- English translation
All they have is a closet without a door, and still they pray to be shielded from envious eyes.
- Literal wording
A little room with no door, and they say: 'O God, keep the harm of the envious away from us!'
- Meaning and lesson
The saying mocks people who have almost nothing of value yet behave as if their belongings would make others envious. Here خزانة means a small room in a house, not a treasury: a single room without a door prompts a prayer against jealous neighbors, exposing inflated pride.
Beyond poverty itself, the target is shameless boasting about something paltry. The prayer against envy sounds sincere on the surface, but the irony lies in its contrast with how little is actually owned; nobody would covet such a meager thing, so the formula only highlights how empty the display is.
- When it is used
Use it to tease or criticize someone who brags about a trivial possession or modest achievement, as though others must envy it. It suits informal, wry remarks; aimed at a specific person, it is a put-down that can come across as insulting.
- Register
- Colloquial; mocking
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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