- English translation
Save the wedding cries for when the bride is actually here.
- Literal wording
The ululations are to be upon the bride's head.
- Meaning and lesson
The image is of a wedding: zaghārīṭ, the ululations women raise in festive joy, belong to the moment the bride is actually led in procession, sounding right over her head. Raising them earlier spends the celebration at the wrong time, before its proper occasion has come.
Applied more broadly, the saying faults any action taken prematurely. It advises patience and good timing, suggesting that rejoicing, rewards, or efforts carry their full meaning only when the awaited event has truly arrived.
- When it is used
Say it to someone who celebrates, boasts, or acts on an outcome before it has arrived, such as rejoicing over a deal not yet signed. It works as a gentle reminder to hold the celebration until the moment it belongs to.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Save the wedding cries for when the bride is actually here.