- English translation
Lion or hyena? Which one is it?
- Literal wording
A lion, or else a hyena?
- Meaning and lesson
Spoken to someone who has just turned up carrying news, the question asks what that news amounts to. It offers two alternatives and invites the newcomer to name whichever one applies, so the listener learns the gist before hearing the full account.
The two animals, the lion specifically and the hyena, mark the poles of an either-or choice about the news; they do not label the messenger. The phrase does not spell out which outcome each represents.
- When it is used
Address it to someone who has just arrived back with news, asking straight away which of two possible outcomes has come about, before any longer explanation is given. It asks about the news, not the messenger.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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