworthy
L'avevo incontrato solo di sera, sempre in fretta. A notti tutti i vacchi su niuri — non l'avevo mai visto alla luce del sole.
I had only met him in the evening, always in a rush. At night all cows are black — I had never seen him in the light of day.
A teacher explaining critical thinking to students
Non credete a tutto quello che leggete online. A notti tutti i vacchi su niuri — cercate la verità nella luce, non nell'ombra.
Do not believe everything you read online. At night all cows are black — seek the truth in the light, not in the shadow.