# If the mountain won't come to Muhammad...



## sakvaka

How would you express this saying in your languages?

*English*: _If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain._
*Finnish*: _Jos vuori ei tule Muhammedin luokse, on Muhammedin mentävä vuoren luokse.
_*Swedish*: _Då berget inte kommer till Muhammed, måste Muhammed komma till berget._


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## Maroseika

If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, means Moses paid more. (Sorry for off-topic joke).

Russian:
Если гора не идет к Магомету, Магомет идет к горе.


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## ilocas2

Czech:

Když nejde hora k Mohamedovi, musí Mohamed k hoře.

when - doesn't go - mountain - to - Muhammad, must - Muhammad - to - mountain.


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## jazyk

In Portuguese: Se a montanha não vai a Maomé, Maomé vai à/até a montanha.


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## apmoy70

In Greek:
«Όταν δεν πάει ο Μωάμεθ στο βουνό, πάει το βουνό στον Μωάμεθ»
'otan ðem'bai* o Mo'ameθ sto vu'no 'pai to vu'no ston Mo'ameθ
lit. "when Muhammad doesn't go/is not going to the mountain, the mountain goes/is going to Muhammad" 

*sandhi

[ð] is a voiced dental non-sibilant fricative
[θ] is a voiceless dental non-sibilant fricative


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## Angel.Aura

*Italian*:
Se la montagna non va a Maometto, Maometto va alla montagna.


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## Kotbury

*POLISH:*

Nie przyszła góra doMahometa, Mahomet przyszedł do góry.


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## Kotbury

*POLISH*
Sorry, once again - this is the correct one:
Nie przyszła góra *do Mahometa*, Mahomet przyszedł do góry.


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## Vasiliy

Dutch:
Als de berg niet naar Mohammed wilt komen, dan moet Mohammed ma naar de berg gaan


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## Rallino

Wow, all the languages have exactly the same idiom  Turkish doesn't have it. I thought you'd want to know.


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## Serafín33

Spanish: Si la montaña no va a Mahoma, Mahoma va a la montaña.
Si la montaña no viene a ti, ve a la montaña.
Si la montaña no viene a mí, voy a la montaña.

Related well-known joke in Spanish: Si la montaña viene hacia ti, ¡corre! ¡Es un derrumbe/alud! 
(If the mountain comes to you, run! It's a landslide!)


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## Rallino

Angel.Aura said:


> *Italian*:
> Se la montagna non va a Maometto, Maometto va alla montagna.



Perché _*a *Maometto_? Normalmente si dice _andare *da *qualcuno_, no?


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## Mahaodeh

Rallino said:


> Wow, all the languages have exactly the same idiom  Turkish doesn't have it. I thought you'd want to know.



Neither does Arabic have it. I wonder where the proverb came from to start with.


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## origumi

Mahaodeh said:


> Neither does Arabic have it. I wonder where the proverb came from to start with.


Apparently England, early 17th century. It first appears in the following places.

Francis Bacon, _Essays_, 1625


> Mahomet cald the Hill to come to him. And when the Hill stood still, he was neuer a whit abashed, but said; If the Hill will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet wil go to the hil.


 
John Owen, 1643


> If the mountaine will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet will goe to the mountaine.


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## phosphore

Serbian:

Ako neće breg Muhamedu, onda će Muhamed bregu.


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## Orlin

Bulgarian: Ако планината не отиде при Мохамед, Мохамед ще отиде при планината.


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## Tamar

In Hebrew, it's other way around: if Muhamad won't come to the mountain, the mountain will go to Muhamad. 

אם מוחמד לא יבוא אל ההר, ההר יבוא אל מוחמד
[im mukhamad lo yavo el ha-ar, ha-ar yavo el mukhamad].


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## ThomasK

origumi said:


> Apparently England, early 17th century. It first appears in the following places.
> 
> Francis Bacon, _Essays_, 1625


 
I wondered in what context the phrase had been used, and noticed that the chapter where Bacon mentions it, is about boldness, and he refers to it as *'Mahomet's miracle'*. But then he refers to this feature of bold men: 



> "So these men, when they have promised great matters and failed most shamefully, yet (if they have the perfection of boldness) they will but slight it over, and make a turn, and no more ado. Certainly to men of great judgment, bold persons are a sport to behold; nay and to the vulgar also, boldness has somewhat of the ridiculous. "


 
_(Thanks for the question, Sakvaka !)_


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## nooij

Vasiliy said:


> Dutch:
> Als de berg niet naar Mohammed wilt komen, dan moet Mohammed ma naar de berg gaan


 
The singular third person form of the verb 'willen' (to want) is 'wil' not 'wilt'. And... adding 'ma' (mom) in the middle of the sentence makes no sense. I think you meant 'maar' (but), and in that case it's correct although not necessary in this translation.


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## mataripis

Tagalog: If the mountain don't move/answer for you, then it is not fit for you. = kung walang katugunan mula sa kabundukan, hindi nga ukol sa iyo.  Mountains in various places are regarded as holy sites, In my country, Mt. Banahaw is a holy/sacred mountain where Holy ONE use to visit/stand.


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## Fericire

Which is the right one: A or B ?
a) If Muhammad will not go to the mountain, the mountain must come to Muhammad.
b) If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain.

I mean, both can be found on Google with millions of results...


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## DearPrudence

I'm not sure I've found the proper translation of this in *French* but I think the literal translation would be understood:
*"Si la montagne ne vient pas à Mahomet, Mahomet ira à la montagne."*

I would that in French, the variation which appeared in the novel _Le Bossu_ is far more known and used:
*"Si tu ne viens pas à Lagardère, Lagardère ira (/viendra) à toi."
*(Lagardère being a character)


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## L'irlandais

Olá Fericire,

For me only version* b* makes any sense.





> One of the earliest written occurences is appearantly from Francis Bacon :
> If the hill will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet will go to the hill.  Essays (1625)  Source :  wiki


Since the proverb means "If one can't get one's own way, then one must accept an alternative."
It's a little like the "King Canute and the tide" story, that's to say, Mahomet (though a prophet) is still just a man.

Version *a *looks like a deformation of the Biblical text Mattew Ch. 17 verse 20.


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