Time ripens all things; no man is born wise.

The saying links wisdom to time and experience rather than innate genius. “Time ripens all things” frames human development as organic: judgment, prudence, and understanding mature gradually, often through trial, error, and observation. The second clause—“no man is born wise”—rejects the idea of ready-made wisdom at birth and implies that learning is a lifelong process. In a Cervantine spirit, it can also be read as a gentle corrective to youthful certainty and to social pretensions: true discernment is earned, not claimed. The aphorism thus encourages patience with oneself and others, and humility about what one knows at any given moment.