The work praises the man.

“The work praises the man” asserts that merit is best demonstrated, not declared. The phrase shifts the locus of praise from speech to performance: a person’s character, competence, and integrity become legible through what they produce and how they do it. It also implies an ethical standard—work should be done so well that it “speaks” on the worker’s behalf, making external self-promotion unnecessary. In a broader moral sense, the proverb aligns with a deeds-over-words worldview: reputation is earned through consistent, observable action. It can be read both as encouragement (let your work be your advocate) and as warning (poor work will likewise testify against you).