- English translation
Better the weeds of our own fields than someone else's finest wheat.
- Literal wording
The darnel of our land, and not the Salibi wheat.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying puts darnel, a wheat-like weed that spoils the crop, from one's own land above Salibi wheat, a prized strain named after a seed-selecting man, not a reference to crusaders or the cross. The mismatch makes the point: belonging can outweigh obvious superiority, and what is ours carries value a stranger's better goods cannot match.
It also commends contentment. The speaker accepts a modest or even flawed share, provided it is their own, rather than reaching for another's prosperity. "Our land" may mean village, town, or country. The proverb can express pride in home and kin, a refusal to depend on others, or simple satisfaction with one's lot despite its shortcomings.
- When it is used
Use this when someone defends sticking with what is their own, such as a home, family, local goods, or familiar ways, over something admittedly better that belongs to others. It fits gentle, wry remarks about loyalty and contentment rather than formal argument.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Better the weeds of our own fields than someone else's finest wheat.