the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on

English

Etymology

The saying is found in many languages from the Middle East to India. In Turkish and Azerbaijani, it rhymes (it ürür, kervan yürür (in Turkish), and it hürər, karvan keçər (in Azerbaijani)), suggesting that of Turkic languages may be the origin. Some scholars claim that the proverb is originally Arabic.

Proverb

the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on

History (or progress) moves ahead, no matter the criticism it may attract.

Translations

life goes on even if some will try to stop progress

Arabic: اَلْقَافِلَةُ تَسِيرُ وَالْكِلَابُ تَنْبَحُ‎ (al-qāfilatu tasīru wālkilābu tanbaḥu)
Azerbaijani: it hürər, karvan keçər
Bulgarian: кучетата лаят, керванът си върви (kučetata lajat, kervanǎt si vǎrvi)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 我行我素，豈管他哉, 我行我素，岂管他哉 (wǒ xíng wǒ sù, qǐ guǎn tā zāi)
Czech: psi štěkají, ale karavana jde dál, psi štěkají, ale karavana jede dál
Finnish: koirat haukkuvat ja karavaani kulkee
French: les chiens aboient, la caravane passe (fr)
Georgian: ძაღლი ყეფს ქარავანი მიდის (ʒaɣli q̇eps karavani midis)
German: die Hunde bellen, aber die Karawane zieht weiter
Greek: τα σκυλιά αλυχτούν μα το καραβάνι προχωρά (ta skyliá alychtoún ma to karaváni prochorá)
Hebrew: הכלבים נובחים,אבל השיירה עוברת‎ (haklavím novkhím, avál hashayará ovéret)

Hungarian: a kutya ugat, a karaván halad (hu)
Indonesian: anjing menggongong, kafilah berlalu
Korean: 개들은 짖고, 캐러밴은 계속된다 (gaedeureun jitgo, kaereobaeneun gyesokdoenda)
Polish: psy szczekają, karawana idzie dalej (pl), psy szczekają, karawana jedzie dalej
Portuguese: os cães ladram, mas a caravana passa
Romanian: câinii latră, carvana trece
Russian: соба́ка ла́ет, а карава́н идёт (sobáka lájet, a karaván idjót), соба́ка ла́ет, а карава́н е́дет (sobáka lájet, a karaván jédet)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: пси лају, а каравани пролазе

Roman: psi laju, a karavani prolaze
Spanish: los perros ladran, pero la caravana pasa
Turkish: it ürür, kervan yürür
Vietnamese: chó cứ sủa còn đoàn người cứ đi

References

Gregory Y. Titelman: Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings, 1996, page 57, →ISBN

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