| Joseph Friedlander, comp. The Standard Book of Jewish Verse. 1917. | | | | The Tongue | | Anonymous |
| | | “THE BONELESS tongue, so small and weak, | |
| Can crush and kill,” declared the Greek. | |
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| “The tongue destroys a greater horde,” | |
| The Turk asserts, “than does the sword.” | |
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| The Persian proverb wisely saith, | 5 |
| “A lengthy tongue—and early death.” | |
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| Or sometimes take this form instead: | |
| “Don’t let your tongue cut off your head.” | |
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| “The tongue can speak a word whose speed,” | |
| Say the Chinese, “outstrips the steed.” | 10 |
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| While Arab sage doth this impart; | |
| “The tongue’s great storehouse is the heart.” | |
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| From Hebrew wit the maxim sprung, | |
| “Though feet should slip, ne’er let the tongue.” | |
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| The sacred writer crowns the whole, | 15 |
| “Who keeps his tongue doth keep his soul.” | | | | |
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