On [:] Prevent | Chinese proverb

Itou Shinsui, Fine Weather in Autumn, 1930

“A Chinese proverb reminds us:

You cannot prevent birds of sorrow from flying over your head,
but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair.”

Anne Bryan Smollin, 1943–2014

Also:
Thoughts on { Roses | Proverbs from Around the World
Goods given | Tahitian Proverb