- English translation
Like a Qaramani pilgrim's knotted purse, it won't come undone until Mecca.
- Literal wording
The Qaramani's bundle does not come untied except in Mecca.
- Meaning and lesson
The picture is a pilgrim from the distant land of Qaraman whose money pouch is cinched and knotted so firmly that it stays shut for the whole long journey to the Hijaz. It is opened only on arrival in Mecca, when the coins are finally needed. 'Qaramani' names a place of origin, not a person or an insult.
Applied to everyday affairs, the saying marks a problem or tangled situation as something that will not resolve quickly. Its untangling is expected only after considerable time has passed. The speaker signals that patience is required; the point is slowness, not stinginess or distrust of others.
- When it is used
Say this when an affair is so tangled or tightly bound that nobody expects it to come loose soon, such as a stalled dispute or paperwork. It conveys patient, slightly wry resignation that the resolution lies at the far end of a long road.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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