- English translation
Like the man at the scale, you know the true weight only when the weighing is done.
- Literal wording
The weigher goes by its end.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying holds that a matter is truly settled only at its close. Early signs, whether promising or discouraging, do not decide the result. What counts is how things finally turn out.
It draws on the qabbani, the man who weighs goods on a one-pan beam scale; his title comes from the name of the scale itself. He cannot state even a modest weight until the last part of the beam is set. Here "its end" most naturally means the close of the weighing, or of the matter being judged.
- When it is used
Use it when someone rushes to judge a venture, contest, or deal before it has finished, or treats an early lead or setback as final. It advises holding back a verdict until the matter reaches its conclusion.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Like the man at the scale, you know the true weight only when the weighing is done.