- English translation
A fine mare saves her rider when trouble comes.
- Literal wording
The good [mare] rescues her master.
- Meaning and lesson
The image is a thoroughbred mare, the unstated subject of the saying, whose speed carries her rider out of danger. Here the word for 'good' means a fine, well-bred mare, not a generous person as in ordinary speech. A mare of good stock outruns pursuers, and her master is rescued.
Beyond the horse, the saying holds that true worth shows itself in a crisis. Something or someone of real quality comes to the owner's aid when it matters most. It quietly praises sound judgment in choosing companions, helpers, or possessions, since only genuine excellence can be relied on in hardship.
- When it is used
Use it when someone or something proves its worth under pressure, especially a dependable person or a well-chosen resource that rescues its owner from trouble. It fits praise of loyalty or of a wise earlier choice that finally pays off in hardship.
- Register
- colloquial
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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