- English translation
Like a pigeon that settles in one dovecote, then flies off to the next.
- Literal wording
Like the pigeons, it grows fond of tower after tower.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying describes a person whose warmth toward others never lasts. Like a pigeon that grows attached to one dovecote, settles there, then moves to the next, such a person stays with one companion a while and then moves on. Here يغوى means growing fond of a place, not going astray, and برج is a dovecote.
It works as a gentle but pointed criticism of fickleness in friendship or love, not praise of mobility. Using it warns the listener not to trust the apparent devotion of someone known for changing allegiances. It may also comment, after the fact, on a bond that ended when the other person found a fresh attachment.
- When it is used
Use it critically, with a somewhat mocking tone, for someone whose fondness moves from person to person, such as a friend who drops old companions for new ones or a suitor who shifts attachments easily. It faults inconstancy rather than praising freedom.
- Register
- Colloquial Arabic, as the wording itself shows
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Like a pigeon that settles in one dovecote, then flies off to the next.