- English translation
Better a mouthful eaten quietly by a wall than a whole sheep served up with uproar.
- Literal wording
A morsel beneath a wall, and not a sheep with clamor.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying ranks peace of mind above abundance. A scrap of bread eaten alone in the shade of a wall is presented as the better lot, while a whole roasted sheep loses its value once it arrives wrapped in noise, argument, and people talking.
It is used to justify choosing a small, untroubled share over a larger gain that brings disturbance. The speaker accepts less material comfort in exchange for quiet, dignity, and freedom from the friction that often accompanies wealth, feasts, or entanglement with others.
- When it is used
Suitable when someone weighs a modest, quiet arrangement against a richer one that comes with quarrels, gossip, or obligations, such as choosing a humble job, home, or marriage that offers calm over a prosperous but contentious alternative.
Cite or copy proverb
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