- Arabic: اِسْتَبْضِعَ التَّمْرَ إِلَى هَجَر (istabḍiʕa t-tamra ʔilā hajar, literally “carry dates to Hajar”)
- Catalan: portar aigua al mar (literally “carry water to the sea”)
- Chinese:
- Hokkien: 夯枷 (zh-min-nan) (giâ-kê, literally “carry the shackle”), 無枷夯交椅／无枷夯交椅 (bô kê giâ kau-í, literally “carry the armchair if there's no shackle”)
- Mandarin: 多此一舉／多此一举 (zh) (duōcǐyījǔ), 脫褲子放屁／脱裤子放屁 (zh) (tuō khùzi fàngpì)
- Czech: nosit dříví do lesa (cs) (literally “carry wood into the forest”), nosit sovy do Atén (literally “carry owls to Athens”)
- Danish: give bagerbørn hvedebrød (literally “give wheat bread to bakers' children”)
- Dutch: uilen naar Athene dragen (literally “carry owls to Athens”), water naar de zee dragen (literally “carry water to the sea”)
- Esperanto: porti akvon al rivero (literally “carry water to the river”), porti strigojn al Ateno (literally “carry owls to Athens”)
- Estonian: kilplasetööd tegema (literally “do the [?] work”)
- Finnish: kantaa vettä kaivoon (literally “carry water to the well”)
- French: porter de l’eau à la rivière (fr) (literally “carry water to the river”)
- Georgian: ზღვას ქვიშას უმატებენო (zɣvas kvišas umaṭebeno, literally “bring sand to the beach”), ტყესი შეშის შეტანა (ṭq̇esi šešis šeṭana, literally “carry firewood into the forest”)
- German: Eulen nach Athen tragen (de) (literally “carry owls to Athens”); Holz in den Wald tragen (de) (literally “carry wood to the forest”); Wasser ins Meer tragen (de) (literally “carry water to the sea”)
- Greek: κομίζω γλαύκα εις Αθήνας (el) (komízo gláfka eis Athínas, literally “carry owls to Athens”)
- Ancient: γλαῦκ' εἰς Ἀθήνας (glaûk' eis Athḗnas), γλαῦκ' Ἀθήναζε (glaûk' Athḗnaze, literally “owls to Athens”)
- Hindi: उल्टे बाँस बरेली को लेना (ulṭe bā̃s barelī ko lenā, literally “take bamboo to Bareilly”)
- Hungarian: vizet hord a Dunába (hu) (literally “carry water into the Danube”)
- Icelandic: bera í bakkafullan lækinn (literally “carry water to an overflowing stream”)
- Irish: ag tabhairt liúdar go Toraigh (literally “taking coalfish to Tory Island”), ag cuimilt saille de thóin na muice méithe
- Italian: portare nottole ad Atene (literally “carry noctules to Athens”), portare civette ad Atene (literally “carry owls to Athens”), portare vasi a Samo (literally “carry jars to Samos”)
- Japanese: 無駄骨を折る (むだぼねをおる, mudabone wo oru)
- Latin: in silvam ligna ferō (literally “carry wood into the forest”)
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: gi bakerens barn brød (literally “give bread to the baker's children”), gå over bekken etter vann (no) (literally “cross the river in search of water”)
- Nynorsk: gje brød til bakaren sine born (literally “give bread to the baker's children”)
- Persian: زیره به کرمان بردن (zire be kermân bordan, literally “bring caraway to Kerman”)
- Polish: wozić drewno do lasu (pl) (literally “carry wood into the forest”)
- Portuguese: levar água ao mar (literally “carry water to the sea”), chover no molhado (pt) (literally “rain in the wet”)
- Russian: е́здить в Ту́лу со свои́м самова́ром (ru) (jézditʹ v Túlu so svoím samovárom, literally “go to Tula with your own samovar”), в лес дрова́ вози́ть (ru) (v les drová vozítʹ, literally “carry wood into the forest”)
- Scottish Gaelic: thoir fiodhrach do Loch Abar (literally “take timber to Lochaber”), thoir eich a dh'Innse Gall (literally “take horses to the Hebrides”)
- Slovak: voziť drevo do hory (sk) (literally “carry wood into the forest”), nosiť sovy do Atén (literally “carry owls to Athens”)
- Slovene: zlivati vodo v morje
- Spanish: llevar leña al monte (literally “carry wood upon the mountain”), llevar hierro a Vizcaya
- Swedish: bära ugglor till Aten (literally “carry owls to Athens”)
- Thai: เอามะพร้าวห้าวไปขายสวน (th) (ao má-práao-hâao bpai kǎai sǔuan, literally “sell ripe coconuts to an orchard”), เอาแป้งนวลไปขายชาววัง (ao bpɛ̂ɛng-nuual bpai kǎai chaao-wang, literally “sell face powders to palace ladies”)
- Turkish: denize su götürmek (literally “carry water to the sea”)
- Welsh: cario glo i Fflint (literally “carry coal to Flint”)
- Yiddish: פֿירן שטרוי קיין מצרים (firn shtroy keyn mitsraym, literally “carry straw to Egypt”)
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