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Pieter Bruegel I - To piss against the moon

Pieter Bruegel the elder - Twelve proverbs [1558] -

Antwerp, Museum Mayer van der Berg -

Source: VisitFlanders

 

The Dutch inscription reads as follows:

Vat ick vervolghe en geraecke daer niet aen,

ick pisse altyt tegen de maen.

 

A somewhat more literal translation (contributed by Jan):

Whatever I pursue, I cannot reach it,

I keep pissing against the moon.

 

It essentially means “to waste one's time on a futile endeavour”

 

 

www.visual-arts-cork.com/famous-paintings/netherlandish-p...

 

de.slideshare.net/kbonifacio21/netherlandish-proverbs2

 

docs.google.com/document/d/1tSLXSEaO5Jn-0DJQ4Q6pFP6dSaZtq...

 

peedizzle.tumblr.com/

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Uploaded on July 24, 2016