- English translation
Eye, whatever you saw, you never saw it; and if they ask you to testify, just say you were at home.
- Literal wording
O eye, if you saw, you did not see; and if they make you a witness, say: I was in my house.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying, addressed to one's own eye (a grammatically feminine noun in Arabic, so the feminine verbs do not indicate a woman), recommends deliberate non-involvement in other people's affairs. Whatever you notice about others should be treated as if it never reached your eyes, and you should not become a source of talk about them.
The saying goes beyond merely keeping observations private: if asked to bear witness, the observer is told to claim falsely to have been at home. It is offered as a way of avoiding other people's affairs and gossip. The advice reflects a preference for non-involvement, even at the cost of truthful testimony.
- When it is used
Used to urge someone to stay out of other people's affairs, avoid spreading what they have seen, and refuse involvement in disputes. The wording goes beyond discretion: if summoned as a witness, the speaker is told to claim they were at home, even when that is untrue.
- Register
- Colloquial Arabic, shown by dialect forms such as شفتي and ريتي
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Eye, whatever you saw, you never saw it; and if they ask you to testify, just say you were at home.