- English translation
Dying wasn't enough for the poor man; the grave had to crush him too.
- Literal wording
The dead man has not only his death; he also has the squeezing of the grave.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying describes a misfortune that arrives on top of an existing one. Its opening is not a denial that death is a burden but an 'as if that were not enough' setup: the dead man already bears death, and the grave still presses in on him, echoing the belief that the grave squeezes the newly buried.
In conversation it expresses sympathy or wry resignation about compounded bad luck. It suggests that the person's troubles have not ended at what looked like the bottom but have kept coming.
- When it is used
Use it as a rueful comment when a second setback lands on someone already struggling, such as an injury followed by a lost job. Because it uses death and burial imagery, avoid saying it lightly around people who are mourning.
- Register
- Colloquial Arabic
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Dying wasn't enough for the poor man; the grave had to crush him too.