- English translation
Neighbors give rise to envy, and kin give rise to hatred.
- Literal wording
Envy is found among the neighbors, and hatred is found among the relatives.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying observes that closeness, rather than distance, is what tends to stir hostile feelings. People who live next door can watch each other's fortunes daily, so envy readily arises between them as each compares what the other household has gained.
The second half moves from shared walls to shared blood, claiming that kin, in the wide sense of all blood ties rather than one household, are most prone to outright hatred among themselves. Kinship brings obligations, competing claims, and old grievances, so the bonds expected to unite people often become the deepest sources of resentment.
- When it is used
Suitable when commenting wryly on rivalry between people who live side by side, or on bitter quarrels inside a family, such as disputes over inheritance. It works as a resigned observation rather than an accusation against a particular person.
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- Colloquial Arabic
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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