ProverbHub
ArabicArabic scriptExpression: Verified

«أَبُو مِيَّةْ يِحْسِدْ أَبُو تْنِيَّهْ»

Meanings

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Sense: Verified
English translation

Even someone with a hundred sheep can envy a person who has just one.

Literal wording

The keeper of a hundred sheep envies someone whose only sheep has lived two years.

Meaning and lesson

Having plenty does not always put an end to envy. The person with a large flock still covets the single sheep belonging to someone with far less.

The proverb criticizes greed that turns even a small possession into an object of jealousy. Its contrast makes the richer person's resentment appear especially petty.

When it is used

Use it to criticize someone who has much more than another person but still begrudges that person a modest possession or advantage. The point is the envy, not merely the difference in wealth.