- English translation
Don't be charmed by a fancy door: who knows whether the man inside has eaten breakfast or is still going hungry?
- Literal wording
Do not let the door and its ornamentation please you; its owner, has he broken his fast, or is he still on his saliva?
- Meaning and lesson
The saying warns against being taken in by an ornate front. A finely decorated door says nothing certain about the household behind it, and its owner may still be "on his saliva," an idiom meaning he has eaten nothing since waking. Surface splendor and real comfort are separate matters.
More broadly, it teaches that appearances are a poor guide to someone's true condition. Polish, display, or a respectable facade can hide poverty, struggle, or emptiness, so judgment should rest on what lies underneath rather than on what is shown to passersby.
- When it is used
Say it when someone is dazzled by a showy house, outfit, or display, as a reminder that surface wealth may hide hardship. Though the vowelled wording addresses a woman, it serves as general counsel to anyone against judging a person's means by outward decoration.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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