- English translation
Shield your candle from the wind, and it will keep shining.
- Literal wording
Shelter your candle; it will give light.
- Meaning and lesson
The image is a small flame that lasts only when someone shields it from the wind. The shielding here means protecting it from harm, not hiding it away in secret; something fragile but valuable keeps shining under protection.
The candle stands for one's own affairs rather than literal lighting. In everyday terms, it urges people to tend their own plans, livelihoods, and undertakings attentively, so they stay on course instead of being left to chance.
- When it is used
Fits advice urging someone to look after their own business with steady care, or remarks crediting a venture's success to its owner's close attention. It suits gentle encouragement rather than reproach.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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