He who spits into the air, it falls on his face — what you direct against others often returns to harm you. Malice, betrayal, slander, and scheming against others has a way of falling back on the schemer. A vivid, unglamorous image of karma.
The image is deliberately crude and immediate — spitting upward is an act of pointless aggression or contempt against something above you (the sky, God, fate, another person), and the physics are merciless: what goes up must come down, and it comes down on the one who sent it up. The proverb was used as a warning against scheming, slander, and petty malice, and also as a consolation to those who had been wronged: the person who lied about you, who tried to undercut you, who spat in your direction — they will find their own spit on their face eventually. It was also used to discourage impious behaviour: spitting at the sky (blaspheming, challenging God or fate) was particularly ill-advised because the rebound was certain.
A proverb of natural consequences and moral reciprocity, expressed with the typical Sicilian preference for vivid physical imagery over abstraction. 'Sputa' = sputa (spits), 'n'faccia' = in faccia (in the face), 'si cadi' = ricade (falls back). Found in folk collections across Sicily.
After a person who spread rumours about a colleague was exposed
Ha girato false voci su di lei per farla licenziare. Poi è venuta fuori la verità su di lui. Cu sputa in aria, n'faccia si cadi.
He spread false rumours about her to get her fired. Then the truth came out about him. He who spits into the air, it falls on his face.
Consoling someone who was betrayed
Non fare niente, non vendicarti. Cu sputa in aria, n'faccia si cadi — aspetta, non devi fare niente tu.
Do not do anything, do not take revenge. He who spits into the air, it falls on his face — wait, you do not need to do anything yourself.
Warning someone planning a malicious action
Non farlo. Cu sputa in aria, n'faccia si cadi — non hai idea di come ti tornerà indietro.
Do not do it. He who spits into the air, it falls on his face — you have no idea how it will come back to you.
A parent explaining consequences to a child who is being mean to a sibling
Se fai del male a tua sorella, qualcosa di simile ti tornerà. Cu sputa in aria, n'faccia si cadi — è la legge della vita.
If you hurt your sister, something similar will return to you. He who spits into the air, it falls on his face — it is the law of life.