- English translation
My own husband never could keep me in line, yet here's my lover chasing after me with a club.
- Literal wording
My husband did not rule over me; my lover went around behind me with the cudgel.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying ridicules an outsider who grabs for control he has no right to. If the husband, who holds a genuine claim, never managed to restrain her, a lover with no standing has no business chasing her with a club.
More generally, it targets anyone who meddles in matters that belong to someone else, acting more zealous or possessive than the rightful party. Its picture of an illicit lover threatening violence makes the mockery pointed; the threat is held up as absurd overreach, not as acceptable behavior.
- When it is used
Aim it at a busybody claiming authority over another's concern, especially when the person with real standing has not intervened. Given its imagery of adultery and threatened violence, choose the audience with care.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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