«قِرْدِ مْوَافِقْ وَلَا غَزَالْ شَارِدْ»

The saying ranks willing cooperation above attractiveness. Something plain or even unappealing, symbolized by the monkey, earns preference when it is agreeable, compatible, or easy to get along with, while something lovely but skittish, like a gazelle that keeps bolting, offers little real benefit because it never stays within reach.

More broadly, it is advice about practical choice: value what fits your needs and stays dependably at hand over what dazzles but resists, wanders off, or cannot be kept. Usefulness and compatibility outweigh admiration for a prize you can never actually hold.

Use it when weighing a modest but dependable option against an impressive one that cannot be relied on or held onto, such as a partner, associate, helper, or arrangement. It works best as a wry remark, since comparing anyone to a monkey can sound teasing or insulting.