A rolling stone gathers no moss.

Meaning and origin

This is an old proverb and it may not be authentic to Publilius Syrus, as first believed. The Latin form usually given, Saxum volutum non obducitur musco, does not appear in the edited texts of Syrus. It does, however, appear with similar wording in Erasmus' Adagia, which was first published around 1500. It is also given as Musco lapis volutus haud obducitur, and in some cases as Musco lapis volutus haud obvolvitur.

The conventional English translation appeared in John Heywood's collection of Proverbs in 1546. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable also credits Erasmus, and relates the proverb to other Latin proverbs, Planta quae saepius transfertus non coalescit, or Saepius plantata arbor fructum profert exiguum, which mean that a frequently replanted plant or tree (respectively) yields little fruit. It appears that the original intent of the proverb saw the growth of moss as desirable, and that the intent was to condemn mobility as unprofitable.


Another interpretation equates "moss" to "stagnation"; as such the proverb can also refer to those who keep moving as never lacking for fresh ideas or creativity.

Croatian
Koji se kamen premeće, neće se mahovinom obrasti.
Translation: A rolling stone gathers no moss.

Esperanto
Eĉ ŝtono verdiĝas, se ĝi longe ne moviĝas.
Translation: A rolling stone gathers no moss.

French
Pierre qui roule n'amasse pas mousse.
Translation: A rolling stone gathers no moss.

Frisian
De stijn, dirr ōfting wāllert wort, begràit ài.
Translation: A rolling stone gathers no moss.

Latin
Musco lapis volutus haud obducitur.
Translation: A rolling stone gathers no moss.

Norwegian
Der gror ikke muse på rullande stein.
Translation: A rolling stone gathers no moss.

Persian
Sokuni be-dast ar ey by sabât, ke bar sang-e ġaltân na-ruyad nabât.
Translation: A rolling stone gathers no moss.

Romanian
Piatra care se rostogoleste din loc în loc nu prinde mușchi.
Translation: A rolling stone gathers no moss.

Slovenian
Kamna, ki se obrača, se ne prime mah.
Translation: A rolling stone gathers no moss.

Swedish
På rullande sten växer ingen mossa.
Translation: A rolling stone gathers no moss.

Turkish
Tekerlenen tas yosun tutmaz.
Translation: A rolling stone gathers no moss.

Welsh
Carreg a dreigla, ni fwsoga.
Translation: A rolling stone gathers no moss.

Yiddish
.אַז דער שטיין ליגט אויף איין אָרט ווערט ער אויך באַוואַקסן מיט גראָז
Translation: If a stone stays in one place, it becomes overgrown with moss.