Du lächelst - und die Welt verändert sich (Weisheit von Buddha)

English translation: You smile - and the world changes

11:05 Oct 20, 2016
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
German term or phrase: Du lächelst - und die Welt verändert sich (Weisheit von Buddha)
I cannot find a similar quote in English, and yet this is such a common "Weisheit" in German with all sorts of paraphernalia available (wall tattoos, signs, t-shirts etc) with this saying written on.
Could this be a pseudo-Buddhist quote that doesn't really exist or has been modified somewhere along the way?
Lesley Robertson MA, Dip Trans IoLET
Austria
Local time: 12:24
English translation:You smile - and the world changes
Explanation:
14 hits for "You smile - and the world changes" + buddha
https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1...

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Note added at 17 mins (2016-10-20 11:22:24 GMT)
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Frank Sinatra's version of the same: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=351l62Yx0oI
Selected response from:

Lancashireman
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:24
Grading comment
Thank you. I went with a literal translation in the end, but I agree with Anne that the Buddha tag is probably not authentic...
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +5You smile - and the world changes
Lancashireman
4 +2Smile, and the world will smile back (at you).
Amy Randles
3Use your smile to change the world (but dont let the world change ,,,)
Ellen Kraus


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +5
You smile - and the world changes


Explanation:
14 hits for "You smile - and the world changes" + buddha
https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 mins (2016-10-20 11:22:24 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Frank Sinatra's version of the same: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=351l62Yx0oI

Lancashireman
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:24
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 160
Grading comment
Thank you. I went with a literal translation in the end, but I agree with Anne that the Buddha tag is probably not authentic...

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  José Patrício: “Use your smile to change the world. Don’t let the world change your smile.” - http://findinghappinessmovie.com/find-happiness/happiness-qu...
7 mins

agree  philgoddard
1 hr

agree  Ramey Rieger (X)
5 hrs

agree  Melanie Meyer
1 day 48 mins

agree  Gudrun Wolfrath
4 days
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24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Use your smile to change the world (but dont let the world change ,,,)


Explanation:
links to Buddha

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Note added at 25 Min. (2016-10-20 11:30:48 GMT)
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but dont let the world Change your smile"

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Note added at 32 Min. (2016-10-20 11:37:54 GMT)
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there are 1 790 000 google entries to confirm this as the authentic version

Ellen Kraus
Austria
Local time: 12:24
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Lancashireman: This changes the meaning significantly. Also, if you keep clicking through to Page 12 of the Google search, the 1.7 million hits shrink to 111.
27 mins
  -> the mentioned number of ghits applies to " let your smile ...... " rather than to "use your smile to ..."
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Smile, and the world will smile back (at you).


Explanation:
I am a native speaker of US English and live in the US. This is the phrase we use - with or without the "at you". It does not translate word for word and carries a slightly different meaning than the German. However, people here generally do not say "smile, and the world will change". Instead, they say what I have listed above.

Amy Randles
United States
Local time: 06:24
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  franglish
1 hr

neutral  Lancashireman: Very nice, but it doesn't address the issue of 'change' (verändert sich). For all we know, this may be the very concept that Lesley's client wishes to stress.
5 hrs

agree  Paul Cohen: It’s a bit of a leap of faith anyway, i.e. whether these Hallmark-card versions of Buddha's "wisdom" actually reflect the "true" meaning of the "original". In that sense, yes, if the world smiles back at you, perhaps you HAVE indeed changed the world. ;-)
2 days 7 hrs
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