- English translation
Better one sparrow in your hand than ten still up in the trees.
- Literal wording
A sparrow in the hand rather than ten in the trees.
- Meaning and lesson
A single small thing you actually hold is worth more than many things still out of reach. What sits in your grasp can be used and enjoyed now, while a larger number perched beyond your control brings no real benefit, however tempting it looks.
The saying therefore counsels prudence and contentment with secure possession. It warns against giving up a certain, if modest, advantage in pursuit of something bigger that may never be obtained, and it values reliable ownership over mere promise or abundance at a distance. Here السجر is a colloquial form of الشجر, 'trees'.
- When it is used
Use it when someone is considering giving up a modest, secure gain to pursue a larger but uncertain one, such as rejecting a firm offer in hopes of a better opportunity. It offers practical counsel to prefer what is already within reach.
- Register
- Colloquial Arabic
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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