Silence was never written down.

The proverb points to a basic asymmetry between speech and silence: words leave traces—on paper, in memory, in reputation—while silence, by definition, produces no record. It can be read as a caution about the permanence and accountability of what we say (or write): once expressed, it may be repeated, quoted, or used against us, whereas restraint often passes unnoticed. At the same time, it hints at why silence can be powerful or prudent: it avoids creating evidence, commitments, or misunderstandings. In a broader sense, the saying reflects a folk wisdom about discretion—what is not spoken cannot be documented, misquoted, or regretted.