Italian love phrases and quotes

These Italian quotes and phrases about love and beauty are taken from “A dictionary of foreign phrases and classical quotations,” an old book by Hugh Percy Jones. Note that in many cases the spelling conforms to old or regional rules. Several of these romantic quotations come from popular poetic works, the rest are merely common sayings. You may also want to check out our collection of Italian quotes and proverbs.

Amor regge senza legge – Love rules without laws.

Amore è il vero prezzo con che si compra amore – Love is the true price with which love is bought.

Amore non conosce travaglio – Love never gets tired.

Amore tutti fa uguali – Love makes all men equal.

Bacio di bocca spesso cuor non tocca – A kiss of the lips often touches not the heart.

Bella cosa tosto è rapita – A pretty thing is soon taken.

Bella donna e veste tagliuzatta sempre s’imbatte in qualche uncino – A pretty girl and a tattered gown are sure to find some hook in the way.

Bella femmina che ride, vuol dir, borsa che piange – When a pretty woman smiles, look to your purse.

Che talor cresce una beltà un bel manto – Fine clothese often make beauty still more beautiful. (Ariosto)

Chi ama me, ama il mio cane – Love me, love my dog.

Chi ama, crede – He who loves, trusts

Chi ha l’amor nel petto, ha lo sprone a’fianchi – He who has love in his breast, has spurs in his sides.

Chi nasce bella nasce maritata – She that is born beautiful is born married.

Chi non ama il vino, la donna e il canto / Un pazzo egli sarà e mai un santo – Who loves not Wine, Woman and Song, Remains a fool his whole life long.

E son come d’amor baci baciati / Gl’incontri di due cori amanti amanti – Kisses, when given in love, are, so to speak, the meeting of two loving hearts. (Guarini)

Femmina è cosa garrula e fallace: Vuole e disvuole; è folle uom che sen fida – A woman is ever chattering, and ever deceiving: she wills one thing, and then another. Foolish the main who trusts her.

La donna è mobile – Woman is a fickle thing.

L’amor che muove il sole e l’altre stelle – Love which moves the sun and other stars of heaven (Dante)

L’amore è cieco – Love is blind.

Lascia, lascia le selve / Folle garzon, lascia le fere, ed ama – Leave, leave the woods, silly boy, leave thy hunting and learn to love. (Guarini)

Né creator né creatura fu senz’ amore – Neither Creator, nor creature was ever without love (Dante)

Non è bello quel che è bello, ma quel che piace – Beauty is not what is beautiful, but the thing that pleases us.

Non è pena maggiore / Che ‘n vecchie membra il pizzicor d’amore – There is no greater punishment than to be smitten by love when one’s frame is old (Guarini)

Non era l’andar sua cosa mortale / Ma d’angelica forma – There was nought mortal in her stately tread, but grace angelic (Petrarch)

O dolce amor, che di riso t’ammanti – Sweet heavenly love, which dost array thyself in smiles. (Dante)

Questo crudele, e traditor Amore! – This cruel one, this wicked traitor Love! (Ariosto)

Rara in amore la fedeltà si trova – Fidelity and love are seldom found together.

Se la donna vuol, tutto la puol – What woman wills, all will.

Tre cose belle in questo mondo: prete parato, cavaliere armato, e donna ornata – Three things are beautiful in this world: a priest in his vestments, a knight in armour, and a woman in her ornaments.

Un freddo amico è mal sicuro amante – A cold friend makes an untrustworthy lover. (Metastasio)

Uomo amante, uomo zelante – A loving man, a jealous man.

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