- English translation
Like a magistrate, he can only deal with whoever is standing before him.
- Literal wording
Like the ruler: he has nothing except the one in front of him.
- Meaning and lesson
The proverb compares someone to a magistrate, an official who judges offenders rather than a head of state, who can only rule on those actually brought before him. Anyone who stays away, however guilty, goes untouched by his judgment.
In broader use, it observes that accountability often falls on whoever is visible or caught, not on whoever is most responsible. It does not claim the person caught is innocent. It can voice mild resentment at that unfairness, or admit that one can deal only with what is in front of one.
- When it is used
A colloquial saying, used when blame or punishment lands on whoever happens to be caught or present, while others who may deserve it more stay out of reach. It can serve as a wry complaint or a realistic remark about the limits of anyone's power to judge.
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- Colloquial
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How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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