He who has health is rich and does not know it — good health is the greatest wealth, more valuable than money or land, but it is only truly appreciated when it is lost. The proverb warns against taking one's wellbeing for granted.
Illness in pre-modern Sicily was a constant and terrifying presence. Malaria devastated the low-lying plains and coastal areas — the Palermo plain, the Agrigento coast, the marshy areas of the southeast — until the great drainage and DDT campaigns of the mid-20th century. Cholera struck repeatedly in the 19th century, killing thousands in cities like Palermo where overcrowding and lack of sanitation made outbreaks catastrophic. The sulphur miners suffered silicosis, the peasant farmers suffered from malnutrition and exhaustion. Against this background, a healthy man who could work, walk, breathe freely, and see his children grow was not merely fortunate — he was wealthy in the only currency that ultimately mattered. The proverb carries the weight of all those who watched their wealth — their health — slip away and understood its value only in its absence.
Documented across southern Italy and Sicily. Particularly resonant in a region historically devastated by malaria, cholera, and the occupational diseases of sulphur mining and agricultural poverty. Found in Pitrè's Sicilian proverb collections.
Visiting a sick friend in hospital
— Non me ne importava niente della salute. — E adesso? — Adesso capisco il proverbio: cu avi saluti è riccu e nun lu sapi.
— I did not care at all about my health. — And now? — Now I understand the proverb: he who has health is rich and does not know it.
A grandmother's toast at a family dinner
— Alla salute! — Alla salute, sì — cu avi saluti è riccu e nun lu sapi. Non dimenticate mai questo.
— To your health! — To your health, yes — he who has health is rich and does not know it. Never forget this.
Putting a financial problem in perspective
Hai perso dei soldi, è vero. Ma sei sano, stai bene. Cu avi saluti è riccu e nun lu sapi — i soldi si ritroveranno.
You have lost some money, it is true. But you are healthy, you are well. He who has health is rich and does not know it — the money can be recovered.
A doctor speaking to a patient after recovery
Ha avuto una bella paura. Ora ricordi: cu avi saluti è riccu e nun lu sapi. Si prenda cura di sé.
You had a real scare. Now remember: he who has health is rich and does not know it. Take care of yourself.