- English translation
A woman who has painted her eyes with kohl has no fondness for a man who cannot see.
- Literal wording
The kohl-lined woman does not love the blind man.
- Meaning and lesson
The picture is of a woman who has carefully darkened her eyes with kohl so that they will be looked at and admired. Such adornment only pays off before someone who can see it, so a man without sight offers her nothing in return for her trouble.
More broadly, the kohl stands for any deliberate effort to be seen or admired, and the point applies to anyone, not only women or romance. A person acting with a definite purpose seeks out those who will notice and care about the result; those who cannot perceive or do not value the effort hold little appeal.
- When it is used
Suited to wry remarks about someone whose effort is aimed at an audience able to notice and value it, and who has little interest in indifferent observers. Because it uses blindness as a figure for failing to notice, it may sound insensitive toward people with visual impairments; use with care.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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