proverb · Words worth keeping
Light burdens borne far become heavy.
Light burdens borne far become heavy.
In print by 1857 AD · industrial
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A small demand can become substantial when it continues for a long time. Assess the duration and repetition of a burden, not only how light one instance appears.
What the words are saying
The weight is initially light, yet the distance changes its effect on the person carrying it. The image shifts attention from a single moment to what accumulates. A routine interruption or minor assignment can become demanding when repeated without an opportunity to rest or reorganise. A useful response examines the pattern and available support rather than telling someone that each individual task is too small to matter. The saying is an analogy, not a measurement of anyone’s physical condition.
Everyday example
A team notices that repeated five-minute interruptions are consuming a colleague’s day and changes how requests are gathered.
When to use it
Use it to examine a continuing demand whose cumulative effect is overlooked.
What it does not mean
The burden and available capacity differ; do not infer a medical condition from the image.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional (French-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1857 AD · industrial
In print by 1857: recorded in A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857) (1857 AD)
Printed page 6; French section, paragraph 119; source wording: Au long aller petit fardeau pèse.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.